Nowsignage Interview: Retail, QSR and Global Growth

In an industry where growth often comes at the expense of profitability, Nowsignage appears to be breaking the rules. The UK-based digital signage CMS provider has quietly transformed itself from a regional UK software specialist into one of the most closely watched companies in the signage market.

During a recent exclusive background talk with invidis, CEO Nick Johnson offered insights into the strategy, product roadmap and growth trajectory behind the company’s rise. It became clear why competitors, channel partners and investors are paying increasing attention.

The numbers alone are impressive. According to Johnson, Nowsignage currently achieves a Rule of 40 score exceeding 100, a performance level that places the company among a very small group of software businesses globally. The Rule of 40, which combines revenue growth and profitability, has become one of the most widely accepted benchmarks for SaaS performance. While a score above 40 is generally considered strong, surpassing 100 signals an exceptionally efficient business model.

The company claims to be one of the fastest-growing digital signage CMS providers in the market. Its platform is now on target to power approximately 150,000 screens by the end of the year across more than 60 countries, up significantly from around 40 markets just a year ago. Equally remarkable is how that growth has been achieved: entirely through internally generated profits. Nowsignage remains 100% shareholder-owned and has never taken external investment.

Strategic shift towards enterprise

Several years ago, Nowsignage made a deliberate decision to move away from smaller deployments and focus on large-scale enterprise customers. Today, the company’s primary targets are consumer-facing organisations, particularly in retail and quick-service restaurants (QSR).

That strategic pivot heavily influenced product development. Rather than optimizing for simple content publishing, the platform was built to manage large and often complex digital signage networks. Advanced monitoring tools, filtering capabilities, targeting features and network-wide management functions are designed to support deployments consisting of thousands, rather than dozens, of screens.

The company’s strongest differentiator may be its approach to retail media. More than two years ago and much earlier than most competitors, Nowsignage introduced native advertising and campaign management capabilities directly into the CMS platform. While many competing solutions rely on third-party integrations, NowSignage allows operators to manage advertising inventory, campaign scheduling, share-of-voice allocations, loop durations and filler content from within a single environment.

As retailers increasingly seek to monetize in-store audiences, this capability is becoming a powerful competitive advantage. In-store retail media displays are no longer treated merely as communication endpoints but as revenue-generating assets.

A similar philosophy can be seen in the QSR sector, where menu boards are evolving into business-critical systems. Through deep POS integrations and dedicated menu board functionality, the CMS has become tightly connected to restaurant operations and customer experiences.

Winning through the channel

The next chapter in Nowsignage’s evolution will begin with the launch of NS Suite, a range of enterprise products built around the needs of retailers and QSRs. While CEO Nick Johnson remained tight-lipped on the finer details, he revealed that the first products of the Suite are due to be revealed next month, and will give NowSignage customers the tools to harness more power and control from their network through insight, data and automation.

Unlike many software vendors that increasingly pursue direct sales models, NowSignage remains firmly channel-led. The company works with more than 100 certified reseller partners worldwide.

Smaller projects are typically delivered entirely through partners, while larger opportunities involve direct collaboration between Nowsignage and the reseller. Significantly, the software company often participates in enterprise RFP processes alongside partners, helping secure large-scale opportunities while maintaining a channel-first commercial structure.

Global expansion accelerates

The UK remains the company’s strongest and most mature market. However, North America and the Middle East are currently delivering the fastest growth rates.

“The United States presents the greatest opportunity. While the reseller network and local resources are still developing, existing relationships with global retail and QSR brands are opening doors to major opportunities. Building on the success of securing the rollout across the entire US & International estate for Little Caesars in 2024; several significant US QSRs are following suit, with tenders already underway, supported by the credibility gained through international deployments.”

Recent customer wins highlight the company’s momentum. A major UK airport retailer selected the platform due largely to its integrated retail media capabilities. Another high-profile migration involved a 20,000+ screen retail network transitioning from Scala to Nowsignage, including sophisticated POS integrations and interactive customer engagement features.

Perhaps the most strategically important reference customer is Taco Bell. Nowsignage serves as the restaurant group’s international CMS partner and is one of only two software providers integrated with Taco Bell’s Byte POS platform. Following successful international rollouts, industry observers will be watching closely to see whether a larger US opportunity eventually emerges.