Verve Group launches Retail Media, delivering the first validated closed-loop between mobile advertising and retail purchase
Verve Group launches Retail Media, delivering the first validated closed-loop between mobile advertising and retail purchase
Verve Group launches Retail Media, delivering the first validated closed-loop between mobile advertising and retail purchase
Stockholm, 26 May 2026 – Verve Group SE (ISIN: SE0018538068), a leading global advertising technology company, has successfully concluded the validation phase for its dedicated Retail Media activities, establishing Germany’s largest independent cross-retailer in-store media network in less than ten months. Retail media and consumer brands (CPG, Consumer Packaged Goods) advertising have become one of the most strategically important segments in advertising and a prime focus area for advertisers, with more than EUR 10 billion spent annually on retail and CPG advertising in Germany alone. While advertising for online stores is a substantial part of it, over 95 percent of CPG sales still happen in physical stores. Yet despite the scale and importance of this market, advertising designed to drive consumers into physical stores and also influence purchasing decisions at the point of sale has long remained a highly fragmented and underdeveloped ecosystem. Placing and targeting ads, as well as measuring advertising effectiveness, continue to be major pain points for CPGs, largely because directly connecting mobile consumer engagement with in-store purchasing has remained a key industry challenge. Verve now bridges that gap with the first validated closed-loop at scale between mobile advertising and retail purchases, seamlessly connecting mobile ad impressions with first-party POS (Point of Sale) transaction data supported by proprietary targeting and Add2Wallet coupon technology. At the core of this offering is Verve’s established mobile-first advertising infrastructure, which has already built a substantial position in the mobile advertising market and now extends into physical retail through direct integration with retailer transaction data. Germany was deliberately selected by Verve as its launch market given its highly fragmented and competitive grocery retail landscape, making it an ideal proving ground for scalable retail media infrastructure. In less than a year, Verve’s cross-retailer infrastructure has grown to encompass 8,000 grocery and drugstore locations, 9,000 pharmacies, and 830 German cinemas, activated through digital screens, checkout couponing and other in-store touchpoints. Through retail partners including stores of EDEKA, REWE, Müller Drogerie and Kaufland, the network now reaches more than 85 percent of German households annually and generates over 60 million weekly gross contacts. By aggregating fragmented physical retail inventory as well as check-out cash register measuring points, into a single addressable network, Verve offers consumer brands scaled access to in-store audiences in a way previously unavailable outside centralized digital ecosystems. “More than EUR 10 billion is spent annually by consumer brands and retailers in Germany, even though measuring the effectiveness of those budgets in fragmented offline environments remains difficult,” said Remco Westermann, CEO of Verve Group. “This leads to a lot of unfocused and inefficient ad spend. With the vast majority of purchase decisions still made in-store, advertisers have lacked an effective way to bridge the gap between advertising engagement and measurable in-store conversions. Verve now changes that by its “sofa-to-store” advertising concept for retail media, seamlessly connecting mobile advertising, in-store activation and cash register-level measurement.” With access to POS data in combination with store behavioral data as well as the coupon and mobile data, a unique set of data has been created for insights and targeting as well as for measuring results. The effectiveness of this approach has already been validated through several pilot projects using Difference-in-Differences methodology, demonstrating, among others, an average nine percent incremental uplift in total store sales for participating consumer goods brands. “Combining our leading mobile-first advertising infrastructure with retail media and creating a true closed-loop solution for CPG and retail advertisers marks an important step in our mission to build a real open internet alternative to the walled gardens by enabling advertisers and retailers to achieve measurable outcomes across independent media and retail environments,” Remco Westermann added. Building on the proven operational model in Germany, Verve is now preparing to roll out its retail media activities across additional core international markets, including the US. The technology stack developed in Germany was specifically designed for efficient replication across markets. “This follows the same strategic blueprint that helped establish Verve as a leading mobile advertising player in the U.S.,” Remco Westermann added. “By validating the model in one of the world’s most demanding retail environments, we can now expand internationally with a proven and scalable platform.” With regard to Verve’s financial outlook for the fiscal year 2026, no revenue or earnings contributions from the Retail Media expansion have been factored into the current official guidance besides a moderate underlying growth with respect to the acquisitions concluded in 2025. The Company has decided not to adjust its existing 2026 guidance at this stage and will thus not currently reflect any prospective financial effects from these newly launched activities. At the same time, the Company will keep the market closely informed about the progress of the Retail Media expansion. Verve will provide further insights into its retail media strategy and operations during its Capital Markets Day 2026 on 16 June in New York. The CMD will be hosted as a hybrid event, offering in-person attendance at Citigroup Headquarters in New York as well as a live webcast via the Company’s website. Registration for this event is available via Verve’s Investor Relations website at https://app.webinar.net/K29zPaKpkJ4. To facilitate event planning, early registration is requested. Further information about Verve Group and its subsidiaries can be found at www.verve.com. Contact: Ingo Middelmenne
Sören Barz
Verve Group is a leading global advertising technology Company, connecting advertisers seeking to buy digital ad space with publishers monetizing their content. Driven by its mission “Let’s make media better.” Verve provides responsible, AI-driven advertising solutions that deliver superior outcomes for advertisers and publishers. The Company focuses on emerging media channels like mobile in-app and others. In anticipation of growing demand from users and advertisers for greater privacy, Verve has developed cutting-edge ID-less targeting technology that enables efficient advertising within digital media without relying on identifiers such as cookies or IDFA. Thanks to its strong differentiation and execution, Verve has achieved a revenue CAGR of 32 percent over the past five years reaching reported revenues of 551 million euros in 2025 at an adj. EBITDA margin of 22 percent. Verve's main operational presence is in North America and Europe, and it is registered as a Societas Europaea in Sweden (registration number 517100-0143). Its shares - with the ISIN SE0018538068 - are listed on the regulated market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Ticker: VRV) and on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market in Stockholm (Ticker: VER). Verve has an outstanding bond with the ISIN: SE0023848429. The Company’s certified advisor on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market is FNCA Sweden AB; contact info: info@fnca.se.
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2333080 26.05.2026 CET/CEST