Albertsons integrates sponsored product discovery into AI search
Albertsons Companies Inc. is letting advertisers connect with customers as they are building their shopping carts.
The grocery conglomerate’s Albertsons Media Collective retail media arm is integrating with the Criteo self-service ad platform to bring sponsored product discovery into its artificial intelligence-based conversational search, which it launched in September 2025 and is based on the Google Cloud Conversational Commerce agent.
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The integration is intended to enable brands to connect with shoppers as they plan meals and discover products by surfacing ads naturally within conversational discovery. Through Criteo, eligible sponsored products can appear within AI-based conversational search product carousels.
“As shoppers use AI and conversational experiences to explore options, brands have an opportunity to put customers first by connecting them to the right products in the moments that matter, meeting their needs with relevance while making retail media feel effortless and organic,” said Jill Pavlovich, senior VP, digital customer experience for Albertsons Companies. “This integration is about creating retail media that helps customers along their shopping journey, showing up in ways that are useful and additive to their experience, while giving advertisers a new path to engage closer to the moment of purchase.”
For shoppers, the experience is designed to surface product options that are relevant to search queries and fit naturally within the conversation, According to Albertsons, more than 85% of Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversations begin with open-ended or exploratory questions.
The collaboration builds on Albertsons Media Collective’s ongoing partnership with Criteo, which also includes the April 2025 deployment of the Criteo Onsite Video solution to place shoppable video ads from participating CPG companies into a full-funnel onsite advertising suite combining video, display and sponsored product ad formats in one unified platform.
“Retail media is expanding, with discovery increasingly happening within AI-driven experiences,” said Sherry Smith, president of retail media at Criteo. “With Albertsons Cos. as our first retailer to bring Sponsored Products into an AI-powered shopping assistant, we are helping brands connect with shoppers in those moments of intent, setting the foundation for how retailers will monetize AI-driven discovery while maintaining control of the shopper journey.”
As of Feb. 28, 2026, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Companies operated 2,244 retail stores with 1,713 in-store pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities.
The company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.
