Dollar General adds sampling to retail media network promotions

Dollar General is launching an advertiser sampling program.

A leading discount retailer is enabling advertisers to reach its customers in a very up close and personal way.

Initially launched in 2018, the Dollar General Media Network (DGMN) offers participating CPG advertising partners access to real-time data, to help them serve its customer base. Now, Dollar General is partnering with experiential marketing platform Recess to let DGMN advertisers hyper-target its customers through community-driven sampling programs.

"We're excited to offer this first-to-market experiential retail media unit that will allow our advertisers to reach more than 90 million Dollar General customers in their daily lives," said Charlene Charles, head of DG Media Network Operations. "Having a predominantly rural footprint with approximately 80% of stores serving communities of 20,000 or fewer people, Dollar General stores serve as a local pillar, and Recess will help extend DG's reach deeper to support advertisers in building brand loyalty and awareness."

Through the Recess experiential sampling program, participating DGMN brands will be able to integrate products into consumers' daily lives before they enter the store. Targeting capabilities allow advertisers to execute experiential sampling programs in targeted communities.

The Recess experiential media platform features audience-targeting technology that advertisers can use to target locations with an index of shoppers who frequent more than 6,000 retailers.

"The best way to build brand loyalty is during lifestyle moments, not when you're doing a routine stock-up at the store," said Jack Shannon, CEO and co-founder of Recess. "When you're out of that checklist-driven shopping mindset, and in the community at an event, you're more open to trying new things, especially when you're given a sample. There's something compelling about discovering new products in your everyday life from people you trust."

Other partnerships Dollar General has entered to expand DGMN functionality include a collaboration with retail media platform provider Criteo. This integration provides DGMN advertisers access to inventory and campaign execution through flexible integrations with Criteo's Commerce Max self-service demand-side platform (DSP).

As of May 3, 2024, the company operated 20,149 Dollar General, DG Market, DGX and PopShelf stores across the United States and Mi Súper Dollar General stores in Mexico.