WHSmith adding in-store video and audio assets to retail media network
A global travel retailer is adding new channels for advertisers to reach its customers.
WHSmith North America, the North American division of U.K.-based WHSmith, will roll out approximately 700 in-store digital screens and audio channels across 350-plus U.S. airport stores. The retailer is partnering with the In-Store Marketplace (ISM) programmatic retail media platform to deliver advertisements via Mood Media digital and audio hardware.
In January 2025, WHSmith North America created what the retailer calls the first-ever travel-focused, in-store retail media network in North America.
The WHSmith North America Media Network (WHS Media) will provide advertisers with opportunities to connect with consumers across WHSmith’s 347-plus and growing locations across the U.S. and Canada, including stores at airports, rail stations and resorts across the continent.
WHS Media combines in-store and off-site campaigns with data-based customer insights. The retailer intends to leverage insights gained from campaigns to optimize ad strategies using sales data and other metrics such as impressions and click-through rates.
With this new programmatic activation, WHS Media can move beyond traditional digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, enabling more targeted campaigns through automated demand-side-platform-style buying behaviors. Advertisers can gain access to the entire network through a single point of entry with WHSmith Media.
"This collaboration between WHSmith, SMG and ISM represents a significant step forward in bringing WHSmith Media's in-store media strategy to life," said Alison O'Keefe, partnership director of WHSmith North America Media Network. "By working with ISM, we're able to open our entire airport footprint to advertisers in a way that's seamless, scalable, and built for today's travel audience. The result is the most sophisticated travel retail media network, moving from isolated placements to a true media ecosystem that delivers measurable impact."
Early adopters, including PepsiCo's Frito-Lay and Bose, are already activating campaigns, with additional brands expected to follow.
[READ MORE: WHSmith to open 50-plus stores in airports across North America]
"Specialty retailers like WHSmith have tremendous untapped potential in their in-store environments," said David Simon, executive VP of advertising for Mood Media and president of Vibenomics and ISM. "By combining Mood's hardware footprint with ISM's industry-leading platform for inventory management and programmatic activation, we've created a solution that unlocks new revenue for WHSmith while giving advertisers unmatched efficiency, precision and scale."
