Retailer Comparisons
Comparing UK retail media opportunities
Compare UK retail media proposals by product eligibility, customer data access, campaign control and reporting, with examples from major providers.
Compare the campaign each provider can actually offer for your products. Start with eligible placements, the customers they can reach, who will run the campaign and the evidence you will receive.
Compare the proposed line items
Ask each provider to specify eligible products, placement and device, audience definition, campaign dates, buying basis, account access and reporting fields.
| Decision point | Ask the provider |
|---|---|
| Category coverage | Which exact products qualify, and where could each appear? |
| Customer data | What can the team use for targeting, inspect as insight and receive in a report? |
| Campaign operation | Which changes can the team make directly, and which require the provider? |
| Outcomes | Which products and sales channels count, and how are sales attributed? |
Decision points to compare across provider proposals
- Category coverageWhich exact products qualify, and where could each appear?
- Customer dataWhat can the team use for targeting, inspect as insight and receive in a report?
- Campaign operationWhich changes can the team make directly, and which require the provider?
- OutcomesWhich products and sales channels count, and how are sales attributed?
Published rates and minimum bids
The Sponsored Products placements listed below use a cost-per-click model. Sainsbury’s placements with a published minimum starting bid of £0.45 include Homepage, Search In Grid, Search App, Search Below Grid and Browse In Grid. Argos Search In Grid and Search App also start at £0.45, while Browse In Grid, Browse App and Homepage Web start at £0.50.
Sainsbury’s Search In Grid surfaces sponsored items within the top 2 search rows; Argos Search In Grid uses the top 4 search slots. Both Sainsbury’s and Argos Search App placements appear within the top three product results on their respective apps.
Sainsbury’s Homepage campaigns can automatically appear on the app for iOS and Android. Argos Homepage Web allows as many as 10 SKUs in a carousel.
Published minimum bids and placement rules
- £0.45Sainsbury’s minimum starting bid (Homepage, Search In Grid, Search App, Search Below Grid, Browse In Grid)
- £0.45Argos minimum starting bid (Search In Grid, Search App)
- £0.50Argos minimum starting bid (Browse In Grid, Browse App, Homepage Web)
- 2Sainsbury’s Search In Grid ad position
- 4Argos Search In Grid ad position
- 10Argos Homepage Web carousel capacity
Examples of different UK offers
Tesco Media describes online, in-store and off-site activity, with self-service planning and buying through Sphere. Confirm the eligible format, account permissions and actions available for this booking.
Sainsbury’s through Nectar360 lists Sponsored Products, Banners and Enhanced Media, including search and category-browse placements. These formats have different rules: ask for the exact unit, product rules, device and destination.
Argos through Nectar360 lists sponsored-product placements in search, category browse, homepage and product-detail contexts across web and app. Check the category, variant, device and purchase route in the proposed Argos line item.
Boots Media Group describes a full-service offer for supplier brands across digital and physical shopping, including activity on and off Boots-owned platforms. Request the bookable units, eligibility rules, included services and reporting for the proposed campaign.
Amazon Ads Sponsored Products are cost-per-click ads promoting individual product listings on Amazon and select premium apps and websites. Advertisers select products, choose keywords or use automatic targeting, and control bids and budgets.
Ads appear on the Amazon store and beyond, across desktop and mobile browsers and the Amazon mobile app. They only appear when advertised items are in stock, and clicks lead to the advertised product’s detail page.
Boots Media Group describes one dedicated point of contact in an expert team, robust campaign measurement and clear ROI reporting. It states campaigns can use personalisation and AI-based optimisation.
What each UK retail media offer covers
- Tesco MediaOnline, in-store and off-site activity, with self-service planning and buying through Sphere
- Sainsbury’s via Nectar360Sponsored Products, Banners and Enhanced Media, including search and category-browse placements
- Argos via Nectar360Sponsored-product placements in search, category browse, homepage and product-detail contexts across web and app
- Boots Media GroupFull-service offer for supplier brands across digital and physical shopping, on and off Boots-owned platforms
- Amazon Ads Sponsored ProductsCost-per-click ads promoting individual product listings on Amazon and select premium apps and websites
Published scale and access figures
Tesco Media states Tesco is the UK’s largest grocery retailer, with over 24 million Clubcard households, representing nearly every home in the UK. It reports 84% Clubcard sales penetration, 28.4% UK grocery market share and 12.7 million Tesco app users, citing Tesco plc Interim Results 2025/26.
Sainsbury’s Homepage placement reports around 1.5 million weekly homepage impressions. The Sainsbury’s App accounts for about 20% of online visits. The Argos App accounts for around 20% of Argos online visits and approximately 20% of Argos customer orders. Boots Media Group cites millions of active loyalty members.
Published scale and access figures
- 24Clubcard households
- 84%Clubcard sales penetration
- 28.4%UK grocery market share (Tesco)
- 12.7Tesco app users
- 1.5Sainsbury’s Homepage weekly impressions
- 20%Sainsbury’s App share of online visits
- 20%Argos App share of online visits
- 20%Argos App share of customer orders
Compare what the results will mean
Request the reported product set, sales channels, treatment of returns, click and view lookback windows, and any wider brand or category sales. Distinguish gross from net sales, same-product from halo attribution, and attributed sales from incremental sales.
Published performance benchmarks
Nectar360 publishes average ROAS case study figures for Sainsbury’s: Search In Grid 330%, Search App 475%, Browse In Grid 255% and Below Grid 20%. For Argos, it publishes Search In Grid 544% and Search App 851%. Argos Browse App publishes an average CTR of 3.01%.
Published average ROAS by placement (%)
In this guide
- Reviewing category coverage in a retail media proposalCheck whether a retail media proposal covers your products, category placements and reported sales before accepting a line item.
- Checking what retailer customer data is availableSeparate retailer data for planning, audience activation and measurement, then check access, coverage, permissions and reporting limits.
- Comparing self-service and managed retailer campaignsCompare self-service and managed retail media campaigns by task ownership, account controls, change processes, fees and reporting access.
