Retail media has transformed from an emerging advertising category into a strategic business for many retailers, fueled by the growing value of first-party data and the ability to reach consumers close to the point of purchase. While much of the industry’s momentum has centered on e-commerce, retailers are increasingly looking beyond their websites and apps to monetize the physical shopping experience. Digital displays inside stores are becoming an extension of the retail media ecosystem, offering brands another channel to engage customers with measurable campaigns.
Perion is expanding its role in that market through a new partnership with Best Buy Canada. The advertising technology company announced it has been selected as the retailer’s full-stack technology partner to power its programmatic in-store digital out-of-home (DOOH) media network. The deployment will provide the infrastructure for one of Canada’s largest SSP-enabled retail DOOH networks while advancing Perion’s strategy to deliver integrated advertising technology across multiple layers of the media supply chain.
Building a Programmatic Foundation
The agreement calls for Best Buy Canada to implement Perion’s complete technology suite, including its Ad Server, Supply-Side Platform (SSP), and Header Bidding solutions. Rather than operating independent products, the technologies are designed to work together as a unified platform that manages the buying, selling, and delivery of advertising inventory across the retailer’s in-store screens.
The deployment also marks a shift away from traditional digital signage models. Instead of relying on scheduled advertising loops, Best Buy Canada will use impression-level decisioning, allowing advertising opportunities to be evaluated individually as they become available. The approach is intended to increase the value of each impression while providing advertisers with real-time reporting and campaign measurement that have historically been more common in digital advertising than in physical retail environments.
“Perion provides the technology foundation to help modernize and scale our in-store media offering,” said Thierry Hay-Sabourin, Senior Vice President – Ecommerce, Marketplace & Marketing, Best Buy Canada. “A programmatic-first, loopless model enables more effective, measurable experiences for brands and agencies, while unlocking the valuable advertising moments that our in-store environment offers.”
Why Infrastructure Is Becoming the Focus
As retail media networks mature, technology decisions are increasingly centered on infrastructure rather than individual capabilities. Retailers are looking for platforms that can consolidate multiple functions, simplify operations, and create a consistent environment for advertisers.
Perion’s role in the partnership reflects that broader shift. Instead of supplying a single component of the advertising stack, the company will provide the underlying technology responsible for ad serving, monetization, and auction management. According to the company, deeper platform integration supports stronger customer relationships while creating more predictable, long-term revenue opportunities.
For Best Buy Canada, the move also modernizes how its in-store media inventory is managed. Programmatic technology enables campaigns to be bought and optimized with greater flexibility, giving agencies access to inventory through automated transactions rather than manual scheduling.
Retail Media’s Physical Expansion
The retail media industry has steadily expanded beyond digital storefronts as retailers seek to make better use of existing assets. Physical stores offer brands access to consumers who are actively shopping, making in-store advertising particularly attractive for product launches, seasonal campaigns, and promotional messaging.
With more than 300 Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, and Best Buy Express locations across Canada, the retailer brings significant scale to the country’s retail media landscape. By enabling programmatic buying across its digital signage network, the company is creating additional inventory that can be integrated into broader omnichannel advertising campaigns.
The partnership also strengthens Perion’s presence in the retail media sector, an area where technology providers are increasingly competing to become the foundational platforms that support retailers’ advertising businesses.
Creating a Blueprint for Future Growth
Perion says the Best Buy Canada deployment demonstrates how its integrated platform can support large enterprise customers seeking to modernize their media operations. Rather than viewing the agreement as a standalone project, the company positions it as a model that can be replicated with retailers pursuing similar strategies around the world.
“By serving as a foundational infrastructure for a market leader such as Best Buy Canada, we demonstrate that our Perion One strategy allows us to win complex, enterprise-level mandates,” said Tal Jacobson, CEO of Perion. “We are creating a repeatable playbook to modernize retail media networks globally, ensuring sustainable growth and deeper strategic relationships with high-value partners.”
As retailers continue investing in media businesses, the emphasis is shifting toward technologies that connect physical and digital advertising into a unified ecosystem. The partnership between Perion and Best Buy Canada reflects that evolution, illustrating how integrated platforms are becoming an essential part of the next generation of retail media networks rather than simply another tool in the advertising stack.
