Co-op has today announced the launch of a new national advertising proposition – Co-op Media Network Out of Home – marking the retailer’s formal entry, as a standalone media owner, into the UK Digital Out of Home (DOOH) market.
The landmark move from the UK’s leading convenience retailer places the consumer co-operative as the fourth largest digital outdoor advertiser* in the UK, behind long-established ad businesses JCDecaux, Global and Bauer Media Outdoor.
Co-op Media Network Out of Home offers a unique advertising service – for both endemic and non-endemic brands – built on the strengths of convenience, designed to develop brand awareness and advocacy and to stand apart from retail media channels focused on sales conversion.
While traditional OOH typically focuses on major commuter routes, the average person makes around 18 journeys a week and only 12% are commuter trips* – meaning the majority are local, everyday journeys such as school runs, worktime breaks and quick errands.
Co-op’s estate adds a high-frequency layer to DOOH by delivering visibility across the other 88% of journeys, with additional uplift at peak commuting times due to many stores being within 100 yards of a bus stop or train station. The result is consistent, repeat exposure driven by smart network design rather than complex planning.
Operated in partnership with Smart Outdoor – a specialist DOOH sales house – Co-op’s DOOH estate provides neighbourhood-level presence at national scale, offering consistent, everyday frequency that roadside-led networks have often struggled to deliver.
Utilising Co-op’s network of 1,000 front-of-store digital advertising screens – located in a diverse range of locations across the UK, from city centres and residential areas to countryside and the highlands – Smart Outdoor will lead planning and buying to ensure the estate fits seamlessly into agency workflows, while Co-op will retain ownership and responsibility for the long-term direction of the new operation.
Additionally, Co-op’s DOOH estate will unlock new territories across the UK where brands have been previously unable to reach customers with outdoor digital advertising messages due to lack of technology. These territories stretch across 23 unique locations and have the capacity to reach a population of over one million people.
Richard Smith, Director of Marketing & Media Operations at Co-op, said: “Over the past two years, Co-op Media Network has successfully used a convenience shopping environment to differentiate itself from the big-box retail media logic and, in doing so, created a neighbourhood based DOOH estate that champions frequency and presence. The growth of the screen network has been a strategic decision and we’re now able to show our intent as one of the UK’s largest digital outdoor advertisers.”
Mark Clancey, Chief Commercial Officer at Smart Outdoor, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Co-op to bring Co-op Media Network Out of Home to the UK market, the launch marks another major milestone in the continued growth and ambition of Smart Outdoor.
“Built in local communities, Co-op Media Network Out of Home elevates the neighbourhood as a powerful, underrepresented channel. Frequent visits and steady footfall deliver exceptional reach for brands of every size. Powered by rich insight, it connects neighbourhood precision with national impact to help deepen audience understanding and drive more meaningful engagement.”
*Co-op has of a network of over 1,000 digital front-of-store advertising screens, JCDecaux operates 4,696, Global 5,025 and Bauer Media Outdoor 5,556.
**Office national statistics – 2024 full year read
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