Kroger Precision Marketing: Kroger's retail media network and the 84.51° data behind it

KPM sells data science as much as ad space. Its analytics come from 84.51°, which Kroger formed in 2015 by buying out its joint venture with dunnhumby, the firm known for Tesco Clubcard analysis (Wikipedia, Kroger article, accessed 9 November 2026). Kroger itself cites "over 20 years" of investment in data science (Kroger 10-K). That history shows in the product list, where shopper analytics and measurement sit next to ad space.

The loyalty card does the heavy lifting. Kroger says more than 95% of its transactions are tied to a card, across about 63 million households a year (company claims, Kroger 10-K). That means a brand can see store sales, not just online sales, at household level. For a cereal or detergent brand that sells mostly in aisles, that is the number that matters.

In July 2025 Kroger put three businesses under one KPM brand: 84.51°'s retail media team, Kroger's insights and loyalty marketing services, and the 84.51° Stratum analytics platform (Digital Commerce 360, 1 August 2025). A supplier now buys media, shopper insights and loyalty mailings from one team.

Kroger also reports KPM by profit, not revenue. KPM profit grew over 20% in Q1 2026 (Kroger, June 2026) and 24% in Q2 2026. Kroger's alternative profit businesses, which include KPM, made $1.5 billion of operating profit in fiscal 2025 (Kroger, 5 March 2026).

Onsite. Targeted Onsite Ads, Product Listing Ads, Onsite Video and Promoted Product Carousels run on Kroger.com and the sites and apps of Kroger banners such as Ralphs, King Soopers, Fred Meyer and Harris Teeter (MRC). Agency RMIQ reports that Product Listing Ads also appear in Kroger's AI shopping assistant since August 2026.

Offsite. In September 2025 KPM added managed programmatic audio with Pandora and iHeartMedia, connected TV with Roku, Paramount and Samsung, and dynamic creative for display (Mass Market Retailers, 23 September 2025). In March 2026 a Google deal brought SKU-level retail conversion reporting to YouTube through DV360 (Progressive Grocer, March 2026). KPM also announced self-service ads inside TikTok's platform in June 2026 (KPM, June 2026).

In-store and direct. RMIQ reports that KPM's Barrows Connected Store screens, announced in June 2025, moved past pilot by January 2026. KPM also sells loyalty emails, targeted digital coupons and mailers in the same plan as paid media. See in-store retail media for how store screens are measured.

Audiences come from what households buy with a Kroger loyalty card, online and in stores. Brands receive segments and aggregated reports. Kroger's 10-K describes the core capability as linking "media impressions directly to household transactions across both digital and in-store purchases" (Kroger 10-K).

According to RMIQ's summary of KPM's terms, audience data reaches partners as aggregated, pseudonymous identifiers, and re-identification is forbidden. For modelling at transaction level, 84.51° runs a separate environment called Collaborative Cloud, a form of clean room. Offsite, Kroger audiences are activated inside partner platforms such as The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP and DV360.

KPM reports closed-loop sales at household level. Managed campaigns get incremental return on ad spend (iROAS), household penetration and sales uplift (Mass Market Retailers). In 2020 KPM said it was the first retail media platform to earn TAG Platinum status for anti-fraud and brand safety (company claim, ACCESSWIRE via Yahoo Finance).

The Media Rating Council lists Kroger as "pre-audit in process as of 6/2026" for impressions, viewable impressions, attributed and incremental sales, attributed return on ad spend and iROAS (MRC). The accreditations that Walmart Connect and Amazon Ads hold cover clicks and impressions only. If the audit succeeds, KPM's would extend to sales outcomes. The measurement standards guide explains the difference.

1. Check your Kroger sales. KPM's measurement is strongest when your products sell in Kroger stores, because the loyalty card links ads to those sales.
2. Start in the Kroger Ad Platform. The self-service tool runs Product Listing Ads and onsite placements, and connects to Pacvue and Skai if you already use them (RMIQ).
3. Add offsite audiences in your DSP. RMIQ reports that direct connections to The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP and DV360 moved inside the Kroger Ad Platform in August 2026.
4. Use 84.51° Prism for managed plans that span CTV, audio, social, in-store screens and loyalty mail.
5. Budget for measurement. RMIQ reports that the PrecisionView 360 study requires $400,000 across three or more channels; confirm thresholds with KPM before planning.

It suits:

• grocery, household and health brands with wide distribution in Kroger stores;
• brands that need store sales measured at household level;
• teams that want shopper analytics and media from one partner.

It suits less:

• brands sold mainly outside Kroger's banners and regions;
• advertisers that require MRC-accredited metrics today;
• small brands that cannot meet measurement study thresholds.

• KPM's exact launch date, and KPM revenue for any period.
• Who leads KPM after Christine Foster, its SVP, moved to The Home Depot in September 2026 (Orange Apron Media, 24 August 2026).
• Dates of KPM's earlier Disney, Roku, Pinterest and Meta deals.
• Several product details (formats, terms, thresholds) that we saw only in an agency summary, because KPM's site could not be accessed.

1. The Kroger Co., Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (filed 31 March 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/56873/000110465926037723/kr-20260131x10k.htm
2. The Kroger Co., "Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results" (PR Newswire, 5 March 2026). https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results-and-announces-guidance-for-2026-302705235.html
3. The Kroger Co., first quarter 2026 results, Form 8-K exhibit 99.1 (18 June 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000056873/000110465926075395/tm2618219d1_ex99-1.htm
4. The Kroger Co., second quarter 2026 results, Form 8-K/A exhibit 99.1 (11 September 2026). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000056873/000110465926106941/tm2625060d2_ex99-1.htm
5. Digital Commerce 360, "Kroger centralizes retail media under Precision Marketing division" (1 August 2025). https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2025/08/01/kroger-centralizes-retail-media-precision-marketing-division/
6. Mass Market Retailers, "Kroger Precision Marketing enhances retail media capabilities" (23 September 2025). https://massmarketretailers.com/kroger-precision-marketing-enhances-retail-media-capabilities/
7. Supermarket News, "Kroger Precision Marketing launches new tools for CPG brands" (13 November 2025). https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-technology/kroger-precision-marketing-launches-new-tools-for-cpg-brands
8. Media Rating Council, "Services under review: digital" (accessed 9 November 2026). https://mediaratingcouncil.org/accreditation/services-under-review/digital
9. ACCESSWIRE via Yahoo Finance, "Kroger Precision Marketing achieves TAG Platinum certification" (26 February 2020). https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kroger-precision-marketing-achieves-tag-162500788.html
10. Progressive Grocer, "Kroger's new Google partnership lets advertisers target precise retail audiences on YouTube" (March 2026). https://progressivegrocer.com/krogers-new-google-partnership-lets-advertisers-target-precise-retail-audiences-youtube