Publix retail media network: what Publix sells to brands, and what is still unknown

Publix has chosen an agency over a platform. Most large grocers now sell ads through a branded network with its own sales team and ad server. Publix instead handed its whole supplier program to one outside firm. Goodway Group says the January 2026 appointment covers activation of an expanded Shopper Marketing Program, creative production and reporting (GlobeNewswire, 15 April 2026).

The stated reason is control of the Publix brand. Both the release and trade coverage say the move protects Publix's brand and intellectual property while giving suppliers "co-branded" media (P2PI, 16 April 2026). In practice, a supplier's message appears next to the Publix name, and Publix decides how. That is a tighter model than an open retail media network where brands buy placements in an auction.

The gap is scale versus disclosure. Publix reported $62.7 billion in 2025 retail sales (Publix). By comparison, H-E-B, with more than $46 billion in sales, publishes its network's formats, reach and self-serve tools (Epsilon, 11 June 2025). Publix has published almost nothing about how its supplier media works.

We could not verify any specific format. The only description is Goodway's phrase "a variety of co-branded advertising opportunities" for suppliers. We found no public mention of sponsored products on Publix.com, of in-store screens, or of offsite campaigns run on Publix data. Goodway does say it handles creative production for program participants, which suggests the agency builds the co-branded assets rather than the supplier.

Not verified. Publix has not said which shopper data the program uses, whether audiences are built from loyalty activity, or whether brands can work in a clean room. Ask for this in writing before any campaign that promises targeting.

Goodway says participants get measurement solutions and real-time reporting dashboards (agency claim). It does not say whether results are tied to Publix sales, which is the core of closed-loop measurement. Use the checklist in retail media measurement standards explained when you review a proposal.

1. Start with your Publix category manager. Ask how the 2026 Shopper Marketing Program fits your joint business plan.
2. Contact Goodway Group. It is the sole shopper marketing partner, so proposals and activation run through it.
3. Ask for the program menu. Get the list of placements, their surfaces and their prices.
4. Confirm the data. Ask which Publix shopper data, if any, shapes targeting and reporting.
5. Agree measurement before launch. Ask whether reports include Publix sales, and over what window.

It may suit:

• CPG suppliers already stocked across Publix's Southeast footprint;
• brands that value co-branded messaging with a strong grocery brand.

It suits less, until details are public:

• advertisers who want self-serve buying;
• buyers who must compare formats and sales measurement across grocers;
• brands that Publix does not stock.

• The name "Publix 360". We found it in no Publix, agency or trade source.
• Whether Publix runs, or plans, a branded retail media network separate from the shopper marketing program.
• Formats, surfaces, data signals and the measurement method.
• Any ad technology vendor behind the program.
• Media revenue, pricing and minimum spend.

1. Publix Super Markets, "Facts and Figures" (accessed 9 November 2026). https://corporate.publix.com/about-publix/company-overview/facts-figures
2. Goodway Group via GlobeNewswire, "Publix Taps Goodway Group, a Connected Commerce Partner, as Exclusive Shopper Marketing Agency of Record for 2026" (15 April 2026). https://stocks.observer-reporter.com/observerreporter/article/gnwcq-2026-4-15-publix-taps-goodway-group-a-connected-commerce-partner-as-exclusive-shopper-marketing-agency-of-record-for-2026
3. Path to Purchase Institute, "Publix Names Goodway Group Exclusive Shopper Marketing Agency of Record" (16 April 2026). https://p2pi.com/publix-names-goodway-group-exclusive-shopper-marketing-agency-record
4. Epsilon, "H-E-B Launches New Self-Service Capabilities in the H-E-B Retail Media Network" (11 June 2025). https://www.epsilon.com/us/about-us/pressroom/h-e-b-launches-new-self-service-capabilities