Schwarz Media retail media network: how Kaufland Interact and Lidl sell ads after the split

Schwarz tried one media house for two very different stores, then split it. In April 2022 the group launched a central platform to sell ads for both Lidl and Kaufland. Four years later Kaufland took its marketing into its own hands and launched Kaufland Interact (W&V, 26 March 2026). Kaufland is a hypermarket with a large online marketplace. Lidl is a discounter whose range differs sharply from a classic supermarket, and an adviser quoted in Poland named that as a limit on its retail media (Wiadomości Handlowe, 13 January 2026). One sales team did not fit both models.

The result is that you buy Lidl country by country. Lidl Germany now sells onsite media through Criteo. Lidl Poland said in January 2026 it had not yet settled how store media would be sold. Lidl US told P2PI in October 2025 that it does not plan to sell retail media (P2PI, 10 October 2025). In Great Britain, Lidl uses Lidl Plus app data to target its own ads on Google and Meta, which is not media sold to brands (Retail Gazette, March 2025).

Kaufland, by contrast, is widening its buyer base. Kaufland Interact is open to advertisers from travel, telecoms, cars and financial services, not only suppliers (retail-news.de, 25 March 2026). It also bundles retail media with trade marketing and data sharing in one unit. For a supplier, that means media talks and category talks may now sit with the same Kaufland team.

Kaufland onsite and marketplace. Kaufland sells sponsored products and placements on its marketplaces in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Austria. The app, website, digital leaflet and a messenger channel add display and push formats.

Kaufland in-store. Kaufland says it has more than 1,600 screens with 116 million contacts a week, plus in-store radio with 106 million monthly contacts (company claims, Kaufland Interact, accessed 9 November 2026). The in-store retail media guide explains how such contact counts are built.

Lidl. On Lidl.de, Criteo sells sponsored product ads and onsite display ads as exclusive demand partner. Lidl stores also carry digital screens, with Broadsign supplying many of them (InternetRetailing, 7 August 2025). We found no public sales offer for Lidl in-store screens in 2026.

Offsite. Since July 2023, audience segments from the Lidl online shop and the Kaufland marketplace have been available for programmatic campaigns only through The Trade Desk (The Media Leader UK, 19 July 2023). Kaufland now also markets "Extended Audiences" across the web.

Kaufland's core asset is Kaufland Card XTRA. Kaufland Interact cites more than 12 million card users and 5.6 million monthly active users, with 200 audience segments (company claims, Kaufland Interact, accessed 9 November 2026). Its data-sharing unit combines loyalty, point-of-sale and supply-chain data so brand and retailer look at the same numbers.

Privacy is framed in German terms. Robert Jozic, then head of Schwarz Media, spoke about privacy when the Trade Desk deal was signed. He said the group wanted to meet detailed German data protection rules and higher standards than usual in the market (Marketing Dive, 21 July 2023). We found no public description of a clean room used by either chain.

Kaufland says it measures return on ad spend across all channels and isolates the incremental sales a campaign adds over baseline. It also claims to link ad exposure to purchases at the till and online. These are closed-loop measurement claims; the method, holdout design and any audit are not published.

For Lidl.de, Criteo's release promises measurable visibility and sales but gives no reporting detail. Neither chain has announced an IAB Europe certification. Compare their reports with the certified grocers in the grocery retail media comparison.

1. Decide which banner you need. Kaufland and Lidl now sell separately. There is no single Schwarz contact for both.
2. For Kaufland, contact Kaufland Interact. Use the form on kaufland-interact.de to reach the brand relations team.
3. For Lidl Germany, go through Criteo. Ask your Criteo contact for Lidl.de sponsored products and onsite display.
4. For offsite reach, ask about The Trade Desk. Confirm whether Lidl and Kaufland segments are still offered there after the restructuring.
5. Agree measurement in writing. Define the uplift method, the baseline and which stores and countries count before launch.

It suits:

• brands listed at Kaufland, especially in Germany and central Europe;
• non-endemic advertisers such as travel or telecoms brands that want Kaufland shoppers;
• suppliers with branded products on Lidl.de.

It suits less:

• brands that want one buy across all Lidl countries;
• advertisers who need audited metrics or a clean room;
• buyers outside Europe, since Lidl US does not sell retail media.

• Revenue of Schwarz Media, Kaufland Interact or Lidl retail media for any year.
• What role, if any, Schwarz Media still plays for technology after the split.
• Whether Lidl has its own retail media brand or sales team outside Germany.
• Whether The Trade Desk remains the only programmatic route for Lidl and Kaufland data.
• Minimum spend, CPMs and self-serve access for either chain.

1. Criteo, "Criteo Partners with Lidl to Expand Onsite Retail Media" (19 May 2026). https://www.criteo.com/news/press-releases/2026/05/criteo-partners-with-lidl-to-expand-onsite-retail-media/
2. Kaufland Interact, home page and "Retail Media" page (accessed 9 November 2026). https://www.kaufland-interact.de/ and https://www.kaufland-interact.de/retail-media.html
3. retail-news.de, "Kaufland startet Retail-Media-Plattform Interact, auch für Kunden anderer Branchen" (25 March 2026). https://retail-news.de/kaufland-interact-retail-media-plattform/
4. W&V, "Kaufland Interact: Bessere Kontakte für Marken, dank App, Audio und Screens" (26 March 2026). https://www.wuv.de/themen/media/kaufland-interact-bessere-kontakte-fuer-marken-dank-app-audio-und-screens
5. The Media Leader UK, "Lidl owner inks retail media agreement" (19 July 2023). https://uk.themedialeader.com/lidl-owner-inks-retail-media-agreement/
6. Marketing Dive, "Lidl operator taps The Trade Desk to expand retail media" (21 July 2023). https://www.marketingdive.com/news/lidl-operator-taps-the-trade-desk-retail-media/688752/
7. InternetRetailing, "Key player profile: Schwarz Media, Lidl and large instore reach" (7 August 2025). https://internetretailing.net/?p=70523
8. Wiadomości Handlowe, "Lidl powalczy o tort z retail mediów" (13 January 2026). https://www.wiadomoscihandlowe.pl/retailtech-i-nowe-technologie/retail-media/lidl-inwestuje-w-retail-media-w-lidlu-wyzwania-i-plany-2531402
9. Path to Purchase Institute, "Why Lidl Keeps Its Distance From Retail Media, AI Pricing as Others Double Down" (10 October 2025). https://p2pi.com/why-lidl-keeps-its-distance-retail-media-ai-pricing-others-double-down
10. Retail Gazette, "Lidl links users' loyalty app data to Meta and Google" (March 2025). https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/03/lidl-app-data/