Expanding the Aisle: How Kroger Precision Media Data Is Powering a New Era of Retail Relevance

Grocery data isn’t just for CPGs anymore. It’s a powerful signal of real-world intent that expands far beyond the category and provides meaningful insights for brands in nearly every vertical. With Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), marketers are discovering new ways to connect with high-value audiences. And not just based on what they buy, but how they live.

The New Frontier of Retail Data

If you’re asking yourself how grocery retailer data could possibly be relevant to industries outside of food and beverage, consider this:

• Kroger is the largest producer of sushi in the U.S.
• Grocery and big-box retailers account for 35% of U.S. fuel sales.

These aren’t just fun facts, they’re unique signals of consumer behavior. A shopper’s grocery cart can reveal much more than their dinner plans; it signals lifestyle, priorities, and even intent to purchase in entirely different categories.

Let’s say you’re an airline promoting travel to Japan. Frequent sushi buyers could be early indicators of cultural interest. Or you’re an auto brand launching a new line of fuel-efficient vehicles; grocery trips linked to in-store fuel purchases might tell you who’s ready to switch.

Grocery behavior is predictive, and it’s often habitual. And when interpreted with care, it tells a story of who your next customer might be—even if you don’t sell groceries.

Relevance Off the Shelf

Traditional targeting has typically relied on category alignment: car ads in car content, baby brands on parenting sites. But in today’s media landscape, intent matters beyond placement.

With KPM data, marketers can go beyond basic demographics and zero in on behaviors that signal readiness to buy:

• New parents browsing diapers or baby food might also be shopping for life insurance or family-friendly vehicles.
• Wellness-focused shoppers purchasing supplements and fresh produce may be in-market for fitness subscriptions or athleisure.
• Budget-conscious households choosing private-label products may be highly receptive to financial services.

These are dynamic, real-world cues, not static segments. They signal how people live, not just what they buy.

Scale Meets Specificity

With Kroger’s data footprint spanning nearly 50% of households, the scale is undeniable. But precision is what unlocks power.

• Targeting with intent-based precision: KPM audiences reflect real shopping behavior, not assumed interest or inferred intent.
• Reach people where they are: With integration into Yahoo DSP, marketers can activate these audiences across CTV, video, display, and more. A recent example is a Vanity Fair campaign launched in Yahoo DSP that leveraged KPM audiences to expand reach, resulting in 81% of purchases coming from New-to-Brand households.
• Make relevance measurable: Campaigns can be evaluated using trusted partners like Circana and VideoAmp, ensuring accountability across KPIs.

Grocery data makes it possible to reach large audiences with very specific behaviors. This specificity at scale helps marketers align messaging with audiences whose everyday choices already reflect the brand’s values or promise, making campaigns more efficient and relevant from the start.

Powered by Partnership: Yahoo DSP as the Activation Engine

The ability to act on Kroger Precision Marketing’s data starts with the right platform. Enter: Yahoo DSP. Through our platform, marketers gain:

• Curated access to KPM audiences with simple, scalable buying options, without the need for complicated integrations.
• Cross-channel scale to reach consumers across screens in a unified, privacy-safe way.
• Built-in identity solutions that match KPM data with Yahoo ConnectID, enabling smarter targeting and frequency control.

This partnership turns grocery intent into business impact for any brand, in any vertical.

Grocery Data Outgrows the Store

The rise of retail media has transformed how marketers approach their audiences, but the next wave of opportunity goes beyond endemic brands. For advertisers ready to think differently, grocery data is no longer about shelf placement, it’s about relevance at scale.

Retail media, powered by grocery intent, is no longer just a category play. This data signals life stage, mindset, and need. Partnerships like Yahoo DSP and Kroger Precision Marketing make it easier than ever to harness that signal and deliver results.

Case Study: Chevy Drives Performance with Grocery Insights

Chevy recently partnered with Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) audiences through Yahoo DSP to launch the newest Chevy Equinox EV, with a campaign built to fully deliver budget, increase brand consideration, and drive awareness among high-potential buyers.

In a test of new tactics, Chevy ran KPM segments alongside another retail media network, structuring the campaign with budget fluidity between audience lines. This allowed Yahoo DSP to dynamically shift investment in real time toward the highest-performing segments.

The approach paid off, as not only did the campaign deliver the budget in full, it also unlocked tangible brand benefits for Chevy:

• 53% of impressions reached households within the Equinox EV’s target HHI income range, proving precise targeting of desirable, in-market prospects.
• KPM’s grocery-based audience signals delivered more efficient reach and stronger performance metrics, connecting Chevy with shoppers at the right moment and in the right mindset, even outside the traditional automotive purchase cycle.

For Chevy, the results went beyond media efficiency. By tapping into Kroger’s real-world intent data through Yahoo DSP, the brand expanded its qualified audience pool, increased relevance with new prospects, and strengthened equity for the Equinox EV. It’s a powerful example of how non-endemic targeting can fuel both immediate campaign goals and long-term brand growth.