"While competitors guard technology choices like state secrets, Costco's Mark Williamson pulled back the curtain on the retailer's complete ad-tech infrastructure - and revealed a philosophy that other retailers might want to copy. This weekend, Costco's assistant vice-president of retail media, Mark Williamson, walked into a major retail industry event with a slide deck that would make most retail media executives squirm: showing his entire tech stack to a room full of industry peers, observers and competitors."
"The reaction in the otherwise subdued room was instant. Nearly everyone raised their phones to photograph the slides showing Costco's advertising infrastructure - from identity resolution vendors to DSP partnerships to clean room providers. For an industry that treats technology choices like classified information, this was kind of thrilling. A poll last year showed that 88% of brands say a retailer's tech stack influences their advertising spending decisions."
Costco disclosed its complete ad-tech infrastructure at a major retail industry event, revealing identity resolution vendors, DSP partnerships, and clean room providers. The disclosure drew immediate attention, with attendees photographing slides that most retailers treat as closely held. A LinkedIn poll indicated 88% of brands consider a retailer's tech stack when allocating advertising spend. Retail media generates high-margin revenue, creating a temptation to prioritize ad profit over merchant outcomes. Costco's approach aligns transparent technology choices with the explicit objective of accelerating merchandise sales to keep retail media focused on merchant results.
Read at The Drum
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