Is PRN The 4th Network To Win Meijer?

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

The Progressive Grocer no less is reporting that Midwest supercenter chain Meijer, Inc. has selected San Francisco-based Premier Retail Networks to provide advertising sales and sales support services for its in-store media network.

D. Scott Karnedy, PRN chief sales officer is quoted as saying “Meijer gives us a great strategic addition to our existing ad sales footprint by providing advertisers and agencies with the ability to reach highly desirable consumers in the Midwest,”.

The story goes on to say that “under the multi-year ad sales agreement, PRN will provide Meijer with national and regional advertising sales representation and support for clients and advertising agencies across the country”

Super smart nice guy Matt Downey who got downsized back in October 2009 and moved from PRN to Meijer may have had something to do with the deal.

By our reckoning this makes PRN the 4th network to go into Meijer; originally it was NewSight media (a RNIN reseller) and when they went out of business the leaderless Samurai took the network on for themselves before being kicked out; and we’d guess that InStore Broadcasting Network (IBN) are also most probably still in the account with an in-store radio network.

Meijer have very big stores, but typically serve the Midwest and this will be a tough media sell to the NYC media buyers who have likely never heard of them. The network has potential but it’s not Walmart – Meijer is pretty small, especially when you think Walmart (4600 stores), Kroger (2800) with Meiher owning just over 200 stores.


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