New Jersey entrepreneur Paul Ruitenberg’s new venture is enabling grocery stores nationally to capitalize on an $8.5 billion business opportunity to create retail media networks.
“Supermarket and convenience store owners have realized the value their in-store real estate can produce not only in product sales, but national advertising revenue,” Ruitenberg, managing principal of Retail Fluent Media Network said. “The opportunity starts with in-store digital screens that can bring in national advertisers. Some store owners are telling me they are generating more revenue through advertising revenue than product sales. It’s an amazing time for the grocery business because the number of retail media networks is expected to double in the next 18 months and nearly 70 percent of grocers rate investment in retail media networks as a high priority.”
Ruitenberg, a visionary of the retail design industry, was among the first to create unique shopping environments in supermarkets.
A native of Wayne, Ruitenberg has designed thousands of supermarkets worldwide, leading multiple successful businesses over the years that averaged $20 million in sales annually. He started his career in his father’s basement creating window displays for shoe stores and other retailers, eventually moving on to entire stores.
Retail Fluent Media Network Partner Gustavo Avila and Ruitenberg launched the media company in 2023 and RFMN is growing as dramatically as retail media networks nationally.
Retail media is digital advertising operated by retailers who assume the role of media channels by publishing ads on their own assets – websites, in-store digital screens, and social media pages – or third-party publishers.
In 2023, RFMN’s media network included 200 stores and 1,000 screens. In 2024, RFMN includes 1,400 supermarkets and 5,000 screens.
“Digital window posters are a sustainable alternative advertising platform for stores and provide a really great complement to other print and digital channels,” Matt Jamison, director Field Support & Media with Save A Lot, which operates 750 stores in 32 states, said. “Owners and operators using them report they capture customer attention and ultimately are driving traffic and boosting sales in stores. We’ve seen great results in stores where they are in use and look forward to introducing the technology into more markets.”
“2025 will be our breakout year and we have a sales goal of $24 million,” Ruitenberg said. “Retail Fluent Media Network is focused on serving independent and specialty grocers and convenience stores as well as supermarket chains. In-store retail media ad spending will exceed $1 billion by 2028, which is a profit center local and regional stores couldn’t dream of tapping into – until now.”
