What: John Lewis Partnership has appointed Kevel to power an on-site retail media platform across John Lewis and Waitrose, using first-party data, self-service tools, and ROPO measurement.

Why it is important: John Lewis’s ROPO measurement closes a key retail media gap by linking online advertising to in-store purchases, helping brands better assess full-funnel impact.

John Lewis Partnership has appointed Kevel to power its on-site retail media network across John Lewis and Waitrose, strengthening its ability to offer targeted, measurable advertising to brand partners. The new AI-powered, API-first platform uses the Partnership’s first-party data to deliver advanced audience targeting, native ads, and sponsored listings across both websites. Self-service tools will allow brands to launch custom campaigns more quickly, while phased rollout plans include display placements followed by sponsored product ads later this year. A key innovation is the introduction of ROPO measurement, which links online ad exposure to in-store purchases using data such as loyalty card activity. This helps brands understand whether digital retail media drives offline sales, closing a long-standing measurement gap. Combined with Epsilon’s off-site advertising and in-store digital screens, the Kevel partnership positions John Lewis and Waitrose to build a more integrated, full-funnel retail media proposition across online, offline, and external channels.

IADS Notes: Retail Week in July 2025 reports that John Lewis Partnership expanded its retail media capabilities through Epsilon, using first-party data from both John Lewis and Waitrose to extend advertising beyond owned websites into streaming services and external consumer sites. Retail Week in November 2025 details the launch of a premium in-store retail media proposition, including high-impact screens connected to the retailer’s store transformation strategy. MBS in July 2025 explains how retail media is evolving from an e-commerce add-on into a strategic revenue stream, driven by first-party data, measurable ROI, and the ability to connect advertising to purchase decisions. Retail Detail in June 2025 shows how Delhaize combines loyalty data and standardized KPIs to deliver measurable brand lift and sales growth, providing a benchmark for closed-loop retail media measurement. Internet Retailing in June 2026 argues that retail media must move beyond activation and formats to become embedded in wider media planning, with stronger measurement, transparency, and accountability. Breuninger’s September 2025 launch of new retail media formats and a self-service platform provides a comparable department store example of self-service tools, audience ads, and first-party data targeting through a customer data platform. John Lewis Partnership’s March 2026 full-year results provide the wider transformation context, including investment in digital capabilities, customer experience, operational excellence, and long-term retail modernization. These sources show that the Kevel partnership extends John Lewis’s retail media strategy toward owned on-site infrastructure, advanced targeting, self-service activation, and closed-loop measurement across online and in-store journeys.

John Lewis strengthens  its retail media offer