Carrefour UAE: AI Retail Media That Moves Product
Majid Al Futtaim, the exclusive operator of Carrefour in the UAE, teamed up with sensor specialist Advertima to make in-store screens act with the precision of digital. Using the Precision Media Digital Screen Network, they ran a real-time, audience-targeted campaign for Sensodyne that only played ads when the right shoppers were present.
The stack combined Advertima's Audience AI for audience recognition, Grassfish for digital signage, and Adtrac for real-time campaign orchestration. The goal was simple: show fewer but smarter impressions-and convert more shoppers at the shelf.
What happened
Across 23 Carrefour stores in the UAE, Sensodyne ran a 20-day A/B test. In the test group, ads were triggered in real time when the AI detected a relevant segment based on gender, age, group composition, and attention level.
The control group used standard loop playback-everyone sees everything, regardless of who is present. Same duration. Same number of stores. Different logic.
Results that matter
- Sales lift: 68% with Audience AI vs. 30% with the standard loop.
- Sharper targeting with lower wasted reach.
- Clear proof that in-store screens can perform like digital-when they react to real shoppers, not schedules.
Aneela Halani, Marketing Manager at Sensodyne/Haleon, noted that using AI and programmatic delivery helped put the right message on screen at the right time-making each touchpoint more relevant and effective.
Why PR, comms, and sales teams should care
- In-store screens can be a performance channel, not just branding wallpaper.
- Message-to-moment fit increases conversion without increasing noise.
- You can measure lift and optimize creatives the same way you do online.
How to apply this now
- Start with one priority category or hero SKU where you can track sales impact clearly.
- Define audience segments you actually want to reach (e.g., adults 25-44, family groups, attention thresholds).
- Map creatives to moments: short, benefit-first messages that match each segment.
- Run a clean A/B test: AI-triggered playback vs. standard loop in similar stores for 2-4 weeks.
- Align early with legal and store ops on data handling, signage placement, and shopper experience.
- Report like digital: impressions, qualified views, and sales lift-then iterate.
The stack used in this campaign
- Audience recognition: Advertima Audience AI
- Digital signage CMS: Grassfish
- Real-time orchestration: Adtrac
- Screen network: Majid Al Futtaim's Precision Media Digital Screen Network
Pro tip: Upskill your team for AI-led retail media
If your marketing or sales team is moving into programmatic, data-driven retail media, build the skills before the next brief lands. A focused path helps you move from pilot to repeatable playbook.
Bottom line
When in-store screens respond to who's actually shopping, you get fewer wasted impressions and more units sold. The Carrefour x Sensodyne test shows the lift is real-and repeatable with the right setup.
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