Wickes debuts home improvement retail media network

Wickes has launched a retail media network, Wickes Connected Retail Media, in partnership with Epsilon. The move expands its advertising tools by using the retailer's customer reach across digital channels and physical stores.

The network launches with both onsite and offsite formats. Onsite placements run across Wickes' own digital properties. Offsite media extends campaigns beyond Wickes' websites and apps, using audience matching based on customer signals.

Wickes says the proposition is a category first in home improvement retail media, offering both onsite and offsite elements from launch. It targets brands looking to reach shoppers at different stages of home improvement projects, from early research to purchase.

Audience reach

The network targets DIY customers, design and installation shoppers, and trade professionals. Messaging can be tailored to the type of project customers are working on, aiming to reach people as they browse, research, and buy.

The platform draws on data from Wickes' digital and store interactions. Wickes operates 230 stores across the UK, and says 96% of sales involve a store touchpoint, with around two-thirds digitally enabled. That mix links online browsing with in-store purchasing behaviour.

Retail media has become a growing focus for retailers seeking new revenue streams and deeper commercial partnerships with brands. In grocery and general merchandise, networks typically combine first-party data with digital advertising inventory. Wickes is applying the same model to home improvement, where shoppers often research purchases over longer timeframes and make repeat store visits as projects progress.

Data and identity

Epsilon's identity technology underpins the offer. Wickes Connected Retail Media uses Epsilon's COREid identity graph, designed to connect digital and in-store signals into a single view of audiences. This is intended to support more precise activation across Wickes' channels and the wider web.

The launch reflects broader shifts in digital advertising, with brands and platforms placing more emphasis on first-party data and identity resolution. Retailers with large logged-in audiences and loyalty programmes have gained influence in this change. Wickes offers TradePro membership for trade customers, alongside consumer-facing digital apps and its main website.

Wickes describes itself as a digitally led retailer with a service focus. It operates across three customer journeys: TradePro, DIY, and its project-based Design & Installation division. Stores support fulfilment through Home Delivery and Click-and-Collect, and customers can access virtual and in-person design consultations.

Advertiser options

The network is designed for a range of advertisers, from large manufacturers to smaller specialist trade brands. Brands can test activity and scale over time, trialling formats and audiences before increasing spend once campaigns perform.

For Wickes, retail media links commercial income with merchandising and customer experience decisions. Onsite placements can influence product discovery and basket building, while offsite activity can shape consideration earlier in a project. Wickes says it has board-level commitment to retail media as a long-term growth lever.

Gary Kibble, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Wickes, said the launch is a step forward for the business and is designed to support product and brand discovery.

"We're proud to launch Wickes Connected Retail Media in partnership with Epsilon, a major step forward for our business. This network makes it easier than ever for our customers to discover the brands and products that help them get their projects right. From first-time DIYers and design and installation customers to trade professionals managing multiple jobs each week, our shoppers have distinctive ways of researching, browsing and buying. We're excited to see the impact this will have for brands and customers alike, connecting them at the moments that matter most," Kibble said.

Epsilon's commerce team said the home improvement category involves different shopper behaviours than faster-moving retail segments, with more complex journeys and repeat store visits linked to project progress.

"Wickes brings together a uniquely broad and highly engaged home improvement audience across both its digital platforms and store network. Customers come to Wickes to plan projects, sense check their ideas and buy products that often form part of an ongoing relationship with the brand. That creates a real opportunity for advertisers to think beyond short term performance and focus on how they support customers in ways that build trust, confidence and long term loyalty. We're excited to support Wickes as they continue to test, learn and scale across categories, building a connected retail media proposition that truly reflects how people plan, shop and complete home improvement projects," said Simon Trewavas, SVP Commerce, Epsilon.

Wickes said it will scale the network across categories as it develops its offer for brands seeking access to home improvement customers through a mix of digital and store-led signals.