Retail media takes center stage as Kevel and ENDLESS® co-present at E-Commerce Connect
This year’s E-Commerce Connect event in Lisbon, held March 26-27, brought together industry leaders to explore the future of retail media and e-commerce. Kevel and ENDLESS® took the spotlight with a compelling case study on MC Sonae’s retail media transformation, showcasing the power of innovative, data-driven solutions.
Below, are the most impactful takeaways from our expert panelists:
Retail media networks (RMNs) emerged as a key focus in the presentation, highlighting how they’re reshaping the advertising landscape. By tapping into first-party data and direct consumer relationships, retailers are unlocking powerful new revenue streams and marketing opportunities.
Afonso Santos, Kevel’s Head of Retail Media for LATAM & Iberia and Ana Cardoso, Product Strategy and Analytics Lead at ENDLESS®, took the stage to present a powerful case study on MC Sonae’s retail media success. Powered by Kevel’s technology and support, MC Sonae achieved a remarkable 478% return on ad spend (ROAS) in just six months -- underscoring the potential of well-executed retail media strategies.
“There was a lot of positive feedback, it was incredible -- a lot of people actually didn’t know what retail media was, just that it’s such a trending topic. But the thing is, after the presentation, everyone was talking about retail media.” Santos remarked, highlighting the growing appetite for monetization.
Key takeaway: RMNs have quickly become essential tools for retailers to monetize their digital assets and deliver value to advertisers. MC Sonae’s retail media success, supported by the launch of ENDLESS®, has only fueled further interest and investment in this space.
First-party data continues to be a major theme at tech conferences, especially in conversations around retail media, and Kevel and ENDLESS®’s session clearly demonstrated its strategic importance.
Ana Cardoso, Product Strategy and Analytics Lead at ENDLESS®, shared how MC Sonae used its unique loyalty program data to power its retail media offering.
"Being also a physical grocery retailer we are not a purely online player. We have deep knowledge and consumer insights through our loyalty program and our own segmentations," Cardoso explained. "It was very important for us to find a solution that has the ability to bring that on and mix [it all] together with our first-party data, so that we can have the richest information about the client."
This is where Kevel Audience’s integration with the Cartão Continente loyalty program came into play.
"Cartão Continente, Portugal's leading loyalty program, is central to ENDLESS's value proposition for advertisers,” Cardoso explained. “When selecting a technology partner for our CDP and audience building platform, we prioritized flexibility, requiring a solution capable of integrating both online and offline transaction data, as well as our proprietary client segmentations developed over years of leveraging Cartão Continente insights."
Key takeaway: Retailers with strong first-party data assets are uniquely positioned to create high-performing retail media networks. Effectively leveraging this data enables more personalized advertising experiences throughout the buyer journey enabling better results for brands.
The partnership between MC Sonae and Kevel -- which resulted in 160 ad placements launched in just six months -- illustrates the value of working with specialized technology providers to accelerate retail media initiatives.
“The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the chance to showcase ENDLESS’s innovative use case and our strategic partnership with Kevel, which is pioneering retail media in the Portuguese market,” Cardoso shared. “The event’s agenda was heavily weighted towards traditional e-commerce topics, like electronic payments providers…the Kevel and ENDLESS presentation brought something distinctive and the impact was amazing.”
Key takeaway: The right technology partner can dramatically expedite the development and success of RMNs. Retailers should seek out collaborators who offer flexible, full-stack solutions and expert guidance, enabling fast, scalable growth.
“We came to the realization that we needed a CDP solution and an ad server, and Kevel having that stack available within a single company was critical in [our] decision.”
- Carlos Paulo, Head of ENDLESS® Retail Media Solutions
E-Commerce Connect 2025 made one thing clear: retail media is for forward-thinking retailers. MC Sonae’s success demonstrates the tangible benefits of well-executed retail media, from increased revenue to enhanced customer engagement.
As the space continues to evolve, agility, innovation, and strong partnerships will be key. By combining advanced technology with strategic collaboration and rich data insights, retailers can deliver personalized advertising that drives real results.
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