Grupo Modelo, the leader in the production, distribution and sale of beer in Mexico which is part of the AB InBev family of companies has signed a Letter of Intent with VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. and Retailigent Media to install an in-store media network in up to 50,000 Modelorama stores and independent neighborhood bodegas in Mexico. The in-store media network will not only act as an international advertising network but it will also provide analytics, real time point-of-sale reporting, and real time security powered by artificial intelligence.
“We will be supplying all our proprietary software licensing for analytics, security and visual display,” said VSBLTY Co-founder & CEO Jay Hutton. The offering includes
- DataCaptor™, a "stealthy” installation that remains totally unseen while measuring body counts, gender, age and sentiment—all in real-time.
- VSBLTY Vector™, a software which provides facial recognition and weapon detection driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning, and
- VisionCaptor™, a marketing tool to bring dynamic, interactive brand messaging to life on transparent glass displays.
“What is especially exciting is that the network will be offering major consumer product brands the opportunity to advertise to shoppers right at point-of-sale when buying decisions are made,” Mr. Hutton added.
The project will create the largest digital in-store media network in Mexico, and potentially in Latin America. The deployment will start in more than 5,000 Modelorama stores and 15,000 neighborhood bodegas throughout Mexico. Modelorama is Mexico’s second largest convenience store chain and is owned by Grupo Modelo. Test deployments are already underway in Mexico.
Thiago Porto, Vice President, People, Middle Americas at AB InBev, pointed out that the deployment has potential across Mexico and many countries in the Middle Americas Zone. “Our ambitious plan of action calls for deployment in up to 50,000 stores by 2027. These traditional neighborhood stores are the most important channel for consumer products in Central and South America and cannot be left behind as the rest of the retail landscape goes through a massive digital transformation,” he concluded.
Ignacio Lares, Vice President of Technology & Analytics, Middle Americas at AB InBev, said, “This is the next step in offering an improved shopping experience to consumers, as well as enabling local store owners and operators to remain competitive as retail consolidates in most of these markets. By leveraging technology and analytics we can play a crucial role in the communities in which we operate by improving the safety and quality of the shopping experience for the millions of store owners with which we do business every day.
“Not only can the various solutions around Internet of Things (IoT) offer real time access to point-of-sale systems to allow store owners to dynamically optimize their business, but we can also incorporate security, consumer analytics, and display advertising under the same platform. We have aligned with two companies—VSBLTY and Retailigent Media—that offer innovation and agility which coupled with our reach will allow us to have a meaningful impact as we pioneer and scale this innovation,” he said.
Retailigent Media, with offices in Mexico and five other Latin American countries, is the leading company in Mexico for smart retail solutions, analytics, and smart displays. Retailigent provides advertising and marketing insights to international brands, including P&G, Coca-Cola, Diageo and Telefonica. “We have a long-standing trusted relationship with VSBLTY and we are partnering with RADAR App to support in-store security in each of the 50,000 stores we plan to develop.
“Radar App is the first collaborative security solution in the world that is already being utilized in Mexico City counties. Now we will be working together to help Grupo Modelo improve security while creating a new revenue stream for their stores as they become an attractive media channel, as well,” according to Rodrigo Velasco, Retailigent Media CEO & Co-founder.
