A straight-talking guide from Focus Media Outdoor — over 20 years in the industry
Supermarket advertising is one of the most effective and underrated forms of advertising available to UK businesses. Every week, millions of people walk through the doors of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose — and they’re there with a purpose. They’re spending money. Moreover, they’re relaxed, they’re in a routine and they’re highly receptive to brand messages that are relevant to their daily lives. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about advertising in supermarkets — what formats are available, which supermarkets offer advertising, what it costs and who gets the best results. If you’d like to explore a campaign, our campaign planning team are here to help.
Why Supermarket Advertising Works
Supermarket advertising works for one fundamental reason — the mindset of the audience. People in a supermarket are actively spending money. Furthermore, they make hundreds of purchasing decisions during every single visit, and they’re open to influence at every step of their journey through the store. As a result, advertising in this environment reaches consumers at the precise moment they’re in a buying frame of mind.
In addition, supermarkets attract an extraordinarily broad demographic. Unlike some advertising formats that skew towards specific age groups or income levels, virtually everyone shops at a supermarket. Consequently, supermarket advertising reaches men and women, young and old, across every income bracket and lifestyle — all in one environment.
However, what really sets supermarket advertising apart is the frequency of exposure. Most people shop at the same supermarket every week, often multiple times a week. Therefore, your advert is seen by the same audience repeatedly over the course of a campaign, building familiarity and brand recognition in a way that a single-exposure format simply cannot match.
The average UK household visits a supermarket over 200 times a year. That’s 200 opportunities for your brand message to land with the same audience — repeated exposure that builds genuine brand recognition over time.
What Formats Are Available in Supermarkets?
Supermarket advertising covers a wide range of formats, both inside the store and on the forecourt. Here’s a breakdown of the main options:
In-Store Digital Screens
Digital screens are increasingly common throughout major supermarkets — at the entrance, in the main aisles, near the checkouts and in the café areas. Moreover, these screens reach shoppers at multiple points during their visit, delivering repeated exposure in a single shopping trip. Furthermore, digital screens allow for dynamic creative that can be updated quickly, making them ideal for time-sensitive promotions and seasonal campaigns.
Trolley Advertising
Advertising on supermarket trolleys — typically on the handlebar or the child seat area — puts your brand directly in front of shoppers for the full duration of their visit. Additionally, trolley advertising travels throughout the entire store, meaning your advert moves with the shopper rather than being fixed to a single location. As a result, it delivers extended dwell time and multiple impressions per visit.
Car Park Advertising
Supermarket car parks offer significant advertising opportunities — on barriers, in lift lobbies, on pedestrian walkways and at entrance and exit points. Furthermore, car park advertising reaches both arriving and departing shoppers, making it effective for both prompting purchase decisions and reinforcing brand messages after the shop.
Supermarket Forecourt Advertising
Many major supermarkets — including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s — operate their own petrol stations. Advertising on these forecourts, including petrol nozzle advertising, puts your brand in front of a captive audience filling up their car. Moreover, the dwell time at a petrol pump is typically two to three minutes — an extraordinary amount of time for an outdoor advertising format. We cover forecourt advertising in detail in our petrol nozzle advertising guide.
Entrance and Exit Advertising
The entrance and exit of a supermarket are high-value advertising positions. However, they’re often overlooked. Shoppers pass through these areas at the start and end of every visit — consequently, entrance advertising can prime purchasing decisions while exit advertising reinforces brand messages as shoppers leave. Six-sheet poster sites at supermarket entrances are among the most cost-effective formats available.
Sampling and Experiential
For brands wanting direct consumer engagement, many supermarkets offer opportunities for in-store sampling, product demonstrations and experiential activations. Furthermore, these formats allow consumers to try your product before they buy — one of the most powerful conversion tools available in any retail environment.
Supermarket trolley advertising is one of the most underrated formats in retail marketing. Your advert travels with the shopper for their entire visit — typically 45-60 minutes — delivering more sustained exposure than almost any other in-store format.
Which Supermarkets Offer Advertising in the UK?
Most major UK supermarket chains offer advertising opportunities, either directly or through specialist contractors. Here’s a guide to the main options:
• Tesco — the UK’s largest supermarket chain, with advertising available in-store, on forecourts and in car parks across hundreds of locations
• Sainsbury’s — strong advertising availability across its estate, including digital screens and forecourt opportunities
• Morrisons — good in-store and forecourt advertising availability, particularly strong in the North of England
• Asda — advertising opportunities across its large format stores and petrol stations
• Waitrose — premium supermarket environment with a higher income demographic, ideal for premium brands
• Aldi and Lidl — more limited advertising availability but growing rapidly in footfall and relevance
• Co-op — community-focused supermarket with good local advertising opportunities
Availability varies considerably between chains and individual stores. Furthermore, some formats are managed directly by the supermarket while others are handled by specialist advertising contractors. As a result, working with an agency like Focus Media Outdoor gives you access to the full range of available opportunities across all the major chains — without having to approach each one separately.
How Much Does Supermarket Advertising Cost?
Supermarket advertising costs vary depending on the format, the supermarket chain, the specific store location and the duration of the campaign. However, as a general guide:
• In-store digital screens — typically sold on a share of time or plays basis, pricing varies by network and location
• Trolley advertising — sold in packages across a defined number of trolleys at specific stores, pricing by store and duration
• Car park advertising — varies by format and location, often very competitively priced given the footfall
• Forecourt advertising — see our petrol nozzle advertising guide for detailed pricing
• Entrance poster sites — typically six-sheet format, priced similarly to other six-sheet outdoor sites
For accurate pricing for your specific requirements, get in touch and we’ll come back to you with availability and rates across the formats and supermarkets that are most relevant to your campaign.
Supermarket advertising is generally very cost-effective compared to the audience size it delivers. The combination of high footfall, repeated exposure and a buying mindset makes the cost-per-impression extremely competitive with other formats.
Who Is Supermarket Advertising Best For?
Supermarket advertising works well for a wide range of businesses. However, certain sectors consistently get the strongest results:
Great fit for supermarket advertising:
• Food and drink brands — reaching shoppers at the precise moment they’re making food and drink decisions
• Health and beauty — personal care, pharmacy, wellbeing brands targeting everyday shoppers
• Local businesses — restaurants, takeaways, services — reaching the local community in their weekly routine
• Financial services — banking, insurance, utilities — reaching a broad consumer demographic
• Automotive — car dealerships, servicing, insurance — via forecourt advertising specifically
• Charities and not-for-profits — reaching a broad, community-focused audience
• Estate agents and property — reaching local homeowners and movers in their community
• Gyms and leisure — reaching health-conscious consumers in their weekly routine
• Technology and apps — consumer-facing tech brands targeting an everyday audience
Consider other formats if:
• You need a very specific demographic — supermarket audiences are broad, so if you need to reach a niche audience another format may be more targeted
• Your product or service has no relevance to everyday consumer life — B2B brands in particular may find other formats more effective
• You need precise geographic targeting at street level — bus stop advertising gives you more location control
Supermarket Advertising vs Other OOH Formats
Supermarket vs Bus Stop Advertising
Both formats reach consumers in everyday environments, but they do so differently. Bus stop advertising gives you precise location control — right outside a specific venue, on a specific high street. Supermarket advertising, however, puts you inside a retail environment where shoppers are already spending money. As a result, supermarket advertising often delivers stronger commercial intent from the audience, while bus stop advertising offers more geographic flexibility.
Supermarket vs Billboard Advertising
Billboard advertising delivers mass reach on busy roads and in high-footfall public areas. Supermarket advertising, however, reaches a more contained audience in a controlled retail environment. Furthermore, supermarket advertising delivers significantly more dwell time and repeated exposure than a roadside billboard. As a result, both formats have their place — billboards for broad awareness, supermarkets for sustained, repeated exposure in a buying environment.
Supermarket vs Shopping Centre Advertising
Both formats reach consumers in retail environments. However, shopping centre advertising tends to reach a broader retail audience across a wider range of categories. Supermarket advertising, in contrast, reaches a more focused everyday shopping audience on a higher frequency basis. Consequently, supermarkets are often better for brands targeting everyday consumer purchases, while shopping centres are better for higher-consideration or leisure purchases.
How to Book Supermarket Advertising in the UK
Supermarket advertising is available through a combination of specialist contractors and direct relationships with the supermarket chains themselves. Moreover, working with Focus Media Outdoor means you get independent advice across all available options, competitive rates and a single point of contact for your entire campaign. Furthermore, we can help you identify the right supermarkets, formats and locations for your target audience. For more on planning an effective campaign, take a look at our guide to how to plan an outdoor advertising campaign or read about the benefits of outdoor advertising for a broader overview of what OOH can deliver.
Frequently Asked Questions About Supermarket Advertising
What is supermarket advertising?
Supermarket advertising covers any paid advertising that appears within or around a supermarket environment — including in-store digital screens, trolley advertising, car park advertising, forecourt advertising and entrance poster sites. It reaches shoppers at the precise moment they’re making purchasing decisions.
How much does supermarket advertising cost in the UK?
Costs vary depending on the format, the supermarket chain and the specific store location. Entrance six-sheet poster sites are typically the most affordable entry point, while digital screen packages and trolley advertising across multiple stores represent a larger investment. Contact Focus Media Outdoor for accurate pricing for your specific requirements.
Which supermarkets offer advertising in the UK?
Most major UK supermarket chains offer advertising opportunities, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose and Co-op. Availability varies by chain and individual store — get in touch and we’ll check what’s available in your target area.
Is advertising in supermarkets effective?
Yes — supermarket advertising consistently delivers strong results because it reaches a captive audience that is actively spending money. The combination of high footfall, repeated weekly exposure and a buying mindset makes it one of the most commercially effective advertising environments available.
What is the best format for supermarket advertising?
The best format depends on your objective and budget. For broad in-store visibility, digital screens and trolley advertising deliver the highest exposure. For forecourt-specific targeting, petrol nozzle advertising on supermarket petrol stations delivers exceptional dwell time. Entrance poster sites offer the most cost-effective entry point.
Can local businesses advertise in supermarkets?
Absolutely — supermarket advertising is not just for big national brands. Many supermarket chains and specialist contractors offer packages specifically designed for local and regional advertisers. Get in touch and we’ll find the right options for your budget.
How do I book supermarket advertising?
The easiest way is to work with an agency like Focus Media Outdoor. We have relationships with all the major supermarket advertising contractors and can search for availability, negotiate rates and handle the whole booking process on your behalf — with no hidden costs.
What size are supermarket advertising posters?
Entrance and in-store poster sites are typically six-sheet format — 1200mm wide by 1800mm tall, the same size as a bus stop advert. Digital screens vary by network and location. Always confirm specifications with your supplier before producing artwork.
Ready to Explore Supermarket Advertising?
Get in touch with the Focus Media Outdoor team. We’ll identify the right supermarkets and formats for your campaign, provide honest pricing and handle everything from booking to artwork production. Contact us today for a free no-obligation conversation.
