Valiuz launches Europe’s first programmatic instore audio offering at Boulanger
- Hélène Allouard
- Dec 4, 2025
- 6 min read
Powered by data, this programmatic solution enables the targeting of in-store advertising campaigns based on geolocation, time, and real-time foot traffic, setting a new standard for effectiveness in retail media. A technology first tested by Havas Media France for EDF.
Paris, November 4, 2025 – Valiuz, the Retail Media agency and Data alliance, today announces the official launch of a programmatic in-store audio offering. This innovation, developed in partnership with The Trade Desk, the global leader in advertising technology, SoundCast, and midiA, enables advertisers to insert targeted ads into in-store playlists, automatically and based on various criteria: location, broadcast time, and most importantly, real-time visitor flows. Initially rolled out in Boulanger stores, with a first campaign for Havas Media France and its client EDF, this lever is set to be rapidly deployed to other retailers in the Valiuz alliance. This innovation—a first in Europe—marks a genuine technological breakthrough in the field of instore Retail Media audio.
A ground-breaking innovation in Retail Media audio
Thanks to this innovation, Valiuz now facilitates the management of playlists and the real-time broadcasting of audio messages in stores, using an integrated “ad trains” system within musical programming. The spots can be activated in two ways: via trade marketing by Boulanger’s internal teams for brands already available in stores (captive) or through Retail Media via Valiuz for external brands (non-captive), especially major radio advertisers prominent in the home appliance and multimedia sectors.
An intelligent audio device developed by midiA and installed in stores collects visitor count data. The media buying is then conducted via SoundCast’s SSP and The Trade Desk’s DSP, allowing advertisers to schedule campaigns based on geographic, temporal, and, crucially, real-time store visits. While this initial deployment has been activated by Havas Media France for EDF, the offering is available in "self-service" mode (particularly for interested media agencies) or in "managed" mode (directly handled by Valiuz).
This offering has already been deployed in 95% of Boulanger’s store network, with the potential to reach 70 million visitors annually! Going forward, the ambition is clear: to extend this technology to other retailers by 2026 and to generalize programmatic in-store audio buying nationwide.
A high-potential market in France and Europe
Programmatic audio is rapidly growing in France, with a +23% increase in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024. However, in-store audio remains marginal, accounting for less than 1% of the retail media market in 2024, as programmatic in-store broadcasting is still underdeveloped.
In the United States, the digital programmatic audio market already exceeds $2 billion in 2025, an +18% increase compared to 2024, illustrating the development potential for the European and French markets.
This trend aligns with the broader context of personalized communications: local advertising and DOOH (Digital Out of Home) are also experiencing strong growth, particularly for targeted and geolocated campaigns. In-store audio positions itself as a complementary medium to these tools, enabling retailers to activate local campaigns directly at the moment and place of purchase, while measuring the impact on actual visitor flows.
"Inspired by American initiatives, this offering is a pioneering venture in Europe: it is the first time that in-store audio media buying is made possible via an open programmatic protocol. This launch marks a strategic turning point in utilizing retail audio spaces. It ushers in a new era for brands looking to engage consumers directly in-store. We are thrilled to take this step forward with an innovative partner like Boulanger" explains Eva Galand, Head of Revenue Development at Valiuz.
"With 8 out of 10 purchases made in-store, the in-store environment represents the new frontier for Retail Media for specialized retailers like Boulanger. While in-store Retail Media is often limited to DOOH, another project at Boulanger, we aim to broaden the possibilities and are proud to be the first European retailer to activate programmatic audio. This demonstrates our ability to innovate and leverage the full potential of data for activation and measurement, supported by the expertise of our partner Valiuz." adds Sofia Lievin, Retail Media Director at Boulanger.
"This project demonstrates that in-store audio can now fully integrate into omnichannel media strategies. It offers brands a new activation capability, both contextual and measurable, at a key moment in the customer journey. We are delighted by this innovation, made possible through the privileged working relationship we have with Valiuz in France. This initiative perfectly illustrates how The Trade Desk’s technology can support European retail media actors in their most innovative strategies." concludes François-Xavier Le Ray, France and Benelux Director at The Trade Desk.
With this programmatic in-store audio offering, Valiuz and its partners The Trade Desk, SoundCast, and midiA aim to transform retail media in France and Europe, providing brands with new activation opportunities, while enriching the in-store customer experience and enhancing campaign measurement and performance.
About Valiuz :
Founded in 2019, Valiuz is a technological alliance leveraging collective intelligence to turn data into a strategic asset for innovation and commerce transformation. With around twenty partner brands, both powerful and complementary (including Leroy Merlin, Decathlon, Auchan, Kiabi, and Boulanger), Valiuz integrates and capitalizes on data to enrich customer insights and enhance personalized shopping experiences. In France, the company boasts an unparalleled customer database, making it the most significant and diverse source of information available today. Additionally, Valiuz connects brands with consumers at the moment of purchase, both online and offline, through its omnichannel and omnimarket Retail Media offering, covering the entire customer journey—from profiling to activation (on-site, off-site, in-store, and CRM), as well as advertising performance measurement. Thanks to its data-driven approach, Valiuz enables retailers to provide more relevant customer experiences, advertisers to optimize their investments, and consumers to enjoy better-targeted and more responsible advertising. Already present in France, Italy, Poland, and Spain, the company aims to rapidly become the European leader in data and Retail Media.
About Boulanger
Boulanger specializes in home appliances and multimedia. Its mission is to help everyone continue enjoying the best technology in their daily lives. Boulanger promises to offer its customers simple, professional, and friendly guidance, ensuring their experience with technology is always a pleasure.
Boulanger is committed to providing well-chosen products, useful advice, and real solutions. Its teams, present in over 220 stores, on its app, and boulanger.com, offer services that simplify life, such as 1-hour pick-up or next-day delivery.
Boulanger provides concrete solutions to extend product lifespan, such as unlimited repairs with Boulanger Le Club INFINITY, trade-in and buy-back for old devices, and offers for refurbished products or equipment rental. For Boulanger, consuming fewer new products is a new way to consume.
Boulanger: Shared pleasure.
About The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers advertisers to create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns via a self-service cloud platform. Its integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and advanced decision-making capabilities. Its enterprise APIs also enable custom developments. Based in Ventura, California, The Trade Desk has offices in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About SoundCast :
Headquartered in Paris, London, and New York, SoundCast develops a platform that connects publishers and advertisers. SoundCast’s proprietary solutions (AdServer & SSP), specialized in digital audio advertising, help publishers monetize all their audio content (radio, streaming, podcasts, in-game audio, in-video audio). Transactions are conducted in real-time with advanced targeting features and data segment activation. The platform is connected to leading international DSPs, including The Trade Desk.
About midiA: midiA, transforme l’audio en magasin en un canal intelligent et monétisable. Historiquement experts de la curation musicale et du développement d’apps pour le retail, midiA a développé une plateforme Audio Out Of Home (AOOH) qui combine boîtiers de diffusion audio en magasin, données en temps réel (trafic, météo, caisse…) et IA pour créer et diffuser des publicités audio contextualisées, automatisées, et mesurables. Résultat : les retailers peuvent valoriser leur inventaire audio, stimuler les ventes, et générer des revenus publicitaires, pendant que les marques (annonceurs) touchent une audience captive en point de vente. www.getmidia.fr
About Havas Media France :
Havas Media is the leading agency of the media division of Havas Group, a network present in 126 countries.
Focused on collective culture, ideas, and continuous talent training, it benefits from the expertise of specialized agencies within Havas Media Network, enabling it to support its clients on all aspects of a successful media strategy: consulting, media planning, performance negotiations and purchases, audience and content strategies, and data management.
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