Bergen County Entrepreneur Brings Media Networks to Supermarkets

New Jersey entrepreneur Paul Ruitenberg’s new venture is enabling grocery stores nationally to capitalize on an $8.5 billion business opportunity to create retail media networks.

“Supermarket and convenience store owners have realized the value their in-store real estate can produce not only in product sales, but national advertising revenue,” said Ruitenberg, Managing Principal of Retail Fluent Media Network (RFMN). “The opportunity starts with in-store digital screens that can bring in national advertisers. Some store owners are telling me they are generating more revenue through advertising revenue than product sales. It’s an amazing time for the grocery business because the number of retail media networks is expected to double in the next 18 months and nearly 70 percent of grocers rate investment in retail media networks as a high priority.”

Ruitenberg, a visionary of the retail design industry, was among the first to create unique shopping environments in supermarkets. The Wayne native has designed thousands of supermarkets worldwide, leading multiple successful businesses over the years that averaged $20 million in sales annually. Ruitenberg started his career in his father’s basement creating window displays for shoe stores and other retailers, eventually moving on to entire stores.

Retail Fluent Media Network Partner Gustavo Avila and Ruitenberg launched the media company in 2023 and RFMN is growing as dramatically as retail media networks nationally. Retail media is digital advertising operated by retailers who assume the role of media channels by publishing ads on their own assets – websites, in-store digital screens, and social media pages – or third-party publishers.

In 2023, RFMN’s media network included 200 stores and 1,000 screens. In 2024, RFMN includes 1,400 supermarkets and 5,000 screens. A few of RFMN’s well known customers include: Save A Lot, one of the country’s largest discount grocery chains; H Mart, an American chain of Asian supermarkets with multiple locations in New Jersey; and Key Food Stores, a cooperative of independently owned supermarkets founded in Brooklyn, NY with locations throughout the East Coast.

"Digital window posters are a sustainable alternative advertising platform for stores and provide a really great complement to other print and digital channels," said Matt Jamison, Director Field Support & Media with Save A Lot, which operates 750 stores in 32 states. "Owners and operators using them report they capture customer attention and ultimately are driving traffic and boosting sales in stores. We've seen great results in stores where they are in use and look forward to introducing the technology into more markets."

“2025 will be our breakout year and we have a sales goal of $24 million,” said Ruitenberg. “Retail Fluent Media Network is focused on serving independent and specialty grocers and convenience stores as well as supermarket chains. In-store retail media ad spending will exceed $1 billion by 2028, which is a profit center local and regional stores couldn’t dream of tapping into – until now.”

RFMN offers customers a turnkey service platform that includes:

• Installation and maintenance of modern, ultra-bright LED screens;
• Placement of screens in retailers front windows and other high-traffic locations;
• Integrated ad and content management system;
• Programmatic demand-side platform (DSP), a software tool that allows advertisers to buy ads; and
• Certification from Geopath, an independent organization that provides audience measurement and analytics for out-of-home (OOH) advertising.

“Retail Fluent Media Network provides digital screens throughout stores to give retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies the opportunity to share product information, relevant promotions, and present shoppers with adjacent product options,” said Avila, a Linden resident who has partnered with Ruitenberg on their design businesses for more than 20 years. “Recent research has demonstrated in-store advertising is extremely effective for CPG brands. We are creating a marketplace for local and regional retailers that was only previously available to the top players in the industry – Amazon, Walmart, Target.”

“The retail design business has changed significantly since I started out designing store windows for my father,” Ruitenberg said. “We are extremely excited about the future of both companies and look forward to helping our customers take advantage of this exciting new marketplace.”

About Retail Fluent Media Network

Retail Fluent Media Network (RFMN) is an innovative media company with more than four decades of retail leadership experience serving independent and specialty grocers and convenience stores as well as supermarket chains. RFMN installs and maintains modern ultra-bright LED screens in high-traffic retail locations. The company is Geopath certified and provides a turnkey solution for Integrated ad and content management with a programmatic DSP. For more information, please visit RetailFluentMedia.com.