What: Simon introduces new data-driven marketing platform leveraging insights from two billion customer interactions across its retail network.

Why it is important: This development shows how mall operators are evolving beyond traditional landlord roles to become sophisticated retail media networks, capturing value from both physical and digital customer interactions.

Simon Property Group has unveiled a significant expansion of its digital capabilities through the Simon Media & Experiences division, introducing first-party retail data services that enable more targeted marketing approaches. The initiative leverages data from over 200 premium shopping destinations and two billion customer interactions, allowing retailers, brands, and agencies to create precisely targeted omnichannel campaigns. The platform provides comprehensive insights into consumer behaviours, interests, and purchasing tendencies, which can be deployed across various digital channels including CTV, YouTube, and social media platforms. Executive Vice President Chip Harding emphasises the system's ability to create specific audience segments while maintaining consumer privacy through anonymised data aggregation. The service, which operates on a CPM basis, is available to both tenant and non-tenant brands, demonstrating Simon's evolution from a traditional mall operator to a sophisticated retail media network provider.

IADS Notes: Simon's launch of new first-party retail data capabilities builds upon its strategic digital transformation initiatives throughout the past year. In March 2024, the company took its first steps into retail media through Shop Premium Outlets' partnership with Mirakl, establishing foundational experience in leveraging customer data for advertising. This evolution aligns with broader industry trends observed in October 2024, where retail media networks demonstrated potential to double retail margins from 1.7% to 4.3%. The significance of this move is further validated by February 2025 industry analysis showing retail media networks capturing 70% of spend from traditional advertising channels, underlining the growing importance of first-party data in retail marketing strategies.

Simon launches new data capabilities