Retail Media Age speaks to Suzy Knight, Retail Media Partnership Manager at Screwfix and Ambassador for Women in Retail Media.
Tell us a bit about your background and how you found your way to your current role at Screwfix.
I started my career at John Lewis, where I spent 12 years, including the last few in the insights and media team. That’s where I first got involved in retail media. I helped build the proposition from scratch and led on categories like beauty and later home.
Now, I’m at Screwfix, part of the Kingfisher Group, and although we’re early in our retail media journey, we’ve already made exciting progress. It’s been a bit like snakes and ladders going from a big team back to a smaller, more agile one, but I really enjoy the challenge.
Can you tell us more about Screwfix’s retail media offering and how it works in practice?
Screwfix is quite unique, with over 900 stores and a trade-heavy customer base. That gives us a very specific audience and extremely rich customer data. We’re building out the media proposition across onsite, offsite and in-store.
That includes homepage placements, category banners, social and email campaigns, and increasingly, physical in-store inventory. We’ve already started collaborating with vendors, whether to amplify messaging, launch new products or support category growth. It’s an exciting time.
What retail media trends are you seeing across the wider market?
Traditionally, retail media was very focused on grocery, but now we’re seeing it diversify across all kinds of retailers, each playing to their strengths. Co-op, for instance, is really leaning into convenience, while others focus on specific audience segments.
At John Lewis, I saw firsthand how different the approach needed to be for categories like beauty, tech or home. Now, at Screwfix, we’ve got a powerful proposition because of our store footprint, high purchase frequency, and the loyalty of our trade customers.
“Retail media can be disruptive inside a retailer, but with disruption comes opportunity”
What about non-endemic brands? Are there opportunities for them too?
Absolutely.
The key lies in customer data. At Screwfix, our data gives us deep insights into our audience’s needs, which opens up space to consider partnerships beyond traditional categories. We haven’t fully activated that yet, but it’s a huge opportunity. When you understand your customers deeply, you can consider what else might benefit them beyond the core offering.
How does Screwfix’s internal structure support retail media? And how do you work with other teams, like shopper marketing?
It’s less about having a traditional shopper marketing team and more about cross-functional collaboration. Retail media cuts across so many parts of the business, from sales and marketing to tech and finance. That’s what makes it disruptive.
To succeed, you need strong change management, trusted vendor relationships, and, above all, the right people. Agile, ambitious individuals who are up for the challenge.
Let’s talk about talent. How hard is it to find the right people to build these retail media teams?
It’s definitely not easy. Ideally, you’d want people with experience in retail media, but the pool is still growing. I pivoted into the space from a commercial role at John Lewis, so I really believe in transferable skills.
Networks have become vital for us – I’ve leaned heavily on those recently, and I also think groups like Women in Retail Media are doing great work in supporting emerging talent.
“Retail media needs people who are agile, resilient, ambitious and full of grit.”
You’re an ambassador for Women in Retail Media. What are you hoping to achieve in that role?
It’s an amazing community founded by Ellie Prenagastas, and I’m proud to serve as one of the ambassadors. Our mission is to empower and connect women working in retail media through three key pillars: networking, representation and careers.
I personally lead on partnerships, helping to grow the initiative through collaborations and sponsorships. We want to make sure all voices are heard, and while we focus on women, we’re inclusive of anyone shaping this space.
How are relationships evolving between retailers, agencies and advertisers in this space?
We’re all learning together. While retail media isn’t entirely new, it’s entering a new phase, and that creates opportunities for innovation and experimentation.
The best relationships are those that are built on trust and mutual learning. Whether it’s an agency, brand or internal team, we’re figuring it out side by side.
What are your views on measurement in retail media?
Measurement is a huge challenge. It’s not just about standardisation, which we hear a lot about, but also about education. We still see vendors default to ROAS, even when the objective is brand awareness.
We need to match the measurement to the goal. And we need to educate across internal teams and external partners to build a shared understanding of what success looks like.
“Measurement isn’t just about standardisation, it’s about education and understanding the objective.”
You mentioned Screwfix’s in-store presence – what role does that play in your retail media plans?
It’s critical. With over 900 stores and most of the UK within 15 minutes of one, we have serious reach. Our trade customers visit us frequently, and they rely on us. We’re trialling in-store screens and takeovers of our digital browsers – the tablets used in-store to browse and order.
This gives us the opportunity to reach them at key points in their purchasing journey. It’s an exciting area we’re investing in.
And what about offsite media?
That’s another growth area. We’re already active in social, email and other channels, but we’ll be developing this significantly over the next year. Our first-party data is exceptional, and we want to make the most of it. Watch this space.
Finally, what innovation in retail media are you most excited about?
Beyond Screwfix, I’m really interested in experiential retail media. That’s where networks can truly show off their potential in brand-building.
I’d love to see more creative, collaborative partnerships that bring retail media to life in new and unexpected ways. There’s still so much more to come.
