Building a Retail Media Network with Heart Inside Ace Hardware

Molly Hjelm, Corporate Vice President of Retail Media at Ace Hardware Corporation, joins Jeremy Bloom (Marketecture Media co-founder, OhHello.ai founder) and Josh Palau (Media and AdTech executive and America’s favorite plus-one) to share how she built Red Vest Media from the ground up. She dives into the power of first-party data, the strength of Ace’s co op model, and how local personalization competes with massive retail media networks. From loyalty data to in-store experience, this conversation explores what it takes to scale while staying authentic. Takeaways Ace Hardware combines national scale with hyperlocal personalization Strong first-party data is the foundation of effective retail media Most sales still happen in-store, making physical experience critical Simplicity and seamless integration matter most to advertisers Listening to customers drives faster and better product development Retail media success depends on measurable and real-time results Co op structure can be a competitive advantage, not a limitation Chapters 00:01 Introduction to Molly Hjelm and Red Vest Media 00:31 Why Ace Hardware’s model stands out in retail 01:31 Molly’s background and building the network 02:30 The scale and reach of Ace Hardware 03:13 How local ownership creates authenticity 04:54 Staying human in a digital and automated world 06:48 Ace’s core value proposition 08:35 Growth of e-commerce and delivery partnerships 10:10 Challenges of building a retail media network 12:27 Launch strategy and leveraging partnerships 13:46 Standing out in a crowded retail media space 15:47 Advice for marketers building platforms 17:00 The importance of knowing your customer 19:01 Building for the next generation 21:25 Molly’s journey into retail data and marketing 23:35 Personal insights and closing thoughts