Cityz Media Extends Its Klépierre Deal to 2034 and Launches Cityz Retail Media
TL;DR: Cityz Media has renewed its Klépierre partnership to 2034 across 38 French malls, launched a dedicated Cityz Retail Media unit and allied with Ocean Outdoor.
A Long-Term Mall Media Bet
Cityz Media announced on 16 September 2026 that it has extended its Klépierre partnership — which dates to 2011 — for eight more years, now running to 2034. The renewal covers 38 French shopping centres.
The plan adds 150 digital screens to reach 750, in malls drawing 300 million annual visitors, covering 100% of France's top 25 centres and 85% of the top 50.
From DOOH to Retail Media
The headline shift is structural: a new 30-person Cityz Retail Media unit consolidates consulting, media planning, data, effectiveness measurement and omnichannel activation. It is led by Romain Thibault, with strategy by Guillaume Jaccarini.
In other words, mall-based digital out-of-home is repositioning itself as retail media — chasing the advertiser budgets flowing toward measurable, shopper-adjacent inventory.
Going International
Cityz Media also struck an international alliance with Ocean Outdoor, adding access to Ocean Labs and Ocean Studio. That gives it creative and technical firepower to compete beyond France.
The combination — long-term inventory, a retail-media wrapper and an international partner — is a bid to be taken seriously against pure-play retail media networks.
Marketing Minute's Take
Calling it 'retail media' rather than 'mall DOOH' is not just rebranding — it's a claim on the measurement and data budgets that screens alone couldn't attract. The test is proof: retail media buyers expect closed-loop measurement, not just footfall. If Cityz can evidence sales impact, the reposition sticks; if not, it's a new name on old inventory.
Quick FAQ
What did Cityz Media announce?
An extension of its Klépierre partnership to 2034 across 38 French malls, 150 additional screens (reaching 750), a new Cityz Retail Media unit and an international alliance with Ocean Outdoor.
Why launch a retail-media unit?
To reposition mall-based DOOH as retail media and capture advertiser budgets shifting toward measurable, shopper-adjacent inventory, with consulting, data and effectiveness measurement in-house.
How big is Cityz Media's mall reach?
Its screens reach malls drawing 300 million annual visitors, covering 100% of France's top 25 centres and 85% of the top 50.
Rebranding mall DOOH as 'retail media' is a claim on a bigger budget — the data and measurement money screens alone never attracted. But retail-media buyers expect closed-loop proof, not footfall estimates. If Cityz can evidence sales impact, the reposition is real. If not, it's a fresh label on familiar inventory. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The takeaway: mall DOOH is rebranding as retail media to reach measurement budgets — but it only sticks if the screens can prove sales impact.
When a channel calls itself 'retail media', are you asking for closed-loop proof or accepting footfall?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: CB News, The Media Leader France.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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