For its point-of-purchase sales campaign, Costa Express aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of high-frequency visibility at the key moment of consumer decision-making and purchase intent. Leveraging i-media’s access to electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) data, we were able to robustly validate campaign performance. The campaign ran in five bursts over the course of a year. During that time, average sales increased by 12% across the campaign period, and sales per car turn-in peaked at double pre-campaign levels, highlighting the impact of concentrated visibility at point of purchase.
12%
sales uplift during October-November 2025 burst
X2
sales per vehicle reached during December 2024 burst
The Challenge
Costa Express required definitive proof of ROI for their Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) spend across Motorway Service Areas (MSAs). The goal was to bridge the gap between high-frequency visibility and verifiable transaction data. What was the reality of sales uplift?
The Solution
With £1.5bn in non-fuel spend across our environments and81% of visitors arriving with high purchase intent, our network is the premier destination for Costa to engage 'primed' consumers. With the ability to target customers on entrance to the service station, Costa harnessed consumer short-term decision making. The campaign ran in five bursts over the course of a year, and across 70+ MSA sites nationwide to ensure maximum brand awareness amongst an audience intent on spending.
The effectiveness of this approach is not just a theory: by integrating live EPOS feeds with our CRM, we created a closed-loop measurement ecosystem, enabling real-time optimization of both media planning and creative execution. Through our partnership with WHSmith, we have access to the exact number of sales at Costa Express and were able to prove a significant increase during the campaign period.
The Results
Through our unique access to EPOS insights, we proved that when the media was active, the sales uplift was immediate and significant. During the first burst of the campaign in December 2024, daily sales per vehicle reached twice that of pre-campaign levels. A year later, during the final burst, results remained high: Costa Express saw a 12% average increase in sales across October-November 2025.
EPOS data demonstrates the power of point-of-purchase advertising during moments when audiences make key retail decisions.
