The Toronto Star parent firm sold the technology, developed by subsidiary Eyereturn Marketing, to Canada’s largest grocer for an undisclosed sum. (The Logic)

Talking point: Loblaw said the transaction, which includes the related team from Eyereturn, strengthens its existing digital marketing agency, Loblaw Media, which it launched last year. The agency uses insights from consumer transactions to help brands create targeted campaigns and ads. It relies on Loblaw’s loyalty program PC Optimum to provide “specific, anonymized target audiences based on real in-store and online purchase histories.” The acquisition will help it with that work, and also reduce its need to use third-party media technology, Loblaw said. In 2018, Loblaw merged its PC Plus loyalty program with the Optimum program that had run through its Shoppers Drug Mart stores. In September, it reentered the everyday-banking space with a no-monthly-fee account linked to PC Optimum, and a month later it launched a health app that allows users to earn loyalty points for reaching individualized health milestones.