Sponsored Content Guidelines

Sponsored content on Retailnews.ai is commercially funded editorial that is clearly distinguished from our independent journalism.

Sponsored Articles - Long-form pieces produced in collaboration with an advertiser or partner. These are written to our editorial quality standards but funded by the sponsor. They always carry a visible 'Sponsored' or 'Partner Content' label at the top and bottom of the article.

Topic Hub Sponsorship - A partner may sponsor an entire topic hub (e.g. 'AI in Retail' or 'Supply Chain'). The sponsor's brand appears in a dedicated slot on the hub page. All editorial content within the hub remains independently produced.

Newsletter Sponsorship - Sponsors can feature in Five Things Friday, our weekly newsletter, with a branded section. Newsletter sponsorships are clearly marked as 'Sponsored by [Brand]'.

Display & Native Placements - Banner ads, in-article placements and sidebar units that are visually distinct from editorial content and labelled as advertising.

Transparency with our readers is non-negotiable. Every piece of sponsored content follows strict disclosure rules:

• Visual labelling - All sponsored content carries a prominent 'Sponsored', 'Partner Content' or 'Paid Partnership' badge that is visible before the reader engages with the content.

• Sponsor identification - The funding organisation is named. We do not publish anonymously sponsored content.

• No deceptive formatting - Sponsored content uses a distinct visual treatment (border, background colour or label) so it cannot be confused with independent editorial.

• Affiliate links - Where an article contains affiliate links or tracked URLs, this is disclosed within the article. We follow FTC and ASA guidelines on affiliate disclosure.

• Social distribution - When sponsored content is shared on social media, the post includes #sponsored, #ad or equivalent disclosure as required by platform and regulatory guidelines.

Our editorial team maintains full independence from commercial partnerships:

Separation of editorial and commercial - Sponsors do not have approval rights over editorial content. They may review sponsored articles for factual accuracy about their own products or services, but editorial judgement, headline and angle remain with our team.

No pay-for-coverage - Paying for a sponsorship does not guarantee or influence independent editorial coverage. A company that sponsors a topic hub will not receive favourable treatment in our news reporting.

Founder-led disclosure - We are a small, founder-led operation. Alex Rezvan runs both the editorial and the commercial side, so we do not claim a separate commercial department. Instead we hold ourselves to three hard rules: every paid piece is labelled, sponsors never approve independent coverage, and we publish the list of companies that have paid us in the past twelve months.

Right of refusal - Our editorial team reserves the right to decline any sponsored content that does not meet our quality standards, conflicts with our editorial values, or could mislead readers.

Retailnews.ai and The Retail Podcast reach the decision-makers who shape the future of retail:

• Senior audience - 67% of the audience we reach is senior level or above, across the USA (35%), UK (32%) and APAC (27%). Source: LinkedIn, YouTube and Spotify analytics, twelve months to June 2026.

• Multi-channel reach - Sponsorship extends across podcast platforms, YouTube, LinkedIn, Five Things Friday and RetailNews.ai.

• On the ground - We cover NRF Europe, NRF New York, Shoptalk, Shoptalk Europe, NRF APAC and World Retail Congress in person.

• Transparent reporting - Every campaign is followed by a cross-platform performance report.

To maintain the trust our audience places in us, all sponsored content must meet these standards:

Accuracy - All claims, data points and product descriptions must be accurate and verifiable. We will fact-check sponsored content to the same standard as editorial articles.

Relevance - Sponsored content must be relevant to our retail industry audience. We do not accept sponsorships from industries or products unrelated to retail, commerce, technology or adjacent sectors.

Quality - Content must be well-written, properly structured and provide genuine value to the reader. Thinly disguised sales pitches will be declined or returned for revision.

Compliance - Sponsors are responsible for ensuring their content complies with all applicable advertising regulations, including FTC Endorsement Guides, ASA CAP Code, and GDPR where applicable.

Assets & deadlines - Sponsors must provide final copy, images (minimum 1200×630px) and approval within agreed timelines. Late delivery may result in rescheduling.