May 21, 2026
Amir El Tabib
Chief Business Development Officer at Ibotta
For decades, the grocery industry followed a familiar script. Brands invested in promotions that functioned on an engagement model, where they essentially bought a bundle of clips with no purchase guarantee. They didn't do this because they lacked vision; they did it because a better option didn't exist yet.
Ibotta has rewritten that script. Giant Eagle's decision to join the Ibotta Performance Network is the latest proof point that the industry is moving out of its past and into the Outcomes Era.
Moving Beyond the Engagement Model
When brands buy clip-based promotions, they're betting on an estimated number of redemptions. The purchase itself wasn’t ever part of the actual equation. When brands buy clip-based promotions, they're betting on an estimated redemption rate — the percentage of clips that actually drive a sale. When that rate is low, spend goes toward clips that never converted. The purchase itself was never the unit of exchange.
The engagement-based model wasn't built for verified outcomes. More data layered on top of it doesn't change that.
A Performance-Based Foundation
The Ibotta Performance Network was built on a different foundation: pay-per-sale. By moving away from engagement signals and toward verified transactions, Ibotta helps brands align their spend with proven revenue.
Giant Eagle is a powerhouse with a loyalty program that accounts for more than 90% of its grocery sales. By joining the Ibotta Performance Network, Giant Eagle is giving its 4 million myPerks households access to 8x more national offers than before. Because Ibotta only earns when a sale is verified, these offers are designed to drive actual revenue, not just the possibility of it.
What This Shift Means for CPG Brands
Giant Eagle adds more than 200 grocery locations to the network. For brands with gaps in the Midwest and Northeast, this closes significant geographic whitespace.
But the true value for brands isn't just the reach — it's the accountability of the spend. By moving away from a model where engagement was the deliverable, not the sale, every dollar invested is now tied directly to a unit moved off the shelf.
When promotions are built around verified outcomes and a pay-per-sale guarantee, the channel stops being a cost of doing business. It becomes one of the most effective growth levers a CPG brand has.
The Bottom Line
CPG promotions have never consistently operated this way. They can now. Giant Eagle is the proof that the industry is choosing outcomes over activations.
Ready to drive verified outcomes at Giant Eagle?
Contact your Ibotta partner to get started today.
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