RTN
RTN (Register Tape Network) is a Durham, NC-based advertising company that places full-color coupon ads on the backs of supermarket receipts for SMB advertisers across 33 U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
RTN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RTN
- Legal name
- Shopper Local, LLC
- Website
- https://rtn.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RTN (Register Tape Network) is a Durham, NC-based advertising company that places full-color coupon ads on the backs of supermarket receipts for SMB advertisers across 33 U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where RTN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
RTN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Register Tape Advertising: RTN charges businesses to advertise on the back of receipts at participating supermarkets and retailers. Businesses pay for ad placement based on size, number of prints, and total stores running the advertisement. Pricing is per impression with costs varying by coverage area and campaign duration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Single Space Ad - Business card-sized ad space offering maximum value |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Double Space Ad - Larger ad space for greater impact |
| Usage-based | Weekly | Moderate Coverage Harris Teeter Campaign |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
RTN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RTN (Register Tape Network) sells full-color, custom-designed coupon advertising printed on the back of register receipts distributed at supermarket and retail cash registers across 33 U.S. states. The service targets local small and mid-sized businesses with a minimum 24-week program that delivers hundreds of thousands of impressions per campaign at less than half a cent per impression. RTN also provides ad design, hyper-local geographic targeting, and coupon redemption tracking to measure ROI.
Product overview
RTN (Register Tape Network) operates as a local coupon advertising company offering a single core product: register tape advertising. The service consists of custom-designed, full-color coupons printed directly on receipt paper at supermarket and retailer cash registers. RTN distributes ads through a network of 26,000+ retail partners including Dollar General, Family Dollar, Harris Teeter, and Ingles. Their flagship offering places coupon ads on receipts for a minimum of 24 weeks (200,000+ impressions per campaign), targeting local consumers with exclusive category placement per location. The company also provides ad design services and coupon redemption tracking for ROI measurement. The service is designed for small to medium-sized local businesses seeking affordable, targeted advertising at less than 5 cents per customer.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Register Tape Advertising
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 800,000 personalized messages distributed over the course of an average campaign
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use RTN
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
RTN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
RTN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Dollar GeneralcoreMajor retail chain partner where RTN places coupon advertisements on Dollar General receipts. Dollar General stores are concentrated in rural areas and serve as primary distribution points for RTN's advertising network. Stores average 15,000-30,000 shoppers per week.
- Family DollarcoreNational retail chain partner for RTN's receipt advertising. Family Dollar stores are part of the retail network distributing RTN's coupon advertisements to local shoppers.
- Harris TeetercoreRegional supermarket chain partner with longstanding relationship with RTN. Harris Teeter stores serve as premium distribution points with 15,000-30,000 weekly shoppers per location.
- Ingles MarketscoreRegional supermarket chain partner serving as distribution network for RTN's register tape advertising. Ingles has a longstanding partnership with RTN for community-based marketing.
- ShopperLocalcoreParent company of Register Tape Network (RTN). ShopperLocal operates RTN as its primary advertising brand. Contact: 3622 Lyckan Parkway, Suite 3003, Durham NC 27707. Privacy inquiries handled by ShopperLocal under GDPR compliance.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
RTN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ReachLocal: Digital marketing services platform for SMBs, offering local search, display, and managed campaigns. Competes with RTN for SMB local-advertising budgets through a digital-first delivery mechanism.
- Yelp: Local business advertising platform serving SMBs with paid placements and lead generation. A broader incumbent competing for the same SMB local-advertising wallet that RTN addresses.
- Angi: Home-services marketplace that sells leads and advertising to local plumbers, HVAC technicians, and contractors — a primary vertical for RTN. Represents a digital alternative for the same advertiser persona.
Direct peers
- Valpak: Direct-mail coupon and local advertising cooperative that delivers promotional offers to consumers via envelope-based mailings. Closely comparable to RTN in the 'printed, locally-targeted SMB advertising' category.
- Money Mailer: Direct mail coupon advertising franchise network serving SMB advertisers with shared envelope mailings. Operates an essentially identical business model to RTN in the local-coupon-print space.
- ADVO (Valassis): Provider of print and digital promotional media including direct-mail advertising and shopper marketing. Competes with RTN for SMB promotional advertising budgets through sharemail and in-store media products.
- Clipper Magazine: Direct-mail advertising magazine that delivers full-color coupons and offers to local consumers. Functionally adjacent to RTN's register-tape coupon distribution model.
Emerging players
- Ibotta: Mobile cash-back and digital coupon platform serving CPG and retail advertisers. Solves the same 'deliver coupons to shoppers' problem as RTN but through a digital channel that competes for SMB and brand advertising budgets.
- Flipp: Digital flyer and coupon platform that partners with retailers to deliver digital coupons and offers. Represents the digital evolution of the printed-coupon model that RTN serves.
- Coupons.com (Quotient Technology / Neptune Retail Solutions): Digital coupon distribution and retailer-media platform. A directly comparable competitor in the 'shopper marketing' space, with greater digital reach than RTN.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RTN social profiles
Digital presenceRTN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RTN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RTN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RTN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RTN
What does RTN do?
RTN (Register Tape Network) sells full-color, custom-designed coupon advertising printed on the back of register receipts distributed at supermarket and retail cash registers across 33 U.S. states. The service targets local small and mid-sized businesses with a minimum 24-week program that delivers hundreds of thousands of impressions per campaign at less than half a cent per impression. RTN also provides ad design, hyper-local geographic targeting, and coupon redemption tracking to measure ROI.
Is RTN a public or private company?
RTN is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was RTN founded?
RTN was founded in 1959. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RTN based?
RTN is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does RTN make money?
One revenue line is on record: register Tape Advertising.
Who are RTN's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ReachLocal, Yelp and Angi. Direct peers are Valpak, Money Mailer, ADVO (Valassis) and Clipper Magazine. Emerging players are Ibotta, Flipp and Coupons.com (Quotient Technology / Neptune Retail Solutions).
Does RTN have an API?
No public API is recorded for RTN.