What CHECKOUT does

Checkout Publications Ltd, trading as Checkout, is an Ireland-based B2B trade media company serving the grocery retail and FMCG sectors. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Checkout operates a multi-product media platform anchored by the monthly Checkout Magazine and the Checkout.ie digital news site, supplemented by mobile applications for iOS and Android, the Retail Intelligence weekly synopsis service, the Checkout Podcast launched in late 2024, and a portfolio of industry events including the Checkout Conference (running since 1979), the National Grocery Retail Awards (formed in 2022 by merging two prior awards), and the National FMCG Awards. The company additionally distributes curated research products — ShopperWatch, produced in exclusive partnership with Behaviour & Attitudes, and the Retail Report Card, produced with Customer Perceptions — that monetize proprietary shopper and mystery-shopping data from the Irish grocery market.

Under the parent group Madison Publications Ltd, Checkout reaches its audience through a controlled circulation model with ABC-audited print distribution to senior decision-makers across Irish grocery retail multiples, symbol groups, forecourts, discounters, and wholesalers, alongside digital distribution via checkout.ie, mobile apps, social channels (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and email newsletters. Revenue is generated across three streams: advertising (the primary stream, sold to FMCG brands, manufacturers, and retailers seeking reach into the Irish grocery buyer audience), recurring subscriptions (Premium Plus digital membership, Retail Intelligence, print subscriptions), and event revenue (tickets, sponsorships, and awards programs). The customer base is segmented vertically into grocery retail professionals (buyers, managers, executives) and FMCG manufacturers and brand owners, both addressed as enterprise B2B audiences within a single-country Irish market.

The company employs 11-50 staff, is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, and shows no public-company indicators. Strategically, Checkout's recent moves have emphasized channel diversification (podcast, mobile apps) and ecosystem consolidation (unified awards, expanded research partnerships) rather than geographic or vertical expansion, consistent with a mature niche publisher deepening its moat within a defined national vertical.

Name

CHECKOUT

Legal name

Checkout Publications Ltd

Website

https://checkout.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dún Laoghaire

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Primary revenue stream from advertising space sold to brands, manufacturers, and retailers seeking to reach the Irish grocery retail buyer audience. Includes display advertising, advertorials, and sponsorship opportunities across print magazine and digital platforms.
2. Subscriptions: Subscription products including Premium Plus digital membership, Retail Intelligence weekly service, and print magazine subscriptions targeting trade professionals in grocery retail and FMCG.
3. Events and Conferences: Revenue from the Checkout Conference, National Grocery Retail Awards, National FMCG Awards, and related industry events including ticket sales, sponsorships, and networking opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Checkout is Ireland's longest-running B2B trade publication covering the grocery retail and FMCG sectors since 1968. It delivers industry news, market intelligence, and analysis through a monthly print magazine, the checkout.ie digital platform, a weekly Retail Intelligence synopsis, mobile applications, and a portfolio of industry events including the Checkout Conference, National Grocery Retail Awards, and National FMCG Awards.

Product overview

Checkout operates as a unified media and intelligence platform for the Irish grocery retail and FMCG sectors, combining print and digital publications (Checkout Magazine and Checkout.ie), curated intelligence services (Retail Intelligence), industry events (Checkout Conference), and awards programs (National Grocery Retail Awards and National FMCG Awards). The core offering is the monthly Checkout Magazine and its associated digital platform Checkout.ie, supported by premium subscription services and industry events. The company has expanded to include mobile applications, shopper research partnerships (ShopperWatch with Behaviour & Attitudes), and retail assessment tools (Retail Report Card).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Retail Intelligence: Weekly news synopsis service for brand owners, distributors and retailers to stay informed on the latest news, industry trends and competitor activity.
• Checkout Conference
• National Grocery Retail Awards

Products and services

• Checkout Magazine Multi-award winning monthly print and digital publication serving as the publication of record for the Irish grocery retail and FMCG industry, providing industry news, market-leading research, and discussion for trade professionals.
• Checkout.ie Digital Platform Digital news platform providing breaking news, top headlines, features, and exclusive online research and analysis delivered seven days a week to industry professionals.
• Retail Intelligence Weekly curated subscription news service delivering a synopsis of the latest and most important stories, industry trends, and competitor activity from the Irish grocery retail and FMCG landscape.
• Checkout Conference Ireland's longest-running dedicated annual conference for the grocery retail and FMCG industries, providing a premium networking opportunity featuring world-class speakers and industry engagement.
• National Grocery Retail Awards Ireland's premier awards program for fresh food retailing and supplier excellence, highlighting best-in-class performance in the grocery retail sector.
• Checkout National FMCG Awards Awards program recognizing excellence in sales and marketing in the Irish grocery retail sector, honoring new product development, merchandising, sales support, innovation in advertising and marketing, and sponsorships.
• ShopperWatch Monthly shopper opinion tracker produced in exclusive partnership with Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A), tracking shopper opinions on retailer advertising, new product launches, retailer and brand promotions, and key industry topics.
• Retail Report Card Monthly mystery shopping assessment of retailers in Irish towns, produced in association with Customer Perceptions, providing detailed analysis of retail performance across Irish grocery retailers.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership with Behaviour & Attitudes (B&A) for the ShopperWatch monthly tracker, which monitors shopper opinions on retailer advertising, new product launches, promotions, and key topics affecting the retail and FMCG industries.
• Customer PerceptionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation with Customer Perceptions for the production of the Retail Report Card - a mystery shopping assessment of retailers comprising a particular Irish town, featuring strong detail and analysis.
• Madison Publications LtdcoreOthersParent company relationship within corporate group for shared data, marketing services, and product offerings across the publication portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Grocer: William Reed's flagship UK grocery and FMCG trade title covering retailers and suppliers across print, digital and events. The closest international analogue to Checkout — same vertical focus on grocery retail, same controlled-circulation B2B trade model, same mix of advertising, subscriptions and conferences.
• ShelfLife: Irish grocery retail trade publication covering convenience, forecourt and supermarket sectors with a similar controlled-circulation B2B model. Overlaps directly with Checkout in the Irish grocery trade press space and competes for the same readers and advertisers.
• ESM European Supermarket Magazine: Pan-European trade publication for the supermarket sector, combining print, digital and event formats to serve retailers and brand owners across continental Europe. Comparable to Checkout as a grocery-specific B2B title, with a broader geographic scope but the same vertical specialisation.
• Progressive Grocer: US-based grocery retail trade publication covering supermarket, c-store and FMCG brand operators. Closest US analogue to Checkout with the same controlled-circulation model, industry research products, and events portfolio aimed at grocery retail professionals.

Broad incumbents

• Retail Week: UK trade title covering the broader retail sector including grocery, fashion and digital. Comparable model (B2B trade media, events, research) but at a wider vertical scope than Checkout, making it a more general retail incumbent rather than a grocery pure-play.
• William Reed Business Media: UK B2B media group and parent of The Grocer and other food/retail titles. Operates the same B2B media + events + data flywheel as Checkout (via Madison Publications) and is a useful reference for portfolio-level valuation and operating leverage in trade media.

Others

• Circana (formerly IRI + NielsenIQ retail): Global retail measurement and shopper insights provider for grocery, CPG and FMCG. An adjacent intelligence peer to Checkout's ShopperWatch and Retail Intelligence products — same advertisers and end buyers, but sells data and software rather than editorial content.
• IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution): UK-based retail industry research and training body focused on the grocery sector. Adjacent to Checkout through shared coverage of grocery trends and supply chain topics; serves retailers and suppliers with research rather than trade journalism.
• Kantar Worldpanel: Global consumer panel and shopper research business with strong Irish and UK grocery coverage. Adjacent intelligence peer; competes for advertiser and retailer attention around shopper insights, comparable to Checkout's ShopperWatch tracker.

Emerging players

• Grocery Dive: US digital-only trade publication covering grocery retail and CPG, part of the Industry Dive B2B media portfolio. Comparable to Checkout on the grocery vertical but digitally native rather than print-anchored; useful reference for digital migration of trade media.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CheckoutIreland
• Facebookfacebook.com/CheckoutIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/221751

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CHECKOUT