What’s changing inside the store? 7 shifts shaping retail media in-store

Retail media has matured quickly in recent years, but the real shift is now happening inside the store. While online channels have long attracted innovation and investment, the physical retail space is evolving into a dynamic, data-rich media environment.

From intelligent targeting to unified measurement, these in-store retail media trends reveal how advertisers and retailers work together to redefine the in-aisle experience.

Generative AI is entering the aisle

Retailers are starting to apply generative AI tools to accelerate creative production for in-store formats. While this technology has already shown its value in e-commerce, helping marketers generate headlines, visuals and product content, it’s now beginning to shape in-store campaign workflows as well.

According to McKinsey, generative AI could add up to $4.4 trillion in value across industries, and retail marketing stands to benefit through AI-assisted asset localisation, visual adaptation for shelf displays and context-aware creative planning.

Targeting gets smarter and generational

With the help of AI and real-time audience signals, in-store targeting is now happening based on generational cohorts, not historical assumptions. Rather than blasting the same ad at every passerby, media networks are using anonymous, real-time data to activate content only when, for example, a Gen Z-heavy audience is detected near a display.

According to Nielsen’s outlook on the future of retail media, real-time, privacy-safe data enables this kind of dynamic targeting, helping brands deliver more relevant messages without relying on personal identifiers.

Omnichannel isn’t optional anymore

Today’s campaigns are expected to seamlessly span multiple touchpoints. A consumer might see a brand message on social media, receive a promotional email and then encounter the same narrative in-store. That kind of omnichannel retail media experience isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore; it’s the baseline.

As Econsultancy’s 2025 retail media trends analysis explains, brands increasingly prioritise media networks that can deliver continuity across digital and physical environments, offering a consistent experience from screen to shelf.

In-store programmatic buying is a reality

Programmatic advertising is no longer limited to online platforms. Retailers now offer demand-side platform (DSP) access to in-store inventory, enabling automated media buying based on rules like location, time slot, real-time audience composition or campaign objectives.

This shift, as explored in a recent article on audience-based programmatic activation, brings automation, scalability and transparency into the store, aligning with how brands already operate in digital channels.

Performance thinking comes to physical retail

Advertisers increasingly want performance outcomes from their in-store media spend. They don’t just want proof that an ad played; they want to know how it influenced behaviour, like driving visits to a category, increasing sales lift or generating loyalty redemptions.

A Forbes Tech Council article notes that as advertisers apply digital performance standards to physical environments, the ability to measure and attribute in-store media impact is becoming a critical expectation.

Building for scale, not just screens

It’s no longer enough to install digital signage. The leading retail media networks are investing in scalable infrastructure, integrating CMS platforms with edge processing, audience analytics, ad servers and reporting tools.

According to MarTech’s 2025 predictions, scalable retail media networks require robust backend systems that can support dynamic creative, DSP integration and multi-store deployments, ensuring consistency and monetisation at scale.

Unified measurement is the end goal

Advertisers are demanding consistency across formats. Whether an ad is seen on a homepage, in a mobile app, or near the frozen food aisle, they want one standard for measuring impact. That means audience reach, qualified views and attention thresholds must be tracked uniformly across channels.

As MarTech also notes, retailers who can offer unified, cross-channel measurement frameworks will be better positioned to attract brand investment and deliver end-to-end media accountability.

Final thought

In-store retail media has evolved from static signage to intelligent, targeted and measurable engagement. As advertisers look for greater efficiency and relevance, the physical store transforms into a media channel that syncs with the rest of the marketing ecosystem.

Check out the full breakdown of in-store retail media trends we’re seeing across the industry.