As in-store retail media continues to emerge as the next frontier in omnichannel advertising, measurement, standardization and actionable insights are rising to the top of the industry’s collective priority list. At the latest “What’s In-Store for Retail Media Networks” event in London, a panel of retail media experts explored one of the most pressing challenges in the space: How do we define, measure and scale in-store media impact with confidence and consistency?

Chaired by Alison Dunham of PRN and featuring leaders from GIG Retail, IAB Europe, Merkle, and Smart Energy GB, the discussion revolved around the IAB’s recently launched in-store media measurement standards — developed in collaboration with 14 European retailers and now available for industry-wide adoption.

Laying the Groundwork: A New Framework for In-Store Metrics

Daniel Knapp, Chief Economist at IAB Europe, outlined the process of developing these standards, describing it as a balancing act between idealism and practical implementation. “It’s a foundation,” Knapp said, “imperfect, but designed to hit the road fast.” The new guidelines codify three key areas:

• Store Zones: Defining where in-store media experiences take place.

• Media Metrics: Moving beyond “gross impressions” to metrics like “opportunity to see” and viewability.

• Sales Metrics: Addressing how uplift and conversion are reported with consistency.

While full-scale adoption is still unfolding, Knapp expressed confidence in the industry’s direction. “Retailers see value in comparability and interoperability — if in-store is to be part of the omnichannel equation, it must align with digital expectations.”

From Retailer to Media Owner: A Mindset Shift in Progress

For agencies like GIG Retail, supporting this transformation is both opportunity and obligation. Adam Smith, Product and Proposition Director, noted that agencies are playing a vital role in guiding retailers toward adopting the standards. “We’re seeing the shift from trade to brand,” he explained. “Suppliers are becoming clients, and that demands a change in approach.”

Smith believes that in-store measurement is uniquely positioned for success compared to online, citing the potential for seamless, invisible technologies, like radar or beacon-based sensors, to generate compliant, real-time insights without disrupting the shopper experience.

The Agency Advantage: Why Standards Matter

Paul Lynch, Head of Experience & Commerce UK&I at Merkle, highlighted how standards make collaboration easier across brands, retailers and media agencies. “Having a common framework helps us create joined-up campaigns,” he said. He referenced innovative brand activations like Pringles’ Poptopia platform, which collects first-party data through physical product interactions, as examples of how in-store and digital can converge when the data ecosystem is clear and consistent.

However, Lynch acknowledged ongoing hesitancy among retailers to fully share their data. “Partnership is the answer,” he said. “If we can show that combining first-party data improves outcomes for both brand and retailer, that’s the path forward.”

The Non-Endemic Opportunity: Proving Value with Awareness and Reach

One of the most intriguing perspectives came from Sam Massink of Smart Energy GB — a non-endemic brand using retail media to promote smart meter awareness. For Smart Energy, the key metric was message recall, not sales.

“We knew we needed to find the right channel to reach low-income households,” Massink explained. “Poundland was the ideal partner. Our Phase 1 results showed a clear uplift in message recall. Now we’re looking at how to move audiences from awareness to conversion.”

Massink urged retailers to embrace a test-and-learn mindset and to support non-endemic brands with data, insights and a willingness to experiment.

Looking Ahead: From Measurement to Meaningful Action

As in-store media evolves, the conversation is moving from raw data to actionable insights. All panelists agreed that the ultimate goal is to tell a story with the data — understanding not just what happened, but why.

Retailers must also rethink the shopper experience. “You don’t digitize a store just by adding screens,” said Smith. “It’s about using those screens creatively, with relevant content for the right audience.”

That means everything — from footfall analytics to brand engagement to conversion attribution — must be aligned with campaign objectives and standardized metrics from the outset.

What’s Next for In-Store Retail Media Standards?

Looking 12 months ahead, Knapp expects the first wave of retailers to begin implementing portions of the IAB’s standards, with further working groups exploring additional considerations such as GDPR compliance and contextual performance.

“In-store media is positioned to be the next mass medium,” Knapp concluded. “But to get there, we need shared language, trusted metrics and a mindset that’s ready to evolve from SKUs to audiences.”

Unlock the insights—watch the full masterclass here. 

Explore every session from London’s What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event here.

 

At the What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event in London, one of the final masterclasses brought together some of the industry’s leading voices to address a topic that continues to blur the boundaries and cause great debate: What’s the real difference between in-store retail media and digital out-of-home (DOOH)? The discussion featured Chris Riegel, CEO and founder of STRATACACHE; Yara El Saadani, EMEA Commerce Strategy Director at GroupM; and Colin Horan, Strategic Partner, FMCG at Clear Channel — each offering a distinct perspective shaped by their experience in commerce, media strategy, and technology innovation.

Why Definitions Matter

The session kicked off with a straightforward question: How do you define in-store media vs. DOOH? While the IAB’s simple geography-based definition (inside the store vs. outside) serves as a starting point, it quickly became clear that the conversation is more nuanced. Horan noted that Clear Channel, traditionally focused on DOOH formats like roadside and high street screens, now also works on digital screens located within retail environments, such as Sainsbury’s and Asda. This overlap, he explained, has made the distinction between channels more complex — but also more powerful.

Chris Riegel offered a hard line: in-store retail media is not DOOH. “If you call in-store ‘out-of-home,’ you’re short-selling your network,” he stated. For Riegel, the distinction isn’t just physical — it’s operational. In-store media offers a depth of first-party data, a proximity to point-of-purchase, and a path to attribution that DOOH simply cannot replicate. It’s a unique media category in its own right, with significantly higher potential value.

A Data-Driven Opportunity

That value, all three panelists agreed, lies in the data. El Saadani stressed that retail media, whether in-store or DOOH, is ultimately about layering on first-party data to deliver measurable impact. “The beauty of retail media is that it uses commerce data to power both channels,” she said. Whether you’re targeting screens at the store entrance or deeper into the aisles, access to shopper data transforms those screens into actionable touchpoints.

From the STRATACACHE perspective, the future of in-store retail media is one of hyper-targeted, data-informed messaging. Riegel emphasized how deep behavioral analytics — tracking not just purchases, but also time spent browsing, near-miss conversions, and shelf interactions — can build precise customer profiles. This level of granularity opens the door to custom, one-to-one messaging that’s impossible in a traditional DOOH model.

Brands Still Navigating the Divide

But how are brands using these channels today? According to the panel, adoption is uneven. El Saadani observed that many brands are still grappling with the internal split between trade and media budgets. As brands move more investment to the marketing side, they gain greater access to nuanced data and the ability to negotiate more tailored campaigns.

Horan added that agencies and brands alike often misinterpret the reach potential of DOOH. “Brands still think in terms of proximity buying — targeting screens within 500 meters of stores,” he explained. But mobility patterns, especially in a hybrid work world, suggest that people shop and move far differently than assumed. Using DOOH data to better model shopper journeys could unlock significant campaign value.

The Creative Gap

One striking insight from the session? While data, targeting, and measurement dominate the conversation around retail media, creativity is at risk of being sidelined. “Everyone’s talking about data, measurement, personalization,” Horan said, “but no one’s talking about creativity.” Without emotional connection and compelling storytelling, even the most precisely targeted campaigns can fall flat. All panelists agreed: future success in both in-store and DOOH will require a return to creative excellence.

Looking Ahead: Personalization, Privacy, and Purpose

When asked about the future, the panel offered a bold vision. Riegel predicted a world where in-store shoppers will self-identify via mobile apps and loyalty programs, opting into fully personalized experiences based on variables such as their preferences, dietary needs, and values. This “Minority Report-style” journey, he said, will be welcomed by shoppers who see it as helpful rather than invasive.

El Saadani and Horan echoed this sentiment, calling for more innovation in formats beyond digital screens, deeper commerce integration, and more collaborative agency-brand-retailer relationships. Ultimately, the path forward lies in connecting the dots between environments — blending the emotional resonance of DOOH with the targeting power of in-store media.

Closing Thoughts

As retailers, brands, and media owners all vie for attention in a crowded landscape, understanding the difference between in-store retail media and DOOH isn’t just academic — it’s strategic. This session made one thing clear: in a world where personalization, performance, and storytelling all matter, successful campaigns won’t choose between channels — they’ll use both, better.

 

Unlock the insights—watch the full masterclass here.

Explore every session from London’s What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event here.

Retail media is no longer confined to the aisles of supermarkets or the banners of ecommerce sites. As explored at the What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event in London, two unexpected players are leading the charge into new territories — hospitality and fitness.

Hosted by Daniel Torres Dwyer of the FMCG Guys podcast, this lively discussion brought together Jessica Cooke, Director of Media and Loyalty at Stonegate Group, and Maurice Ridder, Head of Retail Media at European gym club chain, Basic-Fit. Both are proving that the RMN opportunity is wide open for those willing to think like retailers. 

Rethinking What It Means to Be a “Retailer”

Jessica Cooke set the tone early: “We are the UK’s largest on-trade operator, but we intentionally use the term retailer.” With over 4,500 pubs, bars, and venues under the Stonegate umbrella, Cooke’s mission has been to bring a data-driven retail mindset to a historically operations-focused industry. “We’re taking a Tesco-style approach to the pub,” she noted, drawing on her Dunnhumby and Tesco Media roots.

Maurice Ridder echoed a similar evolution at Basic-Fit, Europe’s largest gym chain with 1,600+ clubs across six countries. Starting with just a screen for member messaging, their network has scaled into a full-blown media proposition, complete with audience targeting and measurement typically reserved for digital advertising giants.

Building Media Networks Where You Least Expect Them

So how do a pub and a gym become media platforms?

For Stonegate, it’s all about tapping into dwell time, personalization and smart use of screens. With 3,500 screens and an app (Mixer) that functions as a loyalty engine and data source, they can tailor the guest experience based on location, time of day, and audience mindset. “Menus are expensive to print. Our screens do more — personalized content, brand partnerships and high dwell time engagement,” said Cooke.

Basic-Fit, meanwhile, is capitalizing on a Gen Z and millennial-heavy membership base that’s highly engaged and screen-exposed during hour-long workouts. “We’re not just gyms with screens — we’re acting like a publisher,” said Ridder. With first-party app data, Basic-Fit offers detailed demographic insights, dwell time metrics and even product trials within their retail media ecosystem.

Non-Endemic, Near-Endemic, and Smart Brand Play

Both companies are unlocking the potential of non-endemic advertising—brands that don’t traditionally sell through their channels but want access to a specific audience mindset.

At Basic-Fit, a standout campaign with wearable technology brought together on-screen messaging, in-app experiences, and retail activation. Kantar research confirmed sales impact and brand lift — critical proof points for agencies and advertisers alike.

Stonegate, meanwhile, has worked with entertainment brands like Netflix and Diageo for campaigns with cultural and seasonal relevance. One campaign saw Guinness integrated with a Six Nations pub predictor game; another had Netflix showcasing new series across screens Thursday to Sunday. “It’s about context, mindset and respect for the customer experience,” said Cooke.

Balancing Monetization and Guest Experience

With great data comes great responsibility. Both speakers acknowledged the challenge of maintaining an inviting space while monetizing media inventory.

“We apply a common-sense test — if I’m having a Sunday roast with my family, would I want to see that ad?” Cooke explained. Age-gating, creative controls, and brand suitability are critical considerations. Ridder added, “Push it too far, and Gen Z will let you know. Fast.”

Testing and learning is baked into both approaches. Whether it’s A/B testing lapsed customer re-engagement offers in Stonegate’s app or evaluating campaign creative performance across clubs – agility and iteration are key.

What’s Next? More Than Just “Retail” Media

Asked what non-retail sectors might jump into the RMN game next, both speakers pointed to hotels, travel brands, and telcos. “Marriott’s already converting lobbies and in-room screens into media touchpoints,” noted Ridder.

But perhaps the biggest takeaway is this: the term “retail media” may soon be too narrow. As Ridder put it, “We should just call it media. It’s about eyeballs, intent, and context. Whether you sell groceries, gym memberships, or Guinness — it’s all about reaching the right audience.”

Cooke summed it up perfectly: “The key is not getting lost in shiny tech. Focus on the customer, understand how they discover products now, and build meaningful moments around that.”

Unlock the insights—watch the full masterclass here. 

 Explore every session from London’s What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event here.