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For too long, physical stores were seen only as the endpoint of the shopper journey. But as commerce media grows, the store is being reappraised as a measurable media channel — one that must work in harmony with onsite, offsite, and every other touchpoint.

Back in 2008, Keith Bryan called retailers “media companies in denial.” Fast forward to today, and that denial is fading fast. The physical store — once seen as the end of the shopper journey — is being rediscovered as one of the most powerful media channels in marketing.

That’s the focus of Andrew Lipsman’s new report, The Advertising Effectiveness of In-Store Retail Media, produced with SMG, Plan-Apps, Kantar, and Colosseum Strategy. It challenges a long-held assumption: that retail media starts and ends online.

The research draws on years of data to show how digitization is transforming stores into dynamic, measurable environments where creativity, commerce, and data intersect. The findings make one thing clear — in-store retail media is no longer just about activation. It’s a full-funnel opportunity that builds brands as much as it sells products.

As Lipsman puts it, “Physical retail — which like TV delivers reach, quality, and cultural relevance — now emerges as a media channel in its own right.” In a world where audience attention is fragmented and fleeting, that kind of reach and context is gold dust.

For CMOs, this report is an essential read. It reframes the role of the store — from the point of sale to the point of signal — and shows why in-store should now sit at the centre of the media mix.

The question isn’t if the store can perform like a major media channel. It’s how fast marketers will start treating it like one.

Download the full report to see what’s driving this shift, and what it means for the next wave of retail media growth.