Returning to Retail’s Big Show in 2026
January 10, 2026 | NYC
The Definitive
RMN Event
Now in its third year, What’s in Store for Retail Media has become the required gathering for those shaping the next frontier of advertising. Last year’s standing-room-only audience of over 600 attendees were provided unparalleled insights and networking opportunities.
With zero pay-to-play content, this is no trade show pitch-fest. On stage and in the room are the senior retail media executives, strategists, and creatives candidly reflecting on how they are delivering the future of in-store media.
Join Industry Leading Brands
Testimonials
View the 2025 Recap Video
Beyond Potential and Into Execution
When this event premiered in January 2024, in-store retail media was still buried beneath the broader headlines of ecommerce, digital, and programmatic. Fast forward to today: it’s the focal point of investment, innovation, and industry buzz.
2026 Speakers
Mark Boidman
Head of Media & Tech Investment
Solomon Partners
Collin Colburn
VP, Commerce & Retail Media
IAB
Jessie Dowd
Editorial Director
Brand Innovators
Quentin George
Partner
McKinsey
Sarah Marzano
Principal Analyst
EMARKETER
Andy Murray
Founder
Saatchi X (former SVP, Walmart)
Ben Reynolds
VP of Business Development
Walkbase
Chris Riegel
CEO
STRATACACHE
Core Themes and Sessions
Block 1, The Great Reset — The Store Awakens.
Disruption, convergence, and the reawakening of retail’s most powerful media surface.
BCG Presents: The Great Compression — From Funnel to Influence Mapping
Speaker: Leora Kelman, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group
Shoppers no longer move in neat, linear stages—they swirl through a fluid mix of streaming, scrolling, and shopping where influence outweighs sequence. In this keynote, Boston Consulting Group unveils its “Influence Map,” a new model showing how awareness, intent, and purchase now converge—especially in-store. Attendees will learn how leading retailers and brands are mapping influence, applying AI to measure impact, and positioning the store as the ultimate high-influence surface in a continuous loop of commerce.
Retail Media, Unfiltered: What RMNs Told Us—And What Brands Are Saying Next
Speaker: Sarah Marzano, Principal Analyst, Commerce Media, EMARKETER
Following Bain and EMARKETER’s landmark “Retail Media, Unfiltered” study—which revealed retailers doubling down on the store as a high-influence, fraud-resistant media surface—this new presentation flips the lens to the brand side. Sarah Marzano unveils fresh EMARKETER data on how advertisers are recalibrating RMN investment, demanding faster proof of performance, and prioritizing in-store activations that connect media to measurable sales. Attendees will gain insight into how brands and retailers can align on standards, simplify execution, and unlock the next phase of growth inside the store.
The Agentic Reset: How AI Disrupts Online RMNs and Elevates the Store as Retail’s True Media Surface
Speaker: Kiri Masters, Industry Commentator, Retail Media Breakfast Club
As autonomous shopping agents transform how consumers browse and buy, online retail media networks face disruption across data, attention, and monetization. In this presentation, Kiri Masters unpacks how agentic AI is rewriting the commerce journey—and why it positions the physical store as retail’s most powerful, measurable media surface. Attendees will learn how leading retailers are redefining in-store media as both the anchor and competitive advantage in an AI-driven marketplace.
From Thesis to Playbook: Store-Led Retail Media
Fireside Chat with: Kiri Masters, Industry Commentator, Retail Media Breakfast Club
A pragmatic, debate-forward conversation translating The Agentic Reset into action. This session explores how a leading retailer and a commerce strategist would redesign budgets, measurement frameworks, and organizational models for a store-first media future. Attendees will gain an inside look at the practical shifts required to turn the store from a media thesis into a measurable, monetizable playbook for growth.
From Retail to Commerce Media: The Great Convergence of Data, Channels, and the Store
Presentation & Panel: Quentin George, Partner, McKinsey & Company, with leaders from retail, financial, and travel media networks
Commerce media is fast becoming the connective tissue between shopping, travel, and finance—and the store is emerging as its most potent surface. This discussion brings together pioneers across industries to explore how omnichannel commerce creates new value for brands and consumers alike. Attendees will gain a forward-looking view of how data, technology, and collaboration are shaping a new blueprint for influence—one centered in the store but extending across every purchase journey.
Merchant First: How Costco’s Member and Media Strategy Elevates the Store
Presentation: Mark Williamson, Assistant Vice President, Retail Media, Costco
Followed by Fireside Chat with: Sarah Marzano, Principal Analyst, Commerce Media, EMARKETER
In this two-part session, Mark Williamson shares how a merchant-first mindset anchors every part of Costco’s retail media strategy. Built to strengthen the in-store experience—not distract from it—Costco’s “interconnected highway” of data, technology, and partnerships links merchandising, membership, and media into one disciplined ecosystem. Rather than chasing short-term monetization, Costco uses retail media to amplify its core mission: delivering value to members and driving sales for merchants. A follow-on fireside chat explores how retailers can maintain that alignment while expanding off-site and omnichannel reach.
The Paper Tiger: Why the Store’s Most Powerful Surfaces Are Digital
Keynote: Chris Riegel, CEO & Founder, STRATACACHE
Shopper marketing was built on paper signs, cardboard displays, and slotting fees that bought access—not audience. This keynote reveals how digital in-store surfaces—from endcaps to dwell screens—are transforming static displays into measurable media priced on impressions, not inches. What once looked mighty (paper) is becoming obsolete. With IAB and MRC standards enabling verified reach and attribution, retailers can unlock hundreds of sellable slots per screen per hour, serve more brands, drive real sales, and replace tenancy with outcomes.
Block 2, In-The Great Scale-Up — Proof, Performance & Precision.
From pilots to platforms: the technology, data, and standards powering in-store media.
The Great Scale-Up: Retailers Going All In on In-Store
Panel: Moderated by Colin Lewis, with Russell Young, Senior Vice President, Business Development, STRATACACHE; Adam Smith, Head of Retail Media, Iceland Foods and senior leadership from Loblaws, CVS, and Kingfisher.
Despite lingering perceptions that retailers are moving cautiously, a new wave is proving that in-store media can scale—fast. This panel showcases how leading retailers are activating national networks, linking digital and physical touchpoints, and driving measurable sales impact through data, creativity, and collaboration.
Key Themes: Scaling success • Operational playbooks • Measurement that matters • Collaboration in action
The Store as a Media Asset: Wall Street’s View on Retail’s Next Value Engine
Keynote: Mark Boidman, Partner and Head of Media & Entertainment, Solomon Partners
From billboards to buy buttons, investors are re-rating the store—not just as a distribution point, but as a media asset driving measurable engagement and incremental enterprise value. Drawing on Solomon Partners’ 2025 outlook, this keynote examines how the convergence of retail media, out-of-home, and on-premise networks is reshaping how the market values physical retail. With 85% of CPG purchases still occurring in-store and digital screens delivering proven behavioral lift, Wall Street now sees the store as one of commerce’s most under-monetized media surfaces.
Advertising Effectiveness at the Point of Sale: A Large-Scale Study of In-Store Digital Signage
Presentation: Professor Dhruv Grewal, Toyota Chair in Commerce and Electronic Business and a Professor of Marketing at Babson College. Followed by Fireside Chat with Chris Riegel, CEO & Founder, STRATACACHE
This session spotlights the largest-scale academic study to date on the effectiveness of digital signage at the point of sale. Professor Dhruv Grewal presents new, evidence-based findings that validate the impact of in-store digital media on shopper behavior and sales performance. A follow-on discussion with Chris Riegel explores what’s next—how retailers and brands can use these insights to quantify value, prove performance, and shape the next era of in-store measurement.
Beyond the Impression: Defining What Counts In-Store
Panel: Moderated by Collin Colburn, Vice President, Commerce & Retail Media, with Ben Reynolds, Vice President, Business Development, STRATACACHE and leaders from Retail, Agency and Brands.
From dwell time and digital exposure to verified sales lift, in-store measurement is advancing fast. This discussion explores how leading retailers and technology partners are quantifying influence and accountability across physical environments—paving the way for a unified measurement framework for in-store media.
How Advertisers See the In-Store Media Landscape and Opportunity
Brand Panel: Moderated by Jessie Dowd, Vice President, Content & Community, Brand Innovators, with three brand representatives and Chris McLelland, Director of Business Development, Walkbase
In-store retail media is poised to scale—but complexity in pricing, planning, and execution continues to hold it back. This panel dives into what it really takes to make buying easier: standardized formats, transparent data, and a shared language between brands, retailers, and agencies. Expect an honest, brand-led discussion about what’s working, what’s broken, and what must change to make the in-store channel as seamless and powerful as digital.
Block 3, The Great Experience — Media Meets the Moment.
Where storytelling, context, and commerce converge at the point of decision.
Programmatic Comes Inside: The Store as the Next Addressable Surface
Panel: Moderated by Chuck Billups, featuring additonal experts from retailer, agency and brands.
As retail media networks evolve beyond the browser, the store is emerging as the next great programmatic frontier. This session explores the technologies, partnerships, and data pipelines bringing automation, targeting, and real-time optimization to in-store displays and experiences. Panelists will discuss what’s working, what’s missing, and what’s next as retailers apply programmatic logic to physical environments—transforming in-store screens into connected, commerce-driving assets.
The Store as Creative Canvas: When In-Store Content Gets the Attention It Deserves
Panel: Moderated by Tom Limongello with additonal experts from retailer, agency and brands.
As retail spaces transform into dynamic digital environments, the store is becoming the next great creative canvas. This session explores how brands, agencies, and platforms are reimagining storytelling where it matters most—at the point of purchase. Panelists will discuss how in-store content can command attention, enhance experience, and drive measurable outcomes. From context-aware displays to motion-driven creative, attendees will learn how today’s innovators are making in-store media not just visible—but irresistible.
Streaming Before Streaming Was Cool
Video (3 min)
Back when Amazon sold books and “connected TV” meant a coax cable, PRN was sending media to millions of shoppers—through actual TVs in actual stores. This tongue-in-cheek look back at 30 years of in-store innovation shows how a scrappy crew of technologists helped invent retail media before it even had a name. Spoiler: there was no cloud. Just cables. So many cables.
Block 4, The Great Transformation — Tomorrow’s Voices, Today.
The next generation reimagines the future of retail media.
Prediction and Analysis from Tomorrow’s Chief Merchants and Marketers: The Next Generation Speaks.
Moderator: Andy Murray, Founder & CEO, BigQuest; founder Saatchi & Saatchi X, former SVP Marketing, Walmart; former Global Chief Customer Officer, Asda
As the next generation of merchants, marketers, and retail leaders prepares to take the helm, how do they view the opportunities and challenges shaping the industry ahead? In this live focus group, a panel of MBA students reacts to the insights shared throughout the day—from the evolution of in-store media to the role of purpose, data, and AI in shaping tomorrow’s retail experience. Expect candid perspectives, fresh thinking, and a glimpse into how future leaders will redefine what it means to create value for shoppers, brands, and the store itself.
The Last Word: What We Learned In-Store and what can we expect this year?
Hosts: Chris Riegel, CEO, STRATACACHE, and Sri Rajagopalan, Co-Host, The CPG Guys and Peter Bond, Co-Host of The CPG Guys.
To close the day, Chris Riegel and Sri Rajagopalan bring their trademark insight and humor to a fast-paced recap of the conference’s biggest themes. From the evolution of in-store media to the economics of retail transformation, they’ll connect the dots across panels, highlight what’s next, and offer a few predictions for 2026 and beyond. It’s part analysis, part reality check—and the perfect way to end a day that redefines what “store as media” really means.
Be one of the first to register for this event being held on January 10, 2026 in NYC.
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Clicking the register button will take you to the registration page of NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show.
Registration includes the full-day NRF and STRATACACHE Present: What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks special program:
- $1495 for non-retail/non-brand registrants
- $445 for retailers
- Qualified media and press: free
Questions? Contact marketing@stratacache.com or fill out the form on the Contact Us page.
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