What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks, Presented by NRF and STRATACACHE — Conversations That Shape the Year Ahead

Retail media networks have moved far beyond their early hype cycle. Today, in-store retail media is core to retail revenue strategy—driving brand investment and reshaping how retailers approach media, data, and shopper engagement technology. But with this growth comes new pressure. Advertisers want measurable proof, retailers want operational clarity, and the entire ecosystem needs unified standards.

That’s the backdrop for What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks, presented by National Retail Federation and STRATACACHE—the NRF special program focused entirely on the future of retail media networks inside the store.

Retailers, brands, analysts, and technology leaders will gather to examine what’s next for the industry and how to accelerate maturity in the year ahead. This preview outlines the themes, challenges, and opportunities that will define in-store retail media across 2026.

Why What’s in Store for Retail Media 2026 Defines the Future

As in-store retail media matures, performance measurement and monetization are emerging as the defining forces shaping retail media strategy for 2026. Retailers and brands are no longer asking whether in-store media works—they’re demanding proof of impact and scalable revenue models.

That’s exactly the focus of What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks, where teams from STRATACACHE, Walkbase, and PRN will be on site sharing how these pieces come together.

At the event, STRATACACHE will share how it builds and deploys in-store retail media networks at scale, enabling retailers to deliver targeted, dynamic content across screens throughout the store. Walkbase will highlight how retailers can accurately measure the performance of those networks, providing the analytics and insights needed to understand shopper engagement and demonstrate ROI. PRN will focus on monetization, connecting retailers and brands through effective in-store advertising opportunities that drive incremental revenue.

Together, STRATACACHE, Walkbase, and PRN offer a complete view of where in-store retail media is headed—and how measurement, monetization, and experience will define its future.

Against this backdrop, RMN Day at NRF 2026 shifts the focus from why in-store retail media matters to how it operates, scales, and delivers value. The sessions are designed to tackle the practical questions retailers and brands are facing now—around measurement, content strategy, operations, and alignment—as retail media networks move into their next phase.

2026 Topics Leading the Conversation at RMN Day

Retail Media, Unfiltered: What RMNs Told Us — And What Brands Are Saying Next

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 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

• Guidelines for simplifying execution

• How to unlock the next phase of growth inside the store

The AI Reckoning for Retail Media

This session examines how AI will reshape both online and in-store retail media—potentially reallocating budgets, reframing measurement, and redefining organizational models for a store-first future. Panelists will offer an inside view of the practical shifts required to move from thesis to execution, and the real tensions shaping the next wave of retail media strategy.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how AI is accelerating transformation and what it will take to build measurable, monetizable growth in the years ahead.

The Great Scale-Up: Retailers Going All In on In-Store

Despite lingering perceptions that retailers are moving cautiously, a new wave is proving that in-store media can scale—fast. This panel explores how leading retailers are activating national networks, linking digital and physical touchpoints, and driving measurable sales impact through data, creativity, and collaboration.

This session explores:

• The plan for scaling success

• Operational playbooks

• How to deliver measurement that matters

• Why collaboration is essential to ROI

The Paper Tiger: Why the Store’s Most Powerful Surfaces Are Digital

Shopper marketing was built on paper signs, cardboard displays, and slotting fees that bought access—not a guaranteed audience. Today, digital in-store surfaces—from endcaps to dwell screens—are transforming static signage into measurable media priced on impressions, not inches.

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.

Key topics include:

• Scalable network operations workflows

• Measuring in-store impressions to prove ROI

• Automation in scheduling, trafficking, and approvals

• Maintaining consistency across hundreds or thousands of stores

Operational excellence will determine which retailers can sustain—and grow—their media businesses.

Beyond the Impression: Defining What Counts In-Store

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.

This session focuses on:

• Setting realistic expectations around measurement and results

• Building stronger communication channels between retailers and brand partners

• Creating clearer, more compelling value propositions for advertisers

Alignment will be key to unlocking sustained investment and partnership growth in 2026.

From Retail to Commerce Media: The Great Convergence of Data, Channels, and the Store

Commerce media is fast becoming the connective tissue between shopping, travel, and finance—and the store is emerging as its most potent surface. Retailers are discovering how omnichannel commerce creates new value for brands and consumers alike.

Attendees will gain a forward-looking view of how privacy-forward data, technology, and collaboration are shaping a new blueprint for influence—one centered in the store but extending across every purchase journey.

Key insights include:

• The expanding role of anonymous in-store analytics

• How behavioral data powers segmentation and planning

• How physical-store signals influence off-site and digital media strategies

• What the next evolution of in-store attribution will look like

This topic brings together technology, strategy, and privacy—all central to the future of the category.

What These Themes Mean for Retailers, Brands, and RMN Operators

A New Playbook for Accountability and Transparency

Advertisers want proof of value—not just impression counts. Retailers must provide transparent reporting frameworks, credible attribution, and clear explanations of performance. RMNs that deliver measurable outcomes will become preferred partners.

Networks Will Consolidate, Mature, and Standardize

As retail media scales, expect greater alignment around metrics, formats, and operational benchmarks. Retailers are moving from experimentation toward predictable execution supported by stronger workflows and more refined creative.

2026 will be defined by cleaner processes, smarter measurement, and better creative.

In-Store Media Is Now Essential — Not Optional

With more shoppers returning to stores and advertisers seeking omnichannel influence, in-store retail media is now critical to shaping buying decisions. Retailers that combine content strategy, operational discipline, and reliable measurement will lead the market. Those that don’t risk falling behind as the industry shifts toward measurable, data-driven in-store engagement.

Don’t Miss Your Chance

What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry. The conversations happening on January 10, 2026 will guide how retailers, brands, and technology partners navigate the next chapter of in-store retail media—from measurement to content to operations and beyond.

For anyone shaping retail media strategy, this event offers perspective, clarity, and direct insight into the themes that will define the year ahead.