While many view digital signage as a tool for store ambiance, Professor Dhruv Grewal views it as a high-margin science. In this data-driven session from What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks at NRF 2026, Grewal presents the findings of a massive, four-year study involving 30 million customer receipts and 237 unique campaigns. By leveraging pure AB testing and cart-tracking technology, he moves past the “hype” of retail media to provide concrete evidence of how screens influence the 97% of consumer decisions made subconsciously in the aisle.
Grewal explores the specific “moderators” that turn a standard display into a profit engine, explaining why certain products, emotional triggers, and even weather patterns can skyrocket conversion rates. He also previews the next frontier: the intersection of digital signage and Generative AI.
Watch this presentation to discover how retailers are now producing customized, one-on-one video advertisements in minutes for pennies, and why this technological shift is expected to transform the 8% lift seen today into a total game-changer for media companies and retailers alike.
Speaker: Dhruv Grewal – Toyota Chair in Commerce and Electronic Business and Professor of Marketing at Babson College