Why Brands are Betting Big on the Physical Aisle
For years, the retail industry has chased “digital shiny objects,” but a shift in the media landscape is bringing major brands back to the physical store as a primary driver of growth. In this candid panel from What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks at NRF 2026, leaders from Mars, Danone, and OBI join an expert from Walkbase to discuss why the store has become impossible to ignore. With more than 80% of transactions still occurring within physical store premises, the panelists argue that the industry is undergoing a “return to reason,” moving away from fragmented digital IDs and toward the “honest” data and unskippable impact of the retail aisle.
The discussion pulls back the curtain on the internal silos — trade, shopper marketing, and digital — that often prevent brands from planning holistically. From Arthur Sylvestre’s provocative take on the “soccer-ball strategy” of chasing trends to Patricia Grundmann’s insights on why German advertisers are prioritizing the store as a “no-brainer” context, the panel explores how to apply an agile digital mindset to the static traditions of physical retail.
Watch this session to discover how the industry is breaking legacy habits to treat the store not just as a point of purchase, but as the soul of a truly integrated 360-degree campaign.
Speakers:
Jessie Dowd – Independent Journalist and Retail Expert
Chris McLelland – Director of Business Development EMEA, Walkbase
Meera Patel – Senior Director, Global Omnichannel Advanced Analytics, Mars Inc.
Patricia Grundmann – VP Media & Retail Media / Managing Director, OBI First Media Group
Arthur Sylvestre – VP Digital Commerce, Danone North America
[Watch the Full Video]