Flipping the Retail Media Equation
In the high-energy closing session of the What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event at NRF 2026, Chris Riegel is joined by “The CPG Guys,” Sri Rajagopalan and Peter Bond, to synthesize a day of insights into a definitive roadmap for the year ahead. The team delivers a stark reality check for the industry: while digital ad inventory at giants like Amazon and Walmart is nearly 100% saturated, the physical store remains a massive, underutilized asset with an audience size that often dwarfs digital traffic by 75% or more.
They argue that 2026 is the year of the “margin grab,” where in-store retail media — boasting a projected 84% profit margin — becomes the next great land grab for “change makers” ready to lead with the physical aisle rather than the digital app.
The discussion pulls no punches regarding the industry’s “headwinds,” specifically the cultural divide between legacy merchandisers and modern media practitioners. Rajagopalan and Bond issue a blunt call to action for retail media teams to leave their digital bubbles and understand the grit of store operations, while Riegel predicts that the “Paper Tiger” of static signage is finally nearing its end as technology costs fall and digital enablement takes over.
By embracing programmatic scale and shifting the focus from simple attribution to the overall success of the shopper journey, the panel highlights that the store is no longer just a place to buy goods — it is the industry’s most powerful and profitable media surface.
Speakers:
Chris Riegel – CEO and Founder, STRATACACHE
Sri Rajagopalan – Co-Founder & Co-Host, The CPG Guys
Peter Bond – Co-Founder & Co-Host, The CPG Guys