Written by Paul Lynch, Integrated Solutions Lead, Retail & Commerce
Retail media is entering a more creative phase. As the channel matures, the conversation is moving beyond impressions, inventory and conversion alone. The next question for retailers is more ambitious: how can retail media improve the customer experience while creating new commercial value?
Nowhere is that opportunity more tangible than in the physical store.
For years, ecommerce has dominated the retail media conversation because it has been easier to activate, measure and optimise. But customers do not shop in neat digital funnels. They discover, compare, browse and buy across channels, often moving between online research and physical retail before making a decision.
That makes the store one of retail media’s most valuable environments. It is where attention, intent and product experience come together.
The store is becoming a media environment
In-store media has often been associated with digital signage or promotional screens. Those still have a role, but the bigger opportunity is to create connected retail experiences that help shoppers discover, understand and engage with products in more useful and memorable ways.
Dentsu’s latest UK Consumer Navigator report, Checkout Society, shows why this matters. While 38% of UK consumers say they see too many ads on social platforms and 28% say the same of marketplaces, in-store supermarket advertising still has room to grow carefully, with 68% saying the current level feels “just right”.
That gives retailers a valuable window. Physical retail has not yet reached the same level of perceived ad saturation as many digital channels. But that permission will only last if in-store media adds value to the shopping journey rather than adding more clutter.
From in-store advertising to retail theatre
The most effective in-store media does more than carry a message. It creates moments of discovery, inspiration and participation.
“At Aura Futures, we describe this as creating retail theatre: using technology to create moments of discovery, inspiration and participation in-store,” says Aura Futures’ CEO, Adam Wilson. “From large-format LED displays and retail media networks to interactive product experiences, lift-and-learn technology and gamified customer journeys, retailers now have the ability to engage shoppers at the point where purchasing decisions are made.”
That idea of retail theatre is important because it shifts the focus from media placement to customer experience. The question becomes less “where can we put another screen?” and more “what will help the customer notice, explore, choose or enjoy this moment?”
Large-format LED displays, interactive product experiences, lift-and-learn technology, gamified journeys, immersive audio and scent can all play a role. But technology only works when it is integrated thoughtfully into the environment around it.
Why customer experience must lead
The biggest risk in in-store retail media is deploying too much, too quickly.
Stores are already busy environments. Customers are navigating products, prices, promotions, staff, other shoppers and time pressure. If digital media feels disconnected or intrusive, it can weaken the experience retailers are trying to improve.
That is why successful in-store media starts with a clear roadmap. Retailers need to define the role each experience plays, the customer moments that matter most, how brand partners can participate, how content will be managed, and how performance will be measured.
The goal is not technology for technology’s sake. It is to create retail media experiences that work for everyone involved: more relevant and useful moments for shoppers, stronger engagement for brands, new revenue for retailers and practical delivery for store teams.
How retailers can scale immersive in-store media
In-store media works best when it is connected to the wider customer journey. A screen, interactive display or sensory experience should not sit in isolation. It should support the retailer’s broader retail media strategy, loyalty proposition, category priorities and customer experience goals.
This is where our partnership with Aura Futures creates value. Dentsu brings media strategy, audience insight, customer understanding and retail media expertise. Aura Futures brings experience-led technology, retail innovation and end-to-end delivery across consultancy, design, deployment, content management and ongoing support.
Together, the partnership helps retailers move beyond fragmented in-store activations towards connected, scalable media environments.
The future of in-store retail media
The future of in-store media will not be won by adding more screens. It will be won by creating connected experiences that earn attention, support discovery and make shopping more useful, engaging and memorable.
As retail media grows, the physical store should not be treated as the final step in the journey. It should be seen as one of the most powerful media channels retailers already own.
To explore how dentsu’s New Stream Media solution, in partnership with Aura Futures, can help you turn in-store retail media into a more connected, creative and commercially effective customer experience, contact us.
