A 2026 survey from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Grocery TV found that 43% of marketers admit they underutilize in-store retail media, even as the industry increasingly recognizes it as a full-funnel channel, according to The Shelby Report and Supermarket News. The disconnect is sharp: marketers believe the channel works across awareness, consideration, and conversion, yet nearly half acknowledge they are not allocating budget to match that belief.
The survey documented a shift in perception. Marketers now see in-store retail media—digital screens, endcap displays, audio spots inside grocery and big-box stores—as capable of driving outcomes at every stage of the funnel. The channel delivers measurable lift in brand recall at the top, influences product consideration in the middle, and closes sales at the shelf. Yet resource allocation has not kept pace. The 43% figure represents a disclosed gap between strategic conviction and tactical deployment.
The mechanism behind the underutilization is structural, not skeptical. In-store retail media sits between traditional out-of-home and digital performance channels. It lacks the self-serve infrastructure of Meta or Google, and it requires coordination with retail partners who control screen inventory and placement. For a brand running lean, the friction cost—negotiating co-op terms, managing creative specs across retailer networks, measuring incrementality without universal attribution—often pushes the channel to the backlog. The belief is there; the execution path is not yet paved.
The steal for a physical product brand is to treat in-store retail media as a last-mile conversion layer, not a standalone awareness play. Start with one retail partner where you already have distribution and measurable velocity. Approach the category manager or retail media contact and propose a four-week test on in-store screens tied to a specific SKU or promotion. Offer to fund the media buy as incremental co-op spend, typically $2,000 to $5,000 depending on store count and screen time. Provide finished creative: a 15-second loop with product shot, one benefit claim, and aisle location. No brand story, no anthem—pure wayfinding and conversion prompt.
Measure with simplicity. Pull weekly scan data for the promoted SKU during the test window and compare it to the prior four weeks and a control set of stores without the screens. If you see a 10% to 20% lift in units moved, you have a repeatable play. Expand to additional retailers or rotate the creative to feature different SKUs in your line. The cost per incremental sale will often beat digital acquisition because you are intercepting shoppers already in the store, already in buying mode, with disposable income and a cart.
The broader pattern is that in-store retail media is transitioning from a negotiated, relationship-driven buy to a programmatic, self-serve model. Early adopters who build the muscle now—learning the creative formats, understanding retailer attribution requirements, establishing co-op budget lines—will control share of voice at the moment of purchase as the channel matures. The 43% who admit underutilization are naming the opportunity. The next move is to claim one test, document the lift, and treat the store as the final screen in the funnel.
In-store retail media closes sales at the shelf, but most brands skip it due to friction, not doubt.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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