The retail media space continues to evolve at a rapid pace and the recent This Week in Retail Media podcast delivered a front-row view from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Ben Reynolds, VP of Business Development at STRATACACHE and head of Walkbase, joined the show to share key takeaways from Cannes 2025 and insights into the future of in-store retail media.
In this episode, Ben breaks down what’s next for in-store media, how retailers can build sustainable strategies, and the importance of retail media measurement and RMN attribution. He also shares his thoughts on how customer behavior analytics are transforming the retail landscape.
Listen to the full episode here and check out our highlights below.
Building Sustainable Media Strategies
A major theme at Cannes was sustainability, not just environmentally, but economically. Ben emphasized that leading retailers are no longer treating media as a short-term revenue play. Instead, they’re building full-fledged media businesses backed by sustainable, data-driven operations.
“It’s about building innovative, better products — and then backing those with the right infrastructure and measurement capabilities.”
— Ben Reynolds, VP of Business Development at STRATACACHE
Large retailers are hiring leaders from pure media backgrounds to grow and run their retail media operations. At the same time, smaller and mid-sized retailers are leveraging third-party platforms and network partnerships to stay competitive, though many remain cautious when it comes to data sharing.
Learn more about building an in-store retail media strategy.
Leaning into Rigorous In-Store Measurement
As RMNs push for greater investment from brand partners, retailers must prove the value of their in-store media. Ben explained that while many retailers offer post-campaign reporting, brands increasingly want first-party data that can be accessed and acted on during campaign execution. This allows for mid-flight adjustments and better alignment with consumer behavior.
“If you’re asking brands to invest, they need transparency, they need measurement, and they need it quickly. Otherwise, they’ll spend elsewhere.”
— Ben Reynolds, VP of Business Development at STRATACACHE
There’s also growing pressure for measurement standardization. Without a unified methodology, brands face challenges comparing performance across multiple RMNs. Ben cited the IAB’s ongoing work on standardization as critical to industry maturation.
Explore more on in-store media performance and measurement.
Connecting In-Store to Online Behavior
Retail media success isn’t just about impressions — it’s about understanding what happens after the ad is seen. One of the most compelling insights from the podcast was the power of in-store behavioral data to bridge online and offline worlds.
“The store’s no longer a black box. With analytics software, we can see what’s happening in the aisles, what shoppers are engaging with, and where they drop off. That’s powerful for optimizing both retail and brand outcomes.”
— Ben Reynolds, VP of Business Development at STRATACACHE
Walkbase’s customer behavior analytics platform makes it possible to connect in-store shopper activity (like time spent in front of a display without purchasing) with online loyalty profiles and transaction history. This creates new opportunities for personalization and helps eliminate wasted impressions — such as showing an ad for a product a customer just bought.
Learn how Walkbase enables this level of insight with customer analytics solutions for retail.
Looking Ahead: From Building to Optimizing
Ben concluded the episode by looking toward the future: a shift from building in-store retail media infrastructure to optimizing it. With major retailers like Albertsons and Kroger recently announcing large-scale in-store media rollouts, the focus is now on making those networks work harder and smarter.
“Retailers are sitting on a goldmine of audience data. Now it’s about using it more effectively — for better experiences, higher returns, and smarter partnerships.”
— Ben Reynolds, VP of Business Development at STRATACACHE
Retailers that embrace measurement, standardization, and cross-channel intelligence will be best positioned to thrive in this next wave of in-store retail media. As the conversation shifts from how to build it to how to improve it, solutions like Walkbase are leading the charge in turning insight into action.
Listen to the full podcast episode now and explore how Walkbase can power your in-store media strategy at walkbase.com.
