The IAB UK Retail Media Upfronts, held on October 23, 2024, at The Steel Yard, provided a comprehensive look into the evolving retail media landscape. Industry leaders from companies like ASOS, Tesco Media, and Ocado Ads shared their strategies and insights, highlighting the direction retail media is taking. The event offered actionable takeaways for retailers and brands, particularly in leveraging both digital and physical channels to engage consumers more effectively.
Retail Media’s Impact: The Importance of In-Store Channels
One of the key insights from the event was the continued significance of in-store media. Emma Dean and Bianca Hall from SMG highlighted top-performing placements like pallets, foyer A-frames, and radio, all of which are driving notable sales performance. Data showed that campaigns using multiple in-store touchpoints—up to four—can double the sales uplift compared to single-channel efforts.
In addition, digital in-store formats are becoming increasingly valuable, delivering over 35% brand uplift compared to traditional placements. This underlines the growing opportunity for retailers to enhance their physical presence alongside digital channels.
The Role of Creativity in Retail Media
Amir Rasekh from Nectar 360 emphasized that retail media allows for more creative execution, provided it improves the customer experience. This aligns with a broader shift in retail media, where brands are looking to create more personalized and meaningful campaigns that resonate with their audience beyond standard tactics.
This creativity is not just about being different for the sake of it—it’s about offering value and relevance to the customer, which in turn drives engagement and loyalty.
Focusing on Retention, Not Just Acquisition
Stephen Edwards and Georgia Goodall from Tesco brought attention to a crucial challenge in retail media: customer retention. Their research showed that over 50% of new-to-brand customers do not make a second purchase. This presents a significant opportunity for retail media to focus more on retention strategies.
By using predictive audience data, Tesco is able to identify customers at risk of disengaging and create campaigns that re-engage them before they drop off. This shift from acquisition to retention is a key trend that will likely shape the future of retail media strategies.
The Rise of Self-Serve Platforms
Self-serve platforms are becoming an essential tool in the retail media landscape, empowering brands to take more control of their campaigns. At the Upfronts, Ocado highlighted their Audience+ tool, which gives advertisers direct access to first-party data, allowing them to create and manage campaigns with precision. This approach not only streamlines operations but also provides brands with real-time insights to fine-tune their strategies.
Zitcha is proud to be a key partner in facilitating this shift. Working alongside Ocado, Zitcha has helped integrate these self-serve capabilities, enabling advertisers to leverage the full power of Ocado’s first-party data across multiple channels. By offering seamless integration and flexibility, Zitcha’s platform allows retailers like Ocado to provide brands with the tools they need to optimize their campaigns efficiently and at scale.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Retail Media?
As retail media continues to evolve, several exciting developments are set to shape its future. Augmented reality (AR) ads, enhanced in-store experiences, and predictive campaigns are just a few of the innovations on the horizon. Brands and retailers are beginning to realize the full potential of retail media, not just as a tool for advertising but as a key driver of customer engagement and business growth.
At Zitcha, we believe retail media should adapt to your business—not the other way around. Our platform is designed to unify planning, delivery, and insights across all channels, providing the flexibility and scalability that modern retailers need. Whether you’re launching a new Retail Media Network or optimizing an existing one, Zitcha ensures that you have the right tools at the right time. With Zitcha, you’re not just keeping up with retail media—you’re defining it.
Interested in learning how Zitcha can help you build and scale a high-performance retail media network? Get in touch with us to discover how we can streamline your operations, unlock new revenue streams, and drive sustainable growth.
Dan Sands
EMEA Sales Lead, Zitcha
