According to research from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Grocery TV reported by The Shelby Report, 43 percent of marketers acknowledge they underutilize in-store retail media even as they recognize its full-funnel potential. The finding surfaces a tactical opening: while most brands understand the channel works across awareness, consideration, and conversion, nearly half are not executing at the point where purchase intent peaks.
The mechanism is straightforward. In-store retail media — digital screens positioned in aisles, checkout lanes, and end caps — reaches shoppers with wallets open and carts half-full. Unlike display ads served at home or social feeds scrolled in line, these placements appear when the shopper is seconds from a shelf decision. The IAB study shows marketers recognize this: they see the format driving both brand discovery and immediate conversion, not just one or the other. Yet the 43 percent underutilization figure indicates that recognition has not translated into budget allocation or creative development.
The gap likely stems from procurement inertia and measurement complexity. In-store retail media sits between traditional out-of-home and performance digital, requiring cross-department coordination and attribution models that many teams have not built. Brands accustomed to cost-per-click dashboards struggle to model the incrementality of a screen six feet from the product. But the absence of clear attribution is not evidence of poor performance — it is evidence of an opportunity competitors have not yet standardized.
A small physical-product brand can enter this channel without waiting for industry consensus. Start with a single retail partner that offers programmatic in-store placement — Grocery TV, Cooler Screens, and Vibenomics all operate self-service platforms with minimums under $500 per campaign. Select one high-velocity SKU and one store format where your product already has distribution. Run a simple creative: product shot, price point, aisle location. Measure with a holdout design — buy media in half the stores, compare same-SKU velocity in exposed versus control locations over two weeks. Track at the store level, not the impression level. If you see a lift above 8 percent, you have a scalable play.
The full-funnel claim in the research means you can use the same placement for different goals depending on your product's maturity in the category. For a new launch, the screen builds awareness in the moment a shopper is shopping the set. For an established SKU, it closes a consideration gap when a competitor is out of stock or priced higher. The format works because it compresses the funnel: a shopper can see the message, walk twelve feet, and buy. The 43 percent underutilization means your message has less competition for attention than it would in any digital feed.
The broader pattern is that physical retail is becoming addressable without losing its contextual advantage. Brands that move now, while half the market sits on the sideline, will own the early attribution data and the retailer relationships that determine rates and placement priority when the channel matures.
43% of marketers underuse in-store retail media; enter now with holdout tests and own the format before attribution becomes table stakes.
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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