Written by Colm Barry, Partner Marketing Director

From storefront to revenue engine: Are you leaving money on the table?

Have you ever wondered how your shopping experience might change if retailers could read your mind? Imagine walking into a store and seeing personalised ads that speak directly to your interests or browsing an online shop where product recommendations feel tailor-made for you. 

These aren't just far-fetched ideas - they're becoming reality with the rise of retail media and AI-powered solutions like dentsu’s Smarter Media offering, powered by the Salesforce platform. 

Retail media isn’t about slapping ads on your website—it’s about transforming every customer interaction into a strategic revenue opportunity. Consider this: 72% of consumers now switch brands based on better deals, yet most retailers still treat their platforms as passive storefronts. Could your checkout pages, loyalty apps, or in-store displays be generating 10–30% more revenue through targeted advertising? 

The rise of retail media networks (RMNs) represents a fundamental shift. Traditional retailers like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Curry’s, plus disruptors like Uber now leverage their first-party data to sell ad space to brands eager to reach shoppers at the "moment of intent", precisely when purchase decisions are made.  

According to dentsu’s latest Global Ad Spend report, in 2025, retail media will be the leading driver of new ad spend, expected to expand by 21.9%. The same report highlights that 87% of CMOs declare they intend to maintain or increase their investments in retail media networks in the next 12 months. With this in mind, why do many businesses still hesitate?

Five critical questions every retail leader should ask

"Is our first-party data sitting idle, or funding innovation?"

Retailers collect mountains of customer data: browsing habits, purchase history, loyalty program engagement, yet most underutilise this goldmine. Dentsu’s Smarter Media solution helps retailers convert this data into actionable advertising insights through Salesforce’s Media Cloud, enabling hyper-targeted campaigns. For example: 

• A grocery chain could use loyalty card data to promote premium products to high-spending customers 
• An electronics retailer might showcase accessory deals to shoppers who recently bought smartphone

By activating first-party data, businesses can unlock £25 billion in projected EMEA retail media revenue by 2026. But success requires more than data access. It demands AI-driven analysis and ethical application.

"Can our tech stack scale faster than consumer expectations?"

Many retailers rely on patchwork systems: spreadsheets for ad sales, siloed CRM tools, manual reporting. These legacy systems crumble under the complexity of modern retail media, which requires: 

• Real-time campaign adjustments 
• Cross-channel performance tracking 
• Automated compliance checks 

Dentsu’s Smarter Media implementation framework solves this through pre-built integrations with Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Media Cloud. A unified dashboard lets teams manage everything from ad inventory to billing while scaling campaigns across websites, apps, and physical stores, reducing operational costs.

"Are we building an ad network, or a privacy time bomb?"

Given that the latest Merkle research from Engagement to Empowerment report revealed that only 48% of consumers generally trust how companies are collecting and using their personal/customer data, it’s clear that retailers walk a tightrope between personalisation and privacy. Smarter Media embeds GDPR-compliant safeguards into its AI tools: 

• Anonymised audience segmentation 
• Consent management portals 
• Automated data retention policies 

This privacy-first approach lets retailers monetise customer touchpoints without compromising trust: a critical advantage as regulators scrutinise data usage.

"Does ‘agility’ mean weeks – or years?"

The average enterprise takes 18+ months to launch a retail media network. Dentsu’s ten-week implementation model challenges this status quo: 

• Weeks 1–6: Audit existing tech/assets, identify quick wins 
• Weeks 7–10: Launch pilot campaigns, train teams 
• Month 3+: Scale across channels with AI optimisation 

This compressed timeline matters because the Retail Media landscape in Europe is growing at a fast pace - nearly four times faster than the total digital advertising market, in fact.

"Is human creativity obsolete in AI-driven advertising?" 

As AI takes centre stage in retail media, it raises important questions about consumer privacy and human input. How much of our data are we willing to share for a more personalised shopping experience? Who’s managing the governance and supervision of these strategies? 

Smarter Media leverages AI capabilities from both dentsu and Salesforce to deliver consumer-focused, personalised buying experiences. AI is starting to automate mundane campaign tasks, like inventory forecasting, bid adjustments, performance reporting, however, human strategy remains irreplaceable. The solution’s hybrid model empowers teams to: 

• Focus on high-value tasks (brand partnerships, creative storytelling) 
• Use AI-generated insights to craft emotionally resonant campaigns 
• Maintain brand safety through human oversight of automated processes 

Plus, Smarter Media integrates seamlessly with existing Salesforce tools, eliminating the need for disruptive tech overhauls or expensive AI implementations. Retailers can start small, such as launching website banners, and scale into more complex formats like in-store displays or shoppable videos over time.

Dick's Sporting Goods: A Retail Media success story

Dick's Sporting Goods has emerged as a prime example of a retailer leveraging the power of retail media networks. By transforming their digital and physical assets into valuable advertising space, Dick's has created new revenue streams while enhancing the shopping experience. Working with dentsu, their approach combines rich first-party data from their loyalty program with strategic ad placements across their e-commerce platform, mobile app, and in-store displays. For instance, if a partner wants to reach customers training for a marathon, Dick’s can use its data to target those specific shoppers with relevant ads. This approach not only provides a personalised shopping experience but also creates a new revenue stream for the company. 

Dick's success with retail media has not only boosted their bottom line but also strengthened relationships with brand partners, who now view Dick's as a key advertising channel.

Conclusion: The $100B question you can’t afford to ignore

Retail media isn’t another marketing trend—it’s a profitability imperative. As cookies crumble and consumer loyalty fractures, retailers face a binary choice: 

Become the advertising destination for your niche 
OR 
Watch competitors monetise your customers 

Dentsu’s Smarter Media solution, powered by the Salesforce platform, provides the tools to act decisively; but the window is closing. With 80% of customers valuing experiences as much as products, will your platform be the solution brands fight to advertise on, or just another digital billboard lost in the noise? 

Ready to audit your retail media potential? Explore assessment options.