Don’t Just Measure More—Measure What Matters: A Smarter Approach to In-Store Retail Media

The line between online and offline shopping keeps getting blurrier. That’s no surprise to those of us who’ve worked across retail touchpoints for decades. But what is surprising—maybe even frustrating—is how far behind in-store retail media still lags when it comes to measurement.

The industry keeps asking the same question: “How do we measure in-store media effectively?” But that question misses the point. What we really need to ask is, “What’s worth measuring—and why?”

Measurement Has a Context Problem

In digital, we’ve trained ourselves to obsess over precision: click-through rates, impressions, conversion windows. We measure everything because we can. But the store is different. It’s messy. It’s analog. And—let’s be honest—it doesn’t come with a clean set of UTM tags and attribution dashboards.

Still, that doesn’t mean measurement is impossible. It just means we have to think differently.

In-store retail media isn’t about tracking what’s easiest—it’s about measuring what’s useful. That means putting context at the center of every media decision. A screen near frozen foods should work differently than a screen in the baby aisle. A call-to-action for cereal won’t hit the same at noon as it does at 7 a.m.

If we ignore those nuances, we’ll end up optimizing toward metrics that don’t reflect what actually moves a shopper to act.

Tech is Helping, But It’s Not the Hero

There’s no question that in-store tech is advancing fast. Companies like Grocery TV are making strides to bring closed-loop attribution into the physical world, and we’re seeing interesting moves from startups leveraging AI, mobile sensing, and smart shelf analytics.

That’s progress. But it’s not the whole solution.

Measurement technologies are tools. Useful, yes—but only if they’re applied with intention. Without smart strategy and thoughtful deployment, they risk becoming just another layer of noise in an already complex media environment.

The goal shouldn’t be to just add more data. It should be to make better decisions.

What Works Is What’s Relevant

Contextual relevance might be the most under-leveraged lever in retail media today. And in the store, it’s everything.

Kathryn Mazza at RedMedia and Hy-Vee nailed it when she said that content has to be not just good, but in the right place at the right time. An ad for pet treats might perform brilliantly next to cat food, but fail miserably in produce. The same creative asset can either delight or confuse depending on its environment.

It’s not about the flashiest screen or the newest tech. It’s about alignment—between message, moment, and mindset.

That’s why at Birddog, we don’t just look at what people see. We look at where they are, what they’re doing, and what they’re likely to do next. That’s what creates lift. That’s what drives behavior. That’s what retail media should be aiming for.

Let’s Talk About Standards—But Let’s Not Wait for Them

The industry’s need for standardization is real. Efforts like the IAB’s push for in-store retail media definitions are important. Shared language and common benchmarks will help retailers and brands work more efficiently, collaborate better, and scale smarter.

But let’s not wait around.

If you’re a brand or retailer, don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis waiting for the perfect standard. Start building your own frameworks now. Define success in ways that are meaningful to your business. Focus on shopper behavior, not just media exposure. Measure the moments that matter.

Final Thoughts

In-store retail media doesn’t have to play catch-up to digital. In fact, it has something digital will never fully replicate: physical presence, sensory engagement, and real-time proximity to purchase.

But to unlock that power, we need to stop treating the store like just another screen. We need to stop measuring media in isolation. And we need to start building measurement strategies that reflect how people actually shop.

At Birddog, we believe the future of retail media isn’t about more impressions—it’s about smarter ones. Better ideas, better connections, and better outcomes. That’s how we move from counting views to creating value.

Let’s keep pushing.

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Shaun Brown

Shaun Brown is the Founder and CEO of Birddog, a leading agency at the intersection of commerce media, digital shopper marketing, and retail technology. With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in connecting big data and AI to deliver better ideas, optimized shopper connections, and proven business results.

Shaun's career spans both client and agency sides, working with some of the world’s most recognized brands. His expertise includes shopper marketing, customer marketing activations, and the seamless integration of broadcast, print, retail, digital, social, mobile, and influencer channels to drive strategic, insight-led campaigns that resonate with today’s shoppers.