Retailers don’t realize they are sitting on one of the most valuable advertising opportunities today. In-store retail media networks are redefining how brands engage customers at the point of purchase, driving both sales and new revenue streams. Digital displays, interactive kiosks, and retail technology infrastructure help create these experiences, 
but without the right strategy (or integrator), they can become disconnected, underutilized, and difficult to maintain. Technology alone isn’t enough. A properly integrated system keeps customers engaged, drives sales, and ensures your technology investment provides more value than it costs.
The Growing Demand for Retail Media Networks
Retail media is expanding far past traditional online channels, bringing digital advertising into physical stores. In-store retail media ad spending is projected to exceed $1 billion by 2028 (eMarketer, 2024), making it one of the fastest-growing areas of retail innovation. Shoppers have quickly adapted to this shift, with nearly 87% using their phones in-store to research products, compare prices, and access digital offers (eMarketer, 2024). Consumers expect their in-store experiences to feel as convenient and seamless as online shopping, but retailers must connect multiple technologies to create a system that delivers on these expectations.
Digital signage allows retailers to provide live promotions and personalized messaging. Interactive kiosks offer self-service tools and detailed product information, while self-checkout systems provide a faster alternative to the traditional checkout experience (Marzano, 2024). These technologies improve engagement and efficiency, but without proper integration, they can create friction in the customer journey instead of enhancing it.
Challenges Retailers Face When Adopting In-Store Technology
Retailers recognize the upside of in-store technology, but most struggle to keep up with the rising customer expectations. Many retailers report challenges in maintaining the systems they have already implemented (eMarketer, 2024). Technology investments tend to quickly feel outdated, creating pressure to upgrade while still delivering a return on past investments.
Disconnected systems create another challenge. Shoppers expect seamless interactions between mobile apps, digital displays, and checkout systems, but many retailers lack the infrastructure to support these behaviors (Marzano, 2024). When the tech retailers invested in, operate in isolation, they fail to deliver a unified experience.
Retailers must also pay close attention to balancing cost and profitability. Self-checkout, digital signage, and scan-and-go technology are among the innovations that would encourage consumers to shop in stores. These technologies are put in place to improve the customer experience, but they must also drive measurable business value. These technologies are implemented to enhance the customer experience, but they must also drive measurable business value. Retailers are turning to in-store technology to enhance operations, but proving ROI remains a challenge. However, with the right integration strategy, these technologies can work together to drive both customer engagement and long-term profitability.
How an Integrator Creates a Seamless Retail Media Network
Retail media networks rely on technology that functions as a connected system. Digital signage, customer analytics, and digital shelves provide better results when integrated rather than operating independently (Marzano, 2024). Many retailers struggle to maintain and update their existing technology, making integration essential to long-term success.
A powerful retail media strategy connects in-store advertising with real-time analytics and network infrastructure. Retailers are using in-store retail media to offset technology costs with ad revenue, but without proper integration, these systems can be underutilized. When digital signage, self-checkout, and analytics platforms work together, retailers can deliver targeted messaging, optimize content, and streamline operations (Marzano, 2024).
The Future of Retail is Integrated
Retailers looking to capitalize on the full potential of retail media networks need more than siloed technology. They need an integration strategy that brings these systems together, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and long-term profitability.
Wachter specializes in designing, implementing, and maintaining integrated retail technology solutions. As a brand-agnostic integrator with a nationwide footprint, Wachter brings together the best available technologies to fit each retailer’s unique needs. From integrating digital signage to AI-driven shopper analytics and point-of-sale systems, Wachter ensures that every piece of technology functions as a cohesive system. The right integrator ensures that every component is properly installed, configured, and maintained to deliver lasting value. Wachter provides the expertise to bring everything together, ensuring retailers have a fully connected and future-ready technology environment.
References
eMarketer. (2024). Executive Summary: US Retail Technology 2024. eMarketer.
Marzano, S. (2024). US Retail Technology 2024. eMarketer.
