July 22, 2025
The retail landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the rapid expansion of and investment in retail media networks (RMNs). More than just ad space, RMNs are platforms built by individual retailers that leverage their own data to offer brands a more powerful advertising avenue.
Designed to help brands directly reach high-intent consumers at crucial points of purchase, RMNs have the potential to provide sophisticated targeting, granular measurement, and a direct link between ad exposure and sales outcomes at the retailer level. However, as Ibotta Chief Revenue Officer Chris Riedy highlights in an exclusive interview with EMARKETER, navigating this intricate and evolving ecosystem presents new demands for brands seeking to deliver results on a wider scale.
“Brands don’t want to juggle multiple strategies. They want streamlined access to high-intent audiences, holistic reporting, and the ability to deliver results across the entire retail ecosystem,” Riedy said.
To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the evolving retail landscape through Chris Riedy’s expert perspective, read the full interview below.
Q: How can brands stand out and capture shopper attention in an increasingly crowded retail landscape?
Riedy: In a fragmented retail media landscape, value cuts through the noise. Today, shoppers expect more than messaging; they want tangible benefits. That’s where personalized digital offers come in: they create a powerful call to action and link media exposure to sales outcomes. When integrated with ad placements, cash-back incentives amplify performance by encouraging engagement, capturing shopper identity at checkout, and building loyalty. It’s that mix of value and visibility that enables brands to stand out.
Q: How can brands avoid fragmentation and drive scalable results as more retailers launch their own RMNs?
Riedy: Brands need solutions to consistently activate campaigns and track performance across all campaigns. They need partners who can integrate seamlessly across environments and help standardize measurement. Brands don’t want to juggle multiple strategies. They want streamlined access to high-intent audiences, holistic reporting, and the ability to deliver results across the entire retail ecosystem—not just within individual retail environments or isolated channels.
Q: What are the biggest gaps or inconsistencies in measurement across RMNs today?
Riedy: A major gap in measurement lies in identity resolution. If retailers can’t link a purchase to a specific consumer—like when shoppers pay with cash or opt out of loyalty programs—it breaks attribution. Digital offers help bridge this gap by incentivizing shoppers to self-identify at checkout, unlocking richer in-store data and clearer performance. By opting in, consumers are rewarded with a more personalized experience, allowing brand partners to reach the right person with the right offer at the right time.
Q: What role do you see AI and automation playing in advancing retail media capabilities?
Riedy: AI and automation will make retail media faster, smarter, and more personalized but only with high-quality data. First-party, item-level purchase data is essential for AI to refine targeting and creative in real time. AI can also enhance measurement by continuously analyzing performance, allowing brands to optimize on the fly. This helps brands reach consumers at the right moment with the right offer, maximizing ROI and driving smarter retail media strategies.
Q: What trends or innovations should brands and retailers watch in the retail media space? Are there any standout examples?
Riedy: Retail media giants like Walmart and Instacart are setting the pace by combining media with value to create stronger performance signals and compelling shopper experiences. The innovation wave will focus on blending utility with advertising for seamless shopper-first experiences. Brands and retailers prioritizing value and relevance will set the bar for effective, consumer-centric retail media. With the podcast opportunity and the intersection of retailer data with audio, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of innovation and growth for programmatic audio.
This Q&A originally appeared in the EMARKETER report “Future-Proofing Retail Media for the Next Chapter.” Click here to download the full report.