IAB/Grocery TV Study: 43% of Marketers Say They Underuse In-Store Media
2026-10-02 · via invidis
A new study from IAB and Grocery TV finds that nearly half of marketers who already invest in in-store retail media believe their organizations are not getting full value out of it. That gap matters to anyone selling or operating in-store screens, because it points to specific, fixable reasons brands hold back budget rather than a lack of interest in the channel itself.
The In-Store Retail Media's Full-Funnel Opportunity report surveyed 100 U.S. retail media buyers and decision-makers who have active investments in in-store media. According to the release, 43% of respondents said their organizations underutilize their in-store retail media investments.
The research also found that marketers are no longer treating in-store screens as a bottom-of-funnel, point-of-sale tool only. More than 90% of respondents rated awareness or reach, consideration, sales lift, and repeat purchase or loyalty as important or essential measures for evaluating media investments, according to IAB and Grocery TV. That spread suggests buyers want in-store media to do the same full-funnel job they expect from other retail media channels, not just drive last-minute purchase decisions.
Scale and measurement are the sticking points
Inventory and scale ranked among the top three considerations for 59% of respondents when evaluating in-store digital media buys, ahead of measurement options and cost or CPM, the study found. For network operators, that is a signal that screen count and footprint still drive purchase decisions more than reporting sophistication, at least at the initial evaluation stage.
But once buyers are in, measurement limitations and the complexity of activating campaigns were each cited by 27% of respondents as leading barriers to additional spending, with 23% citing a lack of creative resources. That combination points to a familiar retail media problem: getting brands to commit budget is one hurdle, but proving performance and making campaigns easy to execute is what keeps the budget coming back.
The report also found that who manages in-store media inside a brand or agency affects how well it gets used. Organizations with dedicated retail media teams or national media and brand teams overseeing in-store investment were more likely to report fully leveraging the channel, while those where shopper or trade marketing teams retained responsibility were more likely to report underutilization. That suggests the organizational home for in-store media, not just the technology or inventory on offer, shapes how much of a screen network's potential actually gets tapped.
Collin Colburn, vice president of commerce and retail media at IAB, said in a statement that the question for marketers now is how to integrate in-store into their broader media strategy given their objectives, teams, and investment priorities.
The research was commissioned by Grocery TV and IAB and conducted online in July using IAB's Insights Engine, powered by Attest. Respondents included brands, agencies, and retail media networks. The announcement does not break out how buyers rated specific retail media networks or name which measurement providers they currently use. The full report is available from IAB.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
New IAB and Grocery TV research finds that marketers increasingly see in-store media as a full-funnel channel, but scale, measurement, and activation remain obstacles to greater investment.
Nearly half of U.S. retail media buyers surveyed by IAB and Grocery TV say their organizations are not making full use of their in-store retail media investments, even as marketers increasingly view the channel as serving the entire marketing funnel.
The In-Store Retail Media’s Full-Funnel Opportunity report found that 43% of respondents believe their organizations underutilize in-store media. The research surveyed 100 U.S. retail media buyers and decision-makers with active investments in the channel.
More than 90% rated awareness or reach, consideration, sales lift, and repeat purchase or loyalty as important or essential measures when evaluating media investments. The findings suggest marketers increasingly see in-store media as serving objectives beyond its traditional role in shopper marketing and influencing purchases at the point of sale.
Inventory and scale ranked among the top three considerations for 59% of respondents when evaluating in-store digital media investments, placing it ahead of measurement opportunities and cost or CPM.
At the same time, measurement limitations and the complexity of activating campaigns remain obstacles to additional spending. Each was cited by 27% of respondents as a leading barrier, while 23% pointed to a lack of creative resources.
The study also found differences based on which teams oversee in-store media. Organizations with dedicated retail media and national media or brand teams were more likely to say they fully leverage the channel. Those where shopper or trade marketing teams retain responsibility were more likely to report underutilization.
“For marketers, the question now is how to integrate in-store into their media strategy in a way that makes sense for their objectives, teams and investment priorities,” said Collin Colburn, vice president, commerce and retail media at IAB.
Grocery TV and IAB commissioned the research, which was conducted online in July using IAB’s Insights Engine, powered by Attest. Respondents represented brands, agencies and retail media networks.
The full In-Store Retail Media’s Full-Funnel Opportunity report is available from IAB .