The Future of In-Store Retail Media with Marvin Vacquier Droop

Marvin, could you start by telling us a bit about your background and how you first got into retail media?

Sure! My background has always been at the intersection of technology, data, and media. Over the past decade, I’ve built and scaled multiple digital platforms, from our latest startup in programmatic audio, Adpaq, to verification and campaign performance (Confirm), to consultancy in retail media and digital transformation (Qubit Digital). While working with First Impression an integrator from the Netherlands, I’ve helped with the digital infrastructure and monetization plan for several big retail media networks in the Netherlands.

My journey into retail media really started when I worked deeply with DOOH and programmatic ecosystems. It became clear that retailers were sitting on an enormous asset: audience attention, shopper intent, and physical environments that could function as high-impact media channels. Once you see stores this way, it’s hard to unsee it, and that’s what pulled me into the space.

What initially drew you to this field?

Retail media combines everything I love: data, creativity, technology, and measurable outcomes. It’s one of the few domains where you can influence the full funnel from awareness to conversion, all inside environments that brands already invest in.

And for retailers, it’s the ultimate win–win: better shopper experiences and a new high-margin revenue stream.

Retail media has become one of the hottest topics in commerce, but also one of the most misunderstood. How would you describe what retail media really is, and why it’s so important right now?

Retail media is the ability for retailers to activate their first-party data and their owned environments, online and in-store, as media channels. It’s important because it closes the loop. For the first time, media, data, and commerce sit in a single ecosystem where impact is measurable. In a world without third-party cookies, retailers are becoming the new “walled gardens.” They own the data, the context, and the checkout.

What do you see as the main drivers behind the growth of retail media, both online and in physical stores?

Three clear drivers:

1. First-party data is becoming more valuable than ever
2. Retailers need new profit streams as margins tighten
3. Brands demanding transparency and measurable outcomes, especially at the point of sale

And in-store, the digital transformation of signage is accelerating this shift. When screens become connected, measurable, and targetable, the store becomes a programmable media environment.

Many retailers want to get started with retail media but struggle to make it happen. What are the most common barriers you see?

Most retailers underestimate the complexity. Common barriers include:
– Fragmented data that isn’t unified or usable
– Legacy tech stacks
– Lack of internal alignment across trade, marketing, and IT
– No clear retail media product strategy or commercial framework

In your view, what’s the most complex aspect of building a sustainable in-store retail media strategy technology, organization, data, or something else?

The biggest challenge is orchestration. Technology is solvable. Data is solvable.
But aligning people, processes, measurement, and media products is where most initiatives fail. Retailers need a clear vision of what they want to offer as a media business, not just as a store.

How can partners like Dise help simplify or accelerate that journey?

Companies like Dise play a crucial role by helping retailers modernize and connect the in-store environment. Digital signage becomes more than screens; it becomes a real-time media delivery layer. Dise can help make the store dynamic and automated, which is exactly what’s needed for retail media networks to scale.

Also, Dise connects to other platforms (SSPs) to bring even more flexibility in monetization. This way, Dise is also scalable from a retailer that needs the basics for their in-store communication to a full monetizable, data-driven retail network.

In-store retail media is emerging as the next frontier in retail. How do you see the connection between digital signage, customer experience, and retail media within the store environment?

Digital signage is the bridge. It enhances the shopper experience with relevant content while also unlocking commercial media value for brands. When powered by data, the store becomes responsive: content can adapt to time of day, weather, local preferences, inventory levels, and shopper demand. We are now also considering in-store audio to sync with in-store digital signage, creating an even better commercial experience.

Syncing these two channels will deliver a compelling, effective new offering in retail media.

What new opportunities arise when the store itself becomes an active media channel, not just a point of sale?

A few significant opportunities:

– Contextual, moment-based advertising that influences purchase decisions
– Closed-loop measurement linking exposure to sales
– New creative formats that merge brand-building with in-store conversion
– Personalized or localised messaging at scale
– In-store audio that syncs with digital signage for better brand uplift and conversion

It turns retail into a media network, not just a sales channel.

Are there any examples or collaborations you think illustrate what the future of in-store retail media could look like?

The most exciting examples are those in which retailers connect POS data, digital signage, programmatic delivery, and dynamic creative.
Think of retailers using real-time data to trigger promotions, or screens that adapt to local weather or stock levels. Combine that with AI-generated creative and automated buying flows, that’s the direction the industry is heading.

How do you think retail media, especially in-store, will evolve over the next three to five years?

We’ll see in-store retail media catch up with the sophistication of online media. Expect:

– Full programmatic delivery
– Real-time dynamic creative
– Automated buying for brands and agencies
– Seamless integration between online and in-store journeys
– Retailers behaving more like media companies

Essentially, the store will become a data-rich, measurable, and monetizable media platform.

What role will data, AI, and automation play in shaping the next generation of retail media solutions?

Data defines the audience. AI defines the creative and optimization. Automation enables scale.

Together, they create a self-learning retail media ecosystem where content, targeting, and measurement constantly improve without manual touch.

If you could give one piece of advice to retailers just starting their retail media journey, what would it be?

Start with clarity.

Before technology, decide what your media offering is, who it is for, and what value you will deliver to brands and shoppers.

Then build backwards from that vision.

Finally, what inspires you most right now in the world of retail media?

The convergence of retail, media, and technology.

For the first time, retailers can turn their environments into personal, contextual, and measurable experiences. The creativity and commercial impact this unlocks is huge.

And if you could dream freely, what would the perfect retail experience look like a few years from now?

A store that’s alive.

Where every screen, every surface, and every touchpoint adapts to shopper needs in real time.

Where product discovery feels personal, where media enhances the experience, not disrupts it, and where brands can understand impact instantly.

A seamless blend of commerce, media, and technology all working together.

Curious about how Dise IXM platform can power your in-store retail media solution?

Get in touch with our Chief Commercial Officer, Tom Berry, to learn how we’re integrating intelligent technologies into Dise IXM platform.

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