Podcast Summary: The CPG Guys

Episode: What’s In-Store for Retail Media Networks with Stratacache’s Chris Riegel
Date: January 1, 2026
Host: Sri Rajagopalan (with mention of Peter V.S. Bond)
Guest: Chris Riegel, Founder and CEO of Stratacache

Overview: The Future of In-Store Retail Media Networks

This New Year's Day special episode dives deep into the rapid evolution and growing significance of in-store retail media (RMN). Sri Rajagopalan interviews Chris Riegel, CEO of Stratacache, ahead of their big retail media event coinciding with NRF 2026. The discussion focuses on how advancing technology, precise measurement, and the need for scale are putting in-store media at the center of the next wave in retail advertising. The episode charts the shift from traditional, analog approaches to digital, data-driven, and audience-focused experiences—outlining both challenges and massive opportunities for brands, retailers, and service providers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why In-Store Retail Media Now? ([04:14])

• Massive Opportunity:
  In-store remains a privileged consumer touchpoint, with up to 100,000 printed messaging touchpoints in a big box store that are ripe for digital transformation.
• Changing Consumer Journeys:
  Shoppers spend more time in stores than most realize, and in-store engagement offers a direct, data-backed opportunity for brands/retailers to connect and monetize.
• Quote:

  “The customer going into a retail store is still a very privileged moment... not only to build and direct sales, but to also drive substantial new revenue opportunities.” —Chris Riegel [04:14]

2. Personalized Digital Circulars & Loyalty ([05:30])

• Digital Transformation:
  Paper circulars are being replaced by digital totems, where personalized offers can be served via loyalty identification or mobile apps, enhancing relevance and engagement.
• Quote:

  “Think of it as a personalized digital circular in those store environments.” —Chris Riegel [05:30]

3. Measurement Moves from Speculation to Proof ([06:34])

• Technological Advances:
  Precise in-store measurement using sensors like millimeter wave and IR now enables near-transaction-level attribution, moving the industry past guesswork.
• Quote:

  “You're getting very, very precise measurement…retailers were dramatically undercounting the impressions that were being served.” —Chris Riegel [06:34]

4. Industry Education & Stratacache Initiatives ([08:00])

• Non-Commercial, Knowledge-Sharing Events:
  Stratacache’s “What’s In-Store” events, running in tandem with NRF, focus on learning and transparency—eschewing product pitches for candid discussions among consultants, retailers, and brands.
• Quote:

  “This is about those who are in the retail media space, in the in store space, talking about what works, what doesn’t work...” —Chris Riegel [08:00]

5. Critical Mass: Investors, Analysts, and Consultants on Board ([09:19])

• Retail Media is Now Material:
  Media now accounts for up to 30% of retailer profitability at major chains—Wall Street, investors, and competition are taking notice.
• Quote:

  “When consultant, analysts and investors all start participating in an event... it signals critical mass.” —Chris Riegel [09:19]

6. Stratacache’s Global Reach and Scale ([10:31])

• Partner Network:
  Over 60 RMNs globally, with 4.5 million screens deployed. Partners like Costco, CVS, Albertsons, Loblaws represent national and pilot-scale opportunities.
• Flexible Activation:
  Stratacache adapts for both pilot rollouts and at-scale national campaigns.
• Quote:

  “Whether that’s one store, a thousand stores, 5,000 stores… a proper result being increased product knowledge, conversion, profitability for all those involved.” —Chris Riegel [11:31]

7. Why the Store Still Matters in the Age of AI ([12:49])

• Discovery, Not Just Transaction:
  As online/AI-driven discovery becomes more algorithmic, in-store remains a vital, context-rich environment for consumer exploration and decision-making.
• Quote:

  “Store is much more of a discovery point for customers.” —Chris Riegel [12:49]

8. The Customer Path: Experience, Trust, Conversion ([13:56], [15:30])

• Multiple Touchpoints:
  Digital messaging starts from the door (windows, totems) to shelf-edge screens, enabling fast, context-sensitive calls to action.
• Physical Trust:
  Shoppers trust in-store media more than online; proximity to the product, tactile engagement, and retailer investment enhance trust.
• Metrics:
  Digital in-store displays deliver a direct 4–8% impact on product decisions and create lasting brand halo effects.
• Quote:

  “Media is incredibly influential there... consistency of messaging can drive a 4 to 8% differentiation in product decisioning at that point of purchase.” —Chris Riegel [15:30]

9. Agentic AI and the Resilience of Physical Stores ([18:01], [19:22])

• Physical Compliments Digital:
  Agentic AI (e.g., personalized digital shopping assistants) can make online media more efficient but less differentiated; physical stores offer context, theater, and true discovery.
• Quote:

  “Path of discovery… is key in that retail environment. Retail as theater... tightly choreographed opportunity to serve the customer better.” —Chris Riegel [19:22]

10. Scale & Measurement: From Pilots to Platforms ([21:14], [25:41])

• From Tenancy to Impressions:
  Education is needed to get merchandisers to understand impression-based economics as key to media scale–moving away from static “pilots” to scalable platforms.
• Quote:

  “Everything that makes you great about being a retailer makes you shit about being a media company.” (from a McKinsey speaker referenced by Chris Riegel) [25:41]

• Retailers Must Compete Like Media Companies:
  Competing for brand dollars demands scale—retailers are now against TikTok, Google, Apple TV, not just other stores.

11. Store-Native Creative: The Next Major Concept ([28:00])

• Tailoring Creative:
  Store media needs native creative tailored for each environment (language, weather, demographics)—this requires agility from both brands and their agencies.
• Quote:

  “In store is different than broadcast... the customer is on a mission... you can use AI or other to tailor a message.” —Chris Riegel [28:00]

12. Barriers: Misconceptions and Internal Politics ([31:25])

• Retail Side:
  Digital retail media is a construction project—not just deploying software but installing and managing physical infrastructure.
• Brand Side:
  Collaboration with retailers is essential for coherent messaging, not just transactional spending.
• Quote:

  “In-store is completely different than online... physicality of these systems. Power data mounting infrastructure. It's a different beast...” —Chris Riegel [31:25]

13. What Will Define Success in 2026? ([32:54])

• Scale and Financial Impact:
  Retailers executing at scale will see RMN become a substantial part of their results and competitive differentiation—those waiting will be left behind.
• Quote:

  “If you're waiting a year, two years, five years to see how it develops, you'll be too late.” —Chris Riegel [32:54]

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [04:14] “The customer going into a retail store is still a very privileged moment for that retailer…” – Chris Riegel
• [06:34] “Now you’re getting to very, very precise measurement… the measurement in store has evolved extremely rapidly in the last kind of two, two and a half years.” – Chris Riegel
• [09:19] “When consultant, analysts and investors all start participating in an event in a similar fashion with a similar story. What does that signal to you? To me, it signals critical mass.” – Chris Riegel
• [15:30] “Media is incredibly influential there…consistency of messaging can drive a 4 to 8% differentiation in product decisioning…” – Chris Riegel
• [25:41] “Everything that makes you great about being a retailer makes you shit about being a media company.” – (McKinsey speaker, relayed by Chris Riegel)
• [32:54] “If you're waiting a year, two years, five years to see how it develops, you'll be too late.” – Chris Riegel

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:14] – Why the time is right for in-store retail media
• [05:30] – Digital circulars and personalized offers
• [06:34] – Industry moves from speculative measurement to proof
• [08:00] – Stratacache’s approach to industry education
• [09:19] – The awakening of investors and analysts—retail media’s critical mass
• [10:31] – Stratacache’s global retail partnerships and screens in the wild
• [12:49] – Maintaining influence and consumer discovery in physical stores vs. digital
• [15:30] – User experience, trust, and conversion—why in-store media works
• [18:01] – Physical stores and agentic AI: differentiation and context
• [21:14] – The education gap: from tenancy to impression-based economics
• [25:41] – Why pilots are not enough: the need for scalability
• [28:00] – Defining "store-native creative" for retail media
• [31:25] – Barriers: misconceptions, politics, and the construction project of in-store media
• [32:54] – Looking ahead: actions for 2026 and what will define success

Closing Thoughts

The episode is a robust, candid map of where retail media is heading, especially as digital and physical boundaries blur—but with retail stores re-asserting their dominance as both monetizable and experiential spaces. Chris Riegel and Sri Rajagopalan drive home the message that scale, measurement, tailored creative, and trusted partnerships are now make-or-break for CPG brands and retailers alike. The time to move is now—before competitors capture the lion’s share of this new retail frontier.

Links to event registration, studies, and more are included in the episode’s digital liner notes.