Retail media networks
Retail Media Networks in 2026: Where the Budget Is Going and What You Still Cannot Measure
CPG brands are sending close to 40 percent of their ad budgets into retail media networks, but the tools to prove what that spending actually buys are still catching up to the dollars.
Retail Media Networks in 2026: The Budget Is Massive and the Proof Is Still Thin
CPG brands are on track to direct half of all ad spend through retail media networks, but the measurement tools needed to justify that allocation are nowhere near ready.
Sustainability claims & regulation
The EU Green Claims Directive Is Nine Months Away and Most Brands Are Not Ready
With enforcement starting September 2026, vague sustainability language on pack and in advertising shifts from a reputational risk to a legal one, and the brands that stay quiet face a different problem entirely.
In-store experience & digital shelf
In-Store Experience in 2026: Discovery Zones, Digital Shelf Signals, and the Confidence Gap
Physical stores are reclaiming their role as discovery engines, but only when digital shelf tools like QR codes, ratings, and planogrammed sampling close the gap between browsing and buying.
Loyalty & personalisation
Loyalty in 2026: Why the Next Era Will Be Earned, Not Bought
AI-driven personalisation is pulling grocery loyalty programmes away from blanket discounts and toward SKU-level relevance, and the brands still treating these programmes as a discount channel are falling behind.