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Over the past few weeks, I've shared some reflections from this year’s Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit, particularly what those conversations could mean for the future of retail media.
AI was a topic that ran through many of those discussions. It was everywhere at CGF, but the more interesting shift was how the conversation itself was moving from experimentation to execution.
For retail media, that shift matters. As AI becomes more embedded in how people work, make decisions and engage with commerce, it will increasingly shape the environment retail media operates within.
PepsiCo shared that 68% of people already use AI regularly, and 58% are bringing it into their work. Other sessions showed how companies such as L'Oréal and AS Watson are putting generative AI into practice. At the same time, research discussed at CGF found that 75% of companies are still in pilot mode.
That tension says a lot about where we are. AI is becoming part of everyday behavior faster than many organizations are figuring out how to embed it into their businesses.
AI is reshaping the role of retail media
Retail media already sits at the intersection of advertising, data, and commerce. As AI becomes more embedded across each of those areas, its influence on retail media will inevitably grow.
We can already see where this is heading. Agentic commerce was an important part of the discussion at CGF, with AI systems increasingly able to research, evaluate and act on behalf of consumers. AI is more than another technology for retailers and advertisers to adopt. It has the potential to change how consumers discover products, how decisions are made and how brands connect with them.
For retail media, then, it's not simply about how to use AI. It's about understanding how retail media needs to evolve as AI changes the environment around it.
More capability makes judgment more important
AI comes with no shortage of possibilities. It can help retailers and advertisers understand consumers, analyze information faster, personalize experiences, and make better decisions. And as the technology develops, those possibilities will only grow.
But more capability doesn't automatically create more value. For retail media, the harder task is knowing where AI can make a meaningful difference and where it is simply adding another layer of technology.
That means starting with the outcome rather than the tool. Retailers and advertisers need to be clear about what they are trying to improve for the consumer, where AI can enable better decisions and where it can remove friction or create greater value from retail media investment.
The businesses that get that balance right will be better positioned than those focused simply on adopting AI fastest.
The next phase will demand adaptability
Looking back across the conversations at CGF, that may be my biggest takeaway from the summit.
Retail media is entering a period of continuous change. Technology is expanding what's possible, different markets are finding different ways forward, and the relationships between retailers and their partners are evolving alongside them.
AI will accelerate all of it.
For retail media leaders, standing still isn't an option, but neither is pursuing every new capability simply because it becomes available. The challenge is to keep adapting while staying focused on where technology can make a meaningful difference.
The next phase of retail media won't be defined by who adopts AI fastest. It will be shaped by who uses it with purpose, knows where it can create meaningful value and continues to adapt as the possibilities evolve.
The broader question of how retail media creates value was also central to our recent webinar with RETHINK Retail. Our Chief Client Officer, Matt Nitzberg, joined Lauren Bolles of Tesco Media to explore what brands value from their retail media partners and what it takes to build stronger advertiser partnerships.
Watch the webinar on demand: Beyond the Transaction: What Brands Actually Want from Retail Media Networks
