In-store retail media has no shortage of interest from brands. What it’s lacked, historically, is confidence at scale.

In this episode of The Middlemen Podcast, we sat down with Liz Roche from Albertsons Companies to understand how Albertsons is moving beyond pilots and proof-of-concepts — and what it actually takes to scale in-store retail media responsibly.

One of the core challenges Liz highlights is measurement. For years, in-store media has been sold based on ad plays rather than on whether anyone actually saw the ad. That approach might work for early tests, but it breaks down quickly when brands start asking harder questions about impact, optimization, and accountability.

Albertsons is taking a different path. Rather than relying on invasive technologies like front-facing cameras or phone-based tracking, the team is focused on validating impressions using signals tied directly to in-store behavior. By understanding when real shoppers are physically present near screens, Albertsons can better align ad delivery with actual foot traffic — and avoid “screaming into the void” with ads running when no one is there.

That shift has implications well beyond reporting. Validated impressions change how inventory is managed, how media is trafficked throughout the day, and how creative is sequenced based on shopper context. It also opens the door to understanding how carts and baskets move through the store, allowing media signals to inform — rather than disrupt — merchandising decisions.

A recurring theme in the conversation is scale. Liz is clear that Albertsons isn’t optimizing for trial buys or one-off tests. The goal is to build an operating model that can support hundreds of stores, consistent uptime, and measurement standards that brands can trust. That means centralized trafficking, privacy-safe data collection, and tight coordination with store operations and merchandising teams.

The result is a move from casual assumptions about in-store effectiveness to causal understanding of what actually drives outcomes.

For brands evaluating in-store retail media as part of their 2026 planning, this episode offers a grounded look at what “ready for scale” really means — and why measurement, not screens, is the real unlock.

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