Nex Gen Retail Summit

Retail Media Networks: How AI Is Powering a 100 Billion Dollar Ad Opportunity

Retail media is becoming one of the most powerful growth engines in digital advertising. As shoppers move across websites, apps, and physical stores, they generate valuable first party data that is transforming how brands reach consumers.

According to industry reports, retail media has already contributed more than 100 billion dollars in global ad revenue, driven by high intent audiences and measurable sales outcomes. In the United Kingdom, the category has grown rapidly as retailers expand their media networks and invest in AI powered targeting and measurement.

Now, leading retailers are using AI, machine learning, and real time insights to deliver smarter, more relevant ad experiences. These developments will take center stage at the NexGen Retail and E Commerce Summit 2026 in London, where industry leaders will explore how AI is shaping the future of retail media.

The New Era of Retail Media

For years, advertising spend focused on search and social. But the next wave belongs to retailers who own customer data and purchase behavior. AI powered retail media enables brands to:

  • Reach high intent shoppers at the moment of decision
  • Personalize ads with greater relevance
  • Link campaigns directly to verified sales
  • Improve efficiency with real time optimization

This is advertising that learns continuously. Retailers who master this shift are creating entirely new revenue streams while giving brands clearer performance than traditional digital channels.

How AI Is Transforming Retail Media

Here is where AI is already driving meaningful impact:

Advanced Targeting

AI analyzes purchase history, browsing behavior, loyalty data, and category patterns to build accurate audience segments that help brands reach the right shopper.

Smarter Recommendations

Sponsored placements and product suggestions are now powered by predictive models that understand intent and increase conversions.

Automated Ad Buying

AI adjusts bids, placements, and budgets in real time based on shopper activity, competition, and predicted outcomes.

Clear Attribution

AI connects every ad impression to actual sales, giving marketers SKU level visibility and measurable ROI. 

At the NexGen Retail and E Commerce Summit 2026, leaders will share practical cases of how AI is improving retail media performance across channels and categories.

The Technology Behind Modern Retail Media

AI driven retail media is built on a connected data ecosystem that includes:

  • Cloud platforms handling large scale shopper data
  • Customer data platforms that unify online and store journeys
  • Machine learning models predicting intent and optimizing campaigns
  • Transparent AI systems that support responsible and trusted advertising

These technologies create intelligent media environments that refine themselves with every interaction and every purchase.

Challenges Retailers Must Navigate

Retail media presents significant opportunity, but there are challenges to solve:

  • Data fragmentation across retail systems
  • Creative fatigue in sponsored placements
  • Increasing privacy requirements
  • Limited AI maturity within marketing teams

Forward looking retailers are addressing these issues with stronger data governance, clear AI ethics, and closer partnerships with brands. These topics will be central discussions in London this April.

Preparing for the Future of Retail Media

Retailers leading the shift are focusing on:

  • Strengthening their first party data infrastructure
  • Investing in AI driven media platforms
  • Expanding ad inventory across digital and physical environments
  • Collaborating with brands to drive measurable outcomes

For teams building their 2026 retail media strategy, the NexGen Retail and E Commerce Summit is the place to learn from the companies setting the pace.

Retail media is rapidly becoming one of the most influential forces in modern retail, and AI is accelerating that shift faster than ever. As targeting, measurement, and personalization evolve, retailers and brands have a unique opportunity to unlock new revenue and reimagine how advertising works across every channel. The NexGen Retail and E Commerce Summit 2026 will bring these conversations to the forefront, with leaders from Amazon, Tesco, M&S, Boots, Asda, and global innovators sharing how AI powered retail media networks are shaping the next era of growth. Join us in London on April 15 to 16 and be part of the community defining the future of retail media.