What Walmart Suppliers Need to Know About Measuring In-Store Retail Media—Before They Spend Another Dollar
Retail media has come a long way. What started with banners on Walmart.com has expanded into screens at self-checkout, signage in the aisles, and video loops on freezer doors. For suppliers, this creates exciting new ways to reach shoppers, but also a new set of questions: What’s working? What isn’t? And how do we actually measure it?
The challenge is, in-store media doesn’t behave like digital. And trying to measure it the same way can lead to a lot of bad decisions—and wasted budget.
Let’s take a closer look at how Walmart suppliers can make smarter moves with in-store media, starting with what not to do.
You Can’t Drag and Drop Digital Rules Into a Walmart Supercenter
Online, we’re used to clean data. You serve an ad, track the click, follow the shopper to a purchase. That’s tidy and measurable.
Now think about a Walmart store. There’s no browser history. No attribution window. No easy way to link what someone saw on a screen to what they just tossed in their cart.
That doesn’t mean in-store media is guesswork. It just means you need to stop expecting digital rules to work in a physical space. Instead of chasing the usual ad metrics, start thinking like a merchant. Focus on changes in category velocity, shifts in basket composition, and how media timing aligns with traffic patterns.
Location, Timing, and Relevance Are the Real Performance Drivers
If your brand books a screen in the pet aisle, great. But what’s actually playing on that screen? When is it running? Is it showing up at the right time of day? Is the product even in stock?
In-store success isn’t just about presence—it’s about context. A compelling message in the right location, served at the right time, can absolutely influence purchase decisions. That same message in the wrong place? It’s just noise.
At Birddog, we see this every day. A snack brand’s campaign performed better near checkout than in the snack aisle itself. A cleaning product saw a lift only when media aligned with endcap placement. Relevance matters more than reach.
Walmart Is Building Better Tools—But Strategy Still Wins
Walmart Connect continues to invest in physical media and new measurement capabilities, which is good news for everyone. But no tech platform, no matter how advanced, can make up for a lack of strategy.
The smartest suppliers aren’t just waiting on standardized dashboards. They’re creating their own scorecards and benchmarks, tailored to their business. They’re asking the right questions:
- Did our media run align with in-stock conditions?
- Did we see a sales lift in stores where the campaign aired?
- Did we influence trial or repeat purchases in any meaningful way?
That kind of thinking leads to better decisions—and better outcomes.
Don’t Wait for Industry Standards to Catch Up
The retail media world is slowly aligning on measurement standards, thanks in part to the IAB and some of the larger tech players. But as a supplier, you don’t have time to wait for industry-wide agreement.
Start now. Define your own success criteria. Partner with teams who understand Walmart’s merchandising priorities. And always measure your campaigns against real shopper behavior, not just screen metrics.
Final Thoughts
In-store retail media at Walmart isn’t just another channel. It’s a chance to speak directly to shoppers, at the very moment they’re making decisions. But to make that count, suppliers need to get serious about what they measure—and why.
This isn’t about collecting more data. It’s about getting clear on what matters. Measure the moments that move the needle. Track the signals that reflect real engagement. And build campaigns that do more than look good on a spreadsheet—they actually drive results on the floor.
That’s what success looks like in Walmart’s next chapter of retail media. And the suppliers who get there first will be the ones who treat in-store like what it really is: a critical piece of the commerce puzzle.
Shaun Brown
Shaun Brown is the Founder and CEO of Birddog, a leading agency at the intersection of commerce media, digital shopper marketing, and retail technology. With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in connecting big data and AI to deliver better ideas, optimized shopper connections, and proven business results.
Shaun's career spans both client and agency sides, working with some of the world’s most recognized brands. His expertise includes shopper marketing, customer marketing activations, and the seamless integration of broadcast, print, retail, digital, social, mobile, and influencer channels to drive strategic, insight-led campaigns that resonate with today’s shoppers.