Retail media – What I’ve Learned in three months

Today marks three months with GreenJinn | B Corp? , and what an incredible adventure it’s been so far. Here’s a short summary of why brands need to explore receipt scanning technology to enhance their shopper acquisition promotional strategies.

Whatever event you might be attending, retail media is arguably one of the most talked about topics in recent months and years. I’m excited for what retail media can provide to the industry. I heard someone say yesterday, retail media is both a channel and a layer on top of other channels.

Entering the retail media sector has been an eye-opening experience. In just three months, I’ve realised that FMCG is not only a fiercely competitive space but also a sector with unique challenges particularly for young, independent, challenger brands. From navigating retailer demands, determining appropriate shopper acquisition and retention strategies, to grappling with data & transparency issues, it’s clear that this industry is not for the faint-hearted.

For over 15 years, I’ve worked in programmatic advertising and initially viewed FMCG brands as mainly being focused on upper-funnel, brand awareness campaigns, driven largely by TV advertising and large scale digital channels such as Youtube and Meta. While retail media solutions have gained attention for linking media performance to in-store sales via loyalty card data creating further walled gardens for brands to navigate, this perspective overlooks 1) the media solutions available to new brands who don’t have the same purse strings as the global brands, and 2) the diverse range of advertising solutions, outside of loyalty card holders, that can help brands drive and scale customer purchase behaviours.

One of the toughest realities for new brands is how difficult it is to gain a foothold in the market. FMCG is incredibly crowded, and establishing a brand amidst the industry giants can feel like an uphill battle. Retailers often hold the upper hand, and their control over shelf space and consumer access is overwhelming for young brands. This power dynamic makes it hard for emerging players to stand out, leading to stiff NPD competition not just among established names, but also within the smaller brand community itself.

Adding to this is the conundrum brands face between both large and small is establishing direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels versus partnering with retailers. On one hand, D2C ecommerce offers brands unparalleled access to consumer data, providing a clearer picture of customer behaviours, preferences, and purchase journeys. With greater control over this data, brands can directly measure the performance of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions in real time, optimising every touchpoint. On the other hand, securing a listing within a major retailer offers significant scale, often leading to a much faster rate of sale (ROS). Retailers have the advantage of footfall, trust, and an existing infrastructure that brands, especially emerging ones, would struggle to build on their own.

However, this choice isn’t straightforward. While D2C offers transparency and control, the reality is that the volume of sales is still largely driven by major retailers. Achieving ROS through these channels can make or break a brand, but it comes at the cost of data ownership and promotional flexibility. Retailers control the customer data generated from sales, leaving brands with limited insights into how their products are performing in the broader context of shopper behaviour. This trade-off forces brands to decide whether the scale offered by retailers is worth the data sacrifice, or if they should focus on building a more direct relationship with their consumers through D2C, even if it means a slower ROS in the short term.

A significant challenge I’ve noticed in these first few months is the pressure retailers put on independent brands to commit to retailer-led promotions. These promotions often serve the retailer’s agenda, dictating when, where, and how a brand engages with shoppers. As a result, brands are sometimes forced into campaigns that don’t align with their strategies, leading to missed opportunities for genuine connection with their audience.

Receipt scanning technology, like GreenJinn | B Corp? , provides brands with real-time insights into where, when, and who is purchasing their products. It allows brands to understand in-store shopper behaviour without relying on retailer EPOS systems, enabling cross-retailer insights. By identifying customers across various channels - such as independent retailers, service stations, and convenience stores - brands can optimise their promotional strategies to encourage repeat purchases and trials of other SKUs, without being confined to a single retail media platform.

If you’re a brand or an agency, and would like to learn more about GreenJinn’s capabilities, please get in contact.