Top Retail Media Stories From October 2026
Noteworthy P2PI retail media headlines include an exclusive look at ShopRite and retailer-brand collaborations.
In-store opportunities, artificial intelligence and brand-retailer collaborations were among P2PI's October retail media headlines:
- Barilla Leverages Kroger's In-Store Media Solutions: P2PI editors spotted the in-store retail media activity the same week Kroger leadership communicated its ambitions to expand its in-store media and physical digital footprint.
- Inside Kimberly-Clark's Walmart-Exclusive Blend of Disney, Discovery and Play: This case study details the full-funnel program, including retail media, influencers and in-store activations.
- How Kraft Heinz Drove Incremental Sales Lift With In-Store Retail Media at Empire: Partnering with Empire Media+, Kraft Heinz used its "Summer of Savings" campaign to prove how a synchronized, multi-touchpoint strategy drives conversions at the shelf.
- Target Looks to Influence Shoppers Without Interrupting Experiences: The mass merchant sees discovery and AI reshaping the shopper journey.
- Walmart Builds Infrastructure for Agentic Commerce, With Implications for Retail Media: The retailer is developing a gateway for AI-powered shopping, while Walmart and Sam’s Club Connect execs point to opportunities for brands to influence product discovery in conversational experiences.
- Field Report: General Mills Taps Into Brand Fandom at Retail: Learn how national displays, signage, Shaq and a months-long sweeps support the campaign.
- Field Report: Old Spice Brings NFL Collection to Life at Walmart: A locker-room-inspired endcap, holiday gift packs and coordinated e-commerce and social promotions tie the grooming brand and retailer to football fandom throughout the season.
- Marketers See Full-Funnel Role for In-Store Media, Report Finds: An IAB-Grocery TV survey found that scale, measurement and cross-functional ownership remain barriers to greater investment.
P2PI also took in-depth look at ShopRite.
- Retailer Playbook: How ShopRite Uses Value, Local Relevance: Value, local relevance, in-store discovery and technology shape the shopping experience at the East Coast cooperative.
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Award winners, hall-of-famers, peer discussions and promotions rounded out the rest of October's retail media activity:
- 2026 Women of Excellence Profiles: Business Excellence: Read about the Business Excellence winners from Kraft Heinz, Giant Food, Kenvue, Back to Nature, Vestcom, Pacvue, Harvest Group, HMT Associates, Inmar Intelligence, Mars United Commerce, Acosta Group and The Trade Desk.
- 2026 OmniShopper Awards Winners: Mars, Molson Coors and Unilever are among this year's winners for standout activations driving shopper impact.
- Hall of Fame Profile: Bobby Watts, Ahold Delhaize USA: He's spent his career advocating for change while stretching across functions — all to create a better customer experience.
- From Content to Cart: Harnessing Creator Power in Commerce Marketing: SheSpeaks and content creators discuss driving retail awareness, engagement and sales.
- GSTV Names Claire Wyatt as Chief Growth Officer: The move follows other recent leadership announcements from the company.
- GSTV Names Eric Kozik Chief Executive Officer: The national media network also named three new executives to its leadership team.
