The Media Leader Podcast | Retail Media Week in Focus
This week, The Media Leader is embarking on its first ever Retail Media Week in Focus.
The fledgling channel has been having a moment. Investment in retail media has grown substantially – in 2025, adspend in the channel grew 17.5% year on year, according to the latest AA/Warc figures.
Brands are seeking to join up the ends of the funnel by targeting consumers based on their shopping habits and measuring directly the link between ad delivery and outcomes within closed-loop retail environments.
But, as attendees heard at The Media Leader‘s Future of Brands event last week, with growth has come some scepticism – is retail media overhyped? Is it just useful for lower-funnel activations? How is it being defined on media plans?
One of the largest retail media players here in the UK is Tesco. Recently, The Media Leader reported that Tesco Media had launched video ad inventory on its website and app as it looks to offer brand advertising opportunities to marketers.
Tash Whitmey is the managing director of the Tesco Media and Insight Platform. She joined host Jack Benjamin recently via video call to discuss the latest innovations the company is making, the state of the retail media market and how Tesco sizes up to global competitors like Amazon, and whether shopping habits are changing amid macroeconomic turbulence.
Listen now by hitting the play button or use the appropriate entry point into Spotify, Apple or Google Podcasts:
Thanks to our production partners, Trisonic, for editing this episode. Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audience.
Highlights
4:36: What’s driving growth in retail media?
9:11: Innovations in retail media allowing movement up the funnel
15:49: How does Tesco stand up against its competitors, many of which are global?
24:57: Measurement standardisation needed
27:23: How shopping behaviour is changing amid macroeconomic headwinds
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