Too often, the narrative around retail fixates on the sector’s perennial issues rather than the opportunities those challenges present.  But 2026 brings the chance to flip the script, says Retail Technology Show’s Founder & Event Director, Matt Bradley, with retail media advancements and reimagined thinking on cyber resilience among the drivers of that step-change.

Reimagining revenue streams with RMNs

As the first genuinely new revenue stream for the retail sector in years – and one with the potential to reinvigorate how the store sits within the wider channel mix – retail media is shaping up to be one of next year’s bright spots.

Digital retail media is already projected to reach £8.6billion by 2030, growing by +17% on average each year according to the IAB. And, with margins as high as 70-90%, retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Boots, have been quick to capitalise on the lucrative online opportunities Retail Media Networks (RMNs) present, both on- and off-site. But ecommerce RMNs only just scratch the surface; their next – and perhaps biggest opportunity – lies in tapping retail media activations in-store.

RMNs and the in-store opportunity

Sometimes it can be hard to square the creativity, passion and innovation that’s so evident across the sector with the drumbeat of negative headlines; faltering footfall, store closures, shaky economic forecasts, fragile consumer confidence – the list goes on.  These often get lumped together as proof that physical retail is fading behind online convenience – but that storyline misses the reality on the ground: stores still spark community and connection, and RMNs are perfectly placed to tap into that.

That’s why, as we look ahead to 2026, the momentum behind RMNs feels so exciting for physical retail.  Retailers can finally monetise something they’ve always had but never charged for: footfall, first-party data and their physical spaces.  Turning in-store digital touchpoints – from screens to ESLs and signage – into targeted advertising surfaces, retailers can now tap margin-rich revenue streams, right at the moment consumers are most likely to convert.  

Aside from customer connection, retailers can forge closer relationships with brand and CPG partners, offering the opportunity to reach shoppers when buying decisions are actually being made. It’s also a real incentive to double down on investment in newly designed store formats, fine-tuned for engagement, conversion and enhanced customer experience.

Building CX into advertising experiences

Of course, brand fit matters – the success of RMNs lives or dies on serving organic and relevant ads that align closely with that retailer’s unique customer-base.  Shoppers expect complementary ad experiences, where third-party brand content aligns with the store, category and brand values of the retailer they’re shopping with.

This means retailers must strike a delicate balance between leveraging new revenue streams without diluting their own brand, only aligning themselves where there is a natural ‘fit’.  To some extent, this will be self-policing; complementary partnerships which serve ads with organic brand affinity will naturally perform well.  In contrast, those that create brand friction will likely result in poor ROAS and a channel that quickly becomes noise over value. 

The onus moving forward will be on retailers to carefully craft brand ecospheres within their RMNs that closely align with the interests and shopping missions of their audiences to drive meaningful, long-term retail media performance.

Discover new RMN frontiers at RTS 2026

The next challenge for retailers’ RMNs – and for the tech partners supporting them – will be refining how they measure retail media performance, especially within the store environment.  Greater sales attribution and, critically, stitching together demand signals from across store ads to understand what drives conversions will be the among the key priorities.

This topic is one that came up strongly in our recent RTS Advisory Board, a cross-category group of senior retailers and brand leaders which meet annually to steer the event’s focuses. The RTS Advisory Board ensures we represent, address and discuss the most pressing topics impacting retail at RTS each year and is central in our mission remain the trade show that’s ‘created for retail, by retail’.   

Retail media will feature as a new segment within the RTS 2026 conference programme, which will bring together +125 of retail’s brightest minds, discussing the hottest topics, on the RTS stages.

From threat to opportunity: reimagining retail’s cyber resilience

Sharing insights on the issues that matter most to retailers is a driving force behind the Retail Technology Show.  And few topics have dominated the industry this year more than cyber security.  After high profile attacks significantly affected major UK brands, including M&S, Co-op, Harrods and Jaguar Land Rover, cyber risk has been catapulted right to the top of the c-suite agenda.

With warnings from the cyber community that the retail sector had been caught napping, there’s now broad recognition that cyber threats had been underestimated for far too long.  Now, retailers accept that they must shift from a ‘when’ not ‘if’ cyber security mindset.

A great example of this is the approach taken by Co-op in the wake of its own cyber-attack earlier this year.  Rather than shying away from what had happened, it addressed the issue head on and offered a long-term solution via its partnership with The Hacking Games. The Co-op x Hacking Games collaboration aims to prevent future cybercrime by identifying young cyber talent and channelling their skills to create a generation of “ethical hackers” to level up retail’s long-term cyber security force.

Retailers now acknowledge that addressing cyber risk is critical to safeguarding security, profitability and consumer trust, as well as the longer-term outlook.  And that step change – moving away from cyber security being merely a ‘cost centre’ to cyber resilience becoming a source of competitive advantage – can only be a positive change.

Shaking off the sector’s cyber-attack stigma

However, what threatens holding back this progress isn’t technology – it’s stigma. 

And in our discussions with retail leaders, many tell us that – even behind closed-doors or in private WhatsApp chats – opening up, discussing or admitting to hacks remains taboo. This silence is ultimately limiting peer-to-peer learning; how are retailers supposed to keep up – let alone stay ahead – of cyber threats if no-one is willing to openly discuss their experiences?  

This is why we’ve introduced a new Cyber & Loss Prevention Zone at RTS for 2026 – creating a dedicated space for showcasing the latest innovations helping retailers manage escalating risk and protect their businesses, colleagues and customers.  We will also be building in wider cyber content into the conference programme next year, ensuring that those important discussions – and platforms for peer-to-peer learning and idea exchanges – are given a stronger voice to start breaking down those taboos.

By reframing cyber security as an industry-wide responsibility – rather than an individual failure – we can help create the conversations and build the partnerships needed to strengthen the sector’s collective response, allowing the industry to turn another challenge into progress.