The 2026 Retail Media Playbook — Part 1: From Identity → Orchestration → In-Store Intelligence from Windsail Partners explores how retail media networks (RMNs) are evolving from isolated advertising channels into fully orchestrated commercial engines that link identity, data, activation, and shopper outcomes across onsite, offsite, in-store, and connected screens. At the heart of this evolution is first-party identity, which anchors trade, shopper marketing, and media investments for major platforms such as Amazon Advertising, Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Instacart Ads, and Kroger Precision Marketing. As brands push for consistent measurement and incrementality validation, clean rooms and interoperable data frameworks from partners like LiveRamp and privacy-safe identifiers (e.g., UID2) are becoming essential operational infrastructure. The report also highlights how in-store signals, machine-learning-driven personalization, and AI-enabled orchestration are expanding the value proposition of RMNs, enabling retailers to connect identity-driven audiences to CTV, programmatic offsite channels, and dynamic in-store media — a trend that is reshaping how retail media drives ROI and influences strategic partnerships and M&A activity.
