Toni Restrepo, VP of Retail Media Networks at In-Store Marketplace (ISM), reflects on how retail storedesign is now centred around urgency, rather than browsing, and its impact on purchasing decisions – and why retail media is essential in an era of rapid in-store decisions and how data-driven media can win both the transaction and long-term loyalty
Five-minute fulfillment. Same-day pickup. One-hour delivery. What used to be premium service levels have become baseline expectations. Speed isn’t really a competitive advantage anymore and is instead the baseline expectation for retail.
This shift is fundamentally rewriting the purpose of the physical store because shoppers now arrive with entirely different needs and timelines. Retailers are redesigning their entire footprints to match this urgency. They’re segmenting stores into fulfillment hubs and experience zones, expanding inventory through third-party marketplaces, and routing shoppers based on what they need and how fast they need it.
But operational redesign is only half of the equation. When speed becomes the standard and stores evolve into dual-purpose environments built around immediacy, in-store media becomes the critical tool for reaching shoppers who have already decided and are ready to buy.
Stores are being split into two distinct modes
The physical store is no longer one thing. AdExchanger reported that Target is piloting a model in Chicago where some locations prioritize backroom fulfillment operations while high-foot-traffic stores focus on in-person shopper engagement and shelf availability.
Best Buy is converting what it calls “duress demand” –when someone’s washing machine breaks, for example – into same-day pickup offers that get shoppers in and out with a solution immediately. The retailer has traditionally been a place to research premium products and then arrange delivery. Now it’s shifting to capture high-intent shoppers who need to leave with the item that same day or hour.
Walmart is using data to clear seasonal inventory by ramping up media spend in specific markets. The goal is to ensure stores end clean and move on to the next season without painful markdowns. The retailer has also achieved five-minute fulfillment in some locations and is routing pickup orders to specific stores based on urgency and availability, treating the store network as a dynamic system rather than a fixed set of destinations.
The common thread here is urgency. Stores are becoming purpose-driven spaces optimized around what shoppers need right now. These operational changes are creating entirely new shopper mindsets and behaviors where someone picking up an online order in under an hour isn’t browsing. Similarly, customers replacing a broken appliance the same day aren’t comparing options. This demographic has already decided – past consideration, past comparison shopping, past browsing – and is simply at the store to transact.
High-intent shoppers require high-impact media
The decided shopper presents a different advertising opportunity. In-store audio and display media reaches them at peak intent, when the right message can drive immediate action. Targeted audio messaging, in particular, helps shoppers navigate the store more efficiently by surfacing relevant products and promotions at exactly the moment they’re solving a problem.
According to ISM’s 2026 Consumer Perceptions and Expectations research, 84% of consumers notice in-store advertising, including audio, screens, and signage, and 66% are likely to purchase a product after hearing or seeing an in-store ad. The window is narrow, but the impact is direct and measurable.
Unlike traditional shopping trips built around discovery or comparison, speed-driven visits are transactional by design. These shoppers aren’t wandering aisles or exploring new products; they’re executing a plan. That focus makes them more receptive to messaging that’s directly relevant to their immediate need, whether it’s a complementary product, a premium alternative, or a solution they hadn’t considered.
High-intent moments are becoming the norm, not the exception. As more shopping trips become pickup runs, urgent replacements, or same-day solutions, retailers have more opportunities to reach shoppers when purchase decisions are happening in real time. The challenge is ensuring the right message reaches the right shopper at exactly the moment they’re ready to act – and that’s what makes in-store media so valuable in a speed-driven environment.
How retailers can adapt to the speed-driven store
So, with these shifts happening, how can retailers make in-store media work as hard as the rest of the business?
Start by synchronising messaging with what’s actually happening in stores. If certain locations are handling more fulfillment than foot traffic, the media strategy should reflect that. If seasonal inventory needs to clear faster in specific markets, campaigns should ramp accordingly. The goal is to treat in-store media like a performance channel – dynamic, data-driven, and directly tied to outcomes.
Next, focus on relevance at the point of decision. Shoppers moving through stores quickly are solving immediate needs. Media that acknowledges that urgency and offers something directly useful — whether it’s a complementary product, an upgrade, or a faster solution – will outperform generic brand messaging every time.
As speed becomes table stakes, expect the next wave of competition to center on friction reduction inside the store itself. Programmatic buying, unified inventory access, and real-time campaign management will likely become standard expectations and are already available today for retailers ready to move. The retailers that pair those capabilities with smart, contextual media will create something competitors can’t easily replicate.
Retailers must master the combination of operational speed and strategic in-store media to own both the transaction and loyalty in a speed-driven economy. Don’t be left competing purely on delivery times, where margins are thin and differentiation is nearly impossible.
Author
Toni Restrepo is the Vice President of Retail Media Networks at ISM, where she leads strategic initiatives to help brands maximise their investments and thrive in the evolving retail media landscape.
You are in: Home » Retail Media » GUEST COMMENT When speed becomes the standard, in-store media becomes essential
GUEST COMMENT When speed becomes the standard, in-store media becomes essential
Paul Skeldon
Toni Restrepo, VP of Retail Media Networks at In-Store Marketplace (ISM), reflects on how retail storedesign is now centred around urgency, rather than browsing, and its impact on purchasing decisions – and why retail media is essential in an era of rapid in-store decisions and how data-driven media can win both the transaction and long-term loyalty
Five-minute fulfillment. Same-day pickup. One-hour delivery. What used to be premium service levels have become baseline expectations. Speed isn’t really a competitive advantage anymore and is instead the baseline expectation for retail.
This shift is fundamentally rewriting the purpose of the physical store because shoppers now arrive with entirely different needs and timelines. Retailers are redesigning their entire footprints to match this urgency. They’re segmenting stores into fulfillment hubs and experience zones, expanding inventory through third-party marketplaces, and routing shoppers based on what they need and how fast they need it.
But operational redesign is only half of the equation. When speed becomes the standard and stores evolve into dual-purpose environments built around immediacy, in-store media becomes the critical tool for reaching shoppers who have already decided and are ready to buy.
Stores are being split into two distinct modes
The physical store is no longer one thing. AdExchanger reported that Target is piloting a model in Chicago where some locations prioritize backroom fulfillment operations while high-foot-traffic stores focus on in-person shopper engagement and shelf availability.
Best Buy is converting what it calls “duress demand” –when someone’s washing machine breaks, for example – into same-day pickup offers that get shoppers in and out with a solution immediately. The retailer has traditionally been a place to research premium products and then arrange delivery. Now it’s shifting to capture high-intent shoppers who need to leave with the item that same day or hour.
Walmart is using data to clear seasonal inventory by ramping up media spend in specific markets. The goal is to ensure stores end clean and move on to the next season without painful markdowns. The retailer has also achieved five-minute fulfillment in some locations and is routing pickup orders to specific stores based on urgency and availability, treating the store network as a dynamic system rather than a fixed set of destinations.
The common thread here is urgency. Stores are becoming purpose-driven spaces optimized around what shoppers need right now. These operational changes are creating entirely new shopper mindsets and behaviors where someone picking up an online order in under an hour isn’t browsing. Similarly, customers replacing a broken appliance the same day aren’t comparing options. This demographic has already decided – past consideration, past comparison shopping, past browsing – and is simply at the store to transact.
High-intent shoppers require high-impact media
The decided shopper presents a different advertising opportunity. In-store audio and display media reaches them at peak intent, when the right message can drive immediate action. Targeted audio messaging, in particular, helps shoppers navigate the store more efficiently by surfacing relevant products and promotions at exactly the moment they’re solving a problem.
According to ISM’s 2026 Consumer Perceptions and Expectations research, 84% of consumers notice in-store advertising, including audio, screens, and signage, and 66% are likely to purchase a product after hearing or seeing an in-store ad. The window is narrow, but the impact is direct and measurable.
Unlike traditional shopping trips built around discovery or comparison, speed-driven visits are transactional by design. These shoppers aren’t wandering aisles or exploring new products; they’re executing a plan. That focus makes them more receptive to messaging that’s directly relevant to their immediate need, whether it’s a complementary product, a premium alternative, or a solution they hadn’t considered.
High-intent moments are becoming the norm, not the exception. As more shopping trips become pickup runs, urgent replacements, or same-day solutions, retailers have more opportunities to reach shoppers when purchase decisions are happening in real time. The challenge is ensuring the right message reaches the right shopper at exactly the moment they’re ready to act – and that’s what makes in-store media so valuable in a speed-driven environment.
How retailers can adapt to the speed-driven store
So, with these shifts happening, how can retailers make in-store media work as hard as the rest of the business?
Start by synchronising messaging with what’s actually happening in stores. If certain locations are handling more fulfillment than foot traffic, the media strategy should reflect that. If seasonal inventory needs to clear faster in specific markets, campaigns should ramp accordingly. The goal is to treat in-store media like a performance channel – dynamic, data-driven, and directly tied to outcomes.
Next, focus on relevance at the point of decision. Shoppers moving through stores quickly are solving immediate needs. Media that acknowledges that urgency and offers something directly useful — whether it’s a complementary product, an upgrade, or a faster solution – will outperform generic brand messaging every time.
As speed becomes table stakes, expect the next wave of competition to center on friction reduction inside the store itself. Programmatic buying, unified inventory access, and real-time campaign management will likely become standard expectations and are already available today for retailers ready to move. The retailers that pair those capabilities with smart, contextual media will create something competitors can’t easily replicate.
Retailers must master the combination of operational speed and strategic in-store media to own both the transaction and loyalty in a speed-driven economy. Don’t be left competing purely on delivery times, where margins are thin and differentiation is nearly impossible.
Author
Toni Restrepo is the Vice President of Retail Media Networks at ISM, where she leads strategic initiatives to help brands maximise their investments and thrive in the evolving retail media landscape.
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