In-Store Retail Media Is the New Frontier for DOOH — and Australia Is Next in Line
Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising has been a core part of the modern media ecosystem for more than a decade, but the centre of gravity is shifting rapidly — from roadside and transit screens to in-store retail environments.
According to eMarketer’s December 2025 forecast, US in-store retail media ad spend is projected to expand from $0.34B in 2024 to $1.15B by 2029, while its share of total DOOH more than doubles from roughly 10% to over 21%. What stands out most is the accelerated mid-cycle growth around 2026–2028, where year-on-year gains briefly surpass 40% before stabilising as the category matures.
This trend represents a significant pivot in how brands, retailers and landlords think about physical store spaces: not just as points of purchase, but as powerful media platforms.
At onQ Digital, we’re seeing many of these trends play out in real time — not just internationally, but right here in Australia.
The Australian Retail Media Opportunity
While the US market is further along in adoption, the Australian retail media landscape is rapidly gaining momentum:
- IAB Australia’s State of the Nation 2025 reports that over 70% of Australian advertisers and agencies are increasing investment in retail media, with a majority working with multiple retail media networks. This indicates bullish confidence in the channel’s ability to drive measurable outcomes.
(Source: IAB Australia) - Leading Australian retailers are building out their retail media and in-store DOOH ecosystems. Woolworths’ Cartology Media Network, Coles’ Coles 360 and the signage expansions in major hardware and pharmacy groups demonstrate strong local appetite for monetising physical foot traffic.
- Independent industry sources forecast that the broader Australian retail media sector could grow to more than $3 billion by 2027–28, powered largely by supermarket, convenience and category-specific in-store advertising solutions.
Taken together, this points to a growing reality: Australia is embracing retail media not as a novelty, but as a mainstream advertising channel capable of supporting major brand dollars outside of digital and broadcast.
What’s Driving Retail Media Growth
Several forces are converging to accelerate the shift toward in-store retail media:
1. Retailers Are Becoming Media Publishers
Physical stores generate highly engaged foot traffic — especially in grocery, pharmacy, convenience, fashion and big-box retail formats. Retailers are recognising this and seeking to monetise these audiences against measurable behaviours.
By transforming screens into media inventory, they unlock new revenue streams funded by supplier and brand investment, rather than bearing the full cost of technology and installation themselves.
2. Brands Demand Attribution, Not Just Impressions
Traditional DOOH has long been valued for reach, branding and contextual messaging — but brands in 2026 want closed-loop measurement tied to in-store behaviours and outcomes.
In-store retail media supports:
- Sell-through lift measurement
- SKU-level attribution
- Engagement metrics linked to POS data
- Campaign optimisation based on footfall and basket outcomes
This kind of performance-oriented analytics is reshaping media planning frameworks — especially for CPG, grocery and retail brands.
3. Screens Are Now Strategic Infrastructure
Gone are the days when digital signage was treated as an afterthought.
Today’s successful retail media networks combine:
- High-quality commercial displays and LED video walls
- Centralised Content Management System (CMS)
- Audience and dwell time analytics
- Automated revenue-share or ad delivery modules
- API integrations with POS, loyalty and CRM systems
This shift means hardware is no longer a cost centre — it’s a revenue asset.
Our own experience at onQ Digital reflects this evolution across our deployments: screens are increasingly specified for monetisation and audience measurement, not just corporate messaging or brand ambience.
Explore our end-to-end enterprise signage solutions
Data That Matters: Growth and Share
Here’s what the latest forecast tells us:
US in-store retail media ad spend
- 2024: $0.34 billion (9.8% of total DOOH)
- 2027: $0.82 billion (17.3% of total DOOH)
- 2029: $1.15 billion (21.5% of total DOOH)
Australian market indicators
- Majority of advertisers increasing retail media spend
- Rapid growth in grocery, convenience, pharmacy and category-specific retail media networks
- Emerging retail media sales teams and programmatic ad delivery solutions dedicated to physical store screens
You can see how screens are transforming retail environments and monetisation opportunities here: https://www.onqdigitalgroup.com.au/retail-digital-signage
These figures underline a clear pattern: as retail media matures, its share of total out-of-home spend increases, signalling structural shift rather than short-term trend.
What This Means for Retailers & Brands
As physical media evolves, so do the roles of screens — from passive content boards to dynamic, revenue-enabled assets. Here are a few key takeaways:
Stores Are Media Networks
Retailers can now activate their own advertising inventory without relying solely on external DOOH networks.
Data + Measurement Are Non-negotiable
To compete for brand dollars, retailers must capture insights tied to real business outcomes — not just impressions.
Technology Stack Matters
High-quality displays must be coupled with a robust CMS, analytics engine and monetisation layer to unlock value.
Media Revenue Adds Strategic Value
Screens are no longer just enhancing the shopping experience — they are becoming profit centres in their own right.
How onQ Digital Helps Retailers Capture This Opportunity
At onQ Digital, we help organisations unlock the full potential of in-store retail media through:
Enterprise Retail Media Infrastructure
A scalable platform that integrates screens, software, audience measurement and revenue tools.
Learn about our digital signage software
Hardware + Display Solutions
Premium LED walls and commercial displays designed for retail environments.
Explore LED solutions with onQ
Analytics & Insights
Transform screen networks into data platforms that deliver actionable insights.
The Future of DOOH Is In-Store
As digital media budgets continue to fragment across screens, apps and channels, one thing is becoming clear:
The next frontier for digital out-of-home is the store floor.
Australia may have started this shift later than the US, but the trajectory is unmistakable: retailers, landlords and brands are building digital ecosystems in physical environments that demand performance metrics, monetisation strategy, and scalable technology — not just pretty visuals.
If you’re still thinking of digital signage as a “communication tool,” you risk getting left behind by competitors turning screens into strategic media infrastructure and new revenue engines.
Ready to Move Beyond Digital Signage?
Whether you’re building your first in-store media network or looking to scale a national deployment, onQ Digital can help you:
- Strategise platform monetisation
- Deploy hardware that earns revenue
- Measure actual business outcomes
- Build future-proof technology stacks
Contact us today: https://www.onqdigitalgroup.com.au/contact
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