Observed Signal · Sep 8, 2026 · Industry Event Coverage · Source: Modern Retail · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Retail Media Networks Showcase Differentiation Strategies at Ascendant Showcase
At Ascendant Network's Showcase event in New York City, 11 retail media networks presented strategies to differentiate themselves to advertisers. Executives from The Home Depot's Orange Apron Media, Albertsons, DoorDash, PayPal, Macy's, Chase, Dick's Sporting Goods, Instacart, Chewy, Walgreens, H-E-B, and others highlighted unique strengths such as first-party data, audience insights, omnichannel reach, and content partnerships. Common themes included demonstrating incrementality, reaching consumers across the funnel, leveraging transaction data, and creating engaging content. The event underscored the intensifying competitive landscape of retail media as networks vie for ad dollars and seek to prove value beyond basic sponsored product listings.
Article provides an overview of retail media networks' differentiation strategies, highlighting key industry trends and competitive pressures. It is relevant to AdTech/MarTech but is a summary of a conference rather than a single major announcement.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The Home Depot's Orange Apron Media claims a 30% boost in brand trust, 70% increase in recall, and 40% increase in purchase intent for adjacent brands.
- Albertsons' Rico's Tacos micro-sitcom campaign outperformed benchmarks by 200% for adjacent placements.
- Chase Media Solutions reports over $1.9 trillion in debit and credit sales in 2025.
- 84% of Chewy's sales are automatic subscriptions, and Dick's Sporting Goods highlighted its GameChanger youth sports streaming network.
- Walgreens announced a rollout of digital screens across 1,200 stores starting in October, in partnership with Looma.
Connected Companies & Entities
12 Entities mappedAlbertsons Companies
US grocery retailer with ecommerce, loyalty and retail media.
“Albertsons retail media svp Brian Monahan spoke about how the grocery chain is partnering with brands to create relevant content....”
DoorDash
Local commerce marketplace with delivery, merchant tools and retail media.
“DoorDash CMO Tim Castree emphasized the company’s shift from delivering dinner to delivering everyday needs on demand....”
JPMorgan Chase
Diversified banking group serving consumers, businesses and institutions.
“Lauren Griewski, chief growth officer for Chase Media Solutions, explained how the company personalizes ad targeting based on its massive co...”
Instacart
Grocery marketplace with retail media and retailer commerce tools.
“Ali Miller, GM of advertising at Instacart, highlighted how the company can connect consumers between websites, apps, connected TV and in-st...”
DICK'S Sporting Goods
US sporting goods retailer with e-commerce, retail media and youth sports assets.
“David Young, vp of media for Dick’s Sporting Goods, highlighted the company’s large presence in youth sports....”
Macy's
US department-store retailer with marketplace and retail media network.
“Michael Krans, vp of Macy’s Media Network, spoke about the company’s long-standing trust with customers....”
PayPal
Digital payments network spanning wallet, merchant tools and commerce media.
“Mark Grether, svp and GM of PayPal Ads, spoke about the company’s wide view across shopping....”
Chewy
Online pet retailer with recurring autoship and retail media revenue.
“Frank Mulcahy, head of Chewy Ads, spoke about his team’s experience in the advertising business and its penetration with pet owners....”
Ahold Delhaize
Omnichannel grocery retailer with marketplace and retail media monetisation.
The Home Depot
Home improvement retailer with e-commerce, retail media, and pro services.
“Executives at The Home Depot and its Orange Apron Media business shared their ability to see across the entire customer journey....”
Dollar General
US discount retailer with digital commerce, loyalty and retail media.
Chase
Consumer banking, payments and commerce media platform under JPMorgan Chase.
“Lauren Griewski, chief growth officer for Chase Media Solutions, explained how the company personalizes ad targeting based on its massive co...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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