Nicole LalevaOn 21st April, we hosted the 2026 virtual edition of The Great Debate: Retail Media, led by our hosts Jason Wescott and Patricia Grundmann, Chair and Vice-Chair of IAB Europe’s Retail & Commerce Media Committee - a dynamic session bringing together industry leaders from across Europe’s retail and commerce media ecosystem.
From insightful panels and an Oxford-style debate to forward-looking presentations and a case study spotlight, the event offered a comprehensive look at the trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of Retail Media.
If you missed the event or would like to revisit the sessions, you can catch up on the highlights below:
We kicked off the session with an introduction and update on IAB Europe’s Retail & Commerce Media Roadmap, delivered by Jason Wescott, Chair of the Retail & Commerce Media Committee.
The session set the stage for the discussion, highlighting the rapid evolution of Retail Media across Europe and the increasing importance of collaboration, standardisation, and innovation to support sustainable growth in the ecosystem.
Moderated by James Taylor (Particular Audience), the first panel brought together Cédric Epiard (Mirakl Ads), Diana Abebrese (Empathy Lab by EPAM), and Polina Melnikova (Moloco Commerce Media) to explore how AI is transforming the retail media supply chain, from insight through to real-time activation.
The discussion spanned a broad range of topics, from the evolution of AI across statistical, predictive, and generative approaches to the growing importance of capturing real-time signals and intent. Panellists examined how personalisation and recommendation engines are becoming more dynamic, moving beyond static segmentation towards more responsive, data-driven decisioning.
The conversation also touched on the increasing role of automation in ad operations, including the emergence of AI-driven workflows, interoperable systems, and more efficient campaign execution. Alongside this, speakers addressed key challenges around measurement and incrementality, highlighting the need for more advanced approaches to evaluating performance in a complex, multi-objective environment.
Finally, the panel explored the balance between scale and control as AI adoption accelerates, covering themes such as governance, oversight, and the importance of building robust frameworks to ensure responsible and effective use of these technologies.
Overall, the session offered a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective on how AI is reshaping Retail Media, both in practice today and in the years ahead.
Next up, we moved into an engaging Oxford-style debate, moderated by Nicolas Trannoy ( Alliance Digitale), bringing together Lisa Avery (Zitcha) and Sébastien Camusot (Unlimitail) to tackle one of the most pressing strategic questions in modern Retail Media: Should trade and media functions be unified or remain separate?
Framed as a structured and interactive exchange, the session explored differing perspectives on how organisations should approach the relationship between trade and media, from investment models and organisational control to measurement and long-term strategic impact.
The debate covered a wide range of themes, including how budgets are defined and managed, the balance of control between different stakeholders, and the implications of either convergence or separation on transparency and effectiveness. Panellists also addressed the ongoing challenge of measurement and attribution, particularly in the context of siloed data and the ambition to achieve true closed-loop reporting.
A key part of the session was the live audience poll, inviting participants to take a position and engage directly with the debate, adding an interactive layer and real-time insight into industry sentiment on this evolving topic.
Overall, the discussion surfaced contrasting viewpoints, challenged assumptions, and highlighted the complexity of aligning trade and media strategies in an increasingly data-driven ecosystem.
To understand both sides of the debate and see the audience poll results, watch the session on demand below:
We then moved into the second panel, moderated byAlessandro Zanotti (Accenture Song), featuring Selen Ozkan (Uber Advertising), Paul Dahill (Koddi), and Mazen Mroueh (Publicis Media), focusing on the growing role of programmatic on-site advertising in retail media.
The discussion explored how programmatic capabilities are expanding the scale and accessibility of Retail Media, enabling both endemic and non-endemic brands to engage high-intent audiences more effectively. Panellists shared perspectives on how retailers are opening up their owned and operated environments to programmatic demand, while balancing the need to maintain control over the customer experience.
A key part of the conversation centred on the challenges of developing and scaling these capabilities, particularly in a fragmented landscape. Topics included the role of standardisation, the need for greater consistency across markets, and how industry frameworks can support more seamless activation and collaboration across the ecosystem.
The panel also highlighted the opportunities programmatic unlocks for both the buy- and sell-side, from driving incremental revenue to enabling more sophisticated data-driven strategies. Measurement was another central theme, with discussion covering how success should be defined beyond traditional metrics, and the importance of evolving approaches to better capture performance and value.
Looking ahead, panellists shared their perspectives on what will define success for programmatic on-site retail media in the near future, pointing to continued innovation, improved interoperability, and a stronger focus on scalability and effectiveness.
The conversation underscored the growing importance of programmatic in driving scale, efficiency, and future growth in retail media.
The event also featured a short presentation from Yara Daher (IAB Europe), who provided an update on the latest developments in IAB Europe’s retail and commerce media standards.
The presentation outlined what’s new in Version 2 of the Measurement Standards, with a focus on enhancing consistency, comparability, and transparency across the ecosystem. It also introduced the Flexi Formats framework and offered a forward-looking perspective on the roadmap towards Version 3, including upcoming workstreams in areas such as travel and finance media as well as a short summary of our Retail Media Certification Programme
The session gave attendees a clear understanding of how standardisation efforts are evolving to support the continued growth and maturity of Retail and Commerce Media.
In the final session, Tim Abraham (The Trade Desk) delivered a case study spotlight, showcasing how brands are leveraging retail data to enhance audience targeting, improve media efficiency, and drive sales performance across the open internet.
Drawing on real-world campaign examples, the session highlighted how data-driven strategies are enabling more precise activation and measurable outcomes, demonstrating the growing value of retail data beyond owned environments.
See more about the case study here and Tim’s slides here.
👉 To explore the full sessions and dive deeper into the insights shared, watch the event on demand below:
Retail & Commerce Media Committee
For more information on the work of our Retail & Commerce Media Committee and how you can get involved, please get in touch with our Senior Director, Industry Development & Marketing , Marie-Clare Puffett at puffett [at] iabeurope.eu.
