Why Are Display Ads In Retail Media Still So Bad?

Display advertising in retail media is still in the dark ages. That’s because the tech and mechanisms it was built on were never designed for retailers in the first place.In today’s ten-minute Retail Media Breakfast Club, I walk you through the real-world headache Macy’s faced when fragrance demand outstripped inventory while apparel inventory sat idle—and why fixed-price CPMs offered no way out. Drawing on Melanie Zimmerman’s recent Criteo essay, I unpack the disconnect between publisher-built display stacks and the unique commerce goals of retail media.You’ll hear a lightning history of display advertising, learn how legacy tools like Google Ad Manager fall short for merchants, and explore the three pillars of a modern, retail-first display solution: dynamic auctions that reward relevance, full self-service controls for brands, and shoppable, retail-native formats that blend storytelling with performance. Grab your coffee and let’s get smarter together!Timeline of Key Moments[0:56] Fragrance famine vs. apparel surplus—how Macy’s learned the limits of fixed CPMs.[2:10] A 30-year crash course on display advertising and why publisher tech dominates the stack.[3:35] “It wasn’t built for retail”: Andreas Reiffen[4:48] The retailer’s double bottom line—ad dollars and product sales (Costco & Macy’s lessons).[6:05] Principle #1: Dynamic, retail-specific auctions that factor in product relevance.[7:22] Principle #2: True self-service so brands can tweak pacing, placements, and bids on the fly.[8:47] Principle #3: Retail-native formats like Sponsored Brand Video that marry brand lift with conversions.🔗 LinksSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedInRead my full blog post on this topic Melanie Zimmerman’s full article on the Criteo blog: Legacy display is failing retailersMelanie Zimmerman on LinkedIn