Why the Future of Retail Media Isn’t Amazon or Walmart (It’s the Long Tail)

The retail media conversation is dominated by a handful of giants. But today, I’m analyzing a recent episode of one of my favorite podcasts (Beyond The Shelf hosted Dave Feinelib), and making the case that we’re missing a massive opportunity by ignoring the long tail. If you’re a brand focused only on Amazon, Walmart, or Target, what happens to the shoppers you’re not reaching, especially in regional and mid-market grocery?In this episode, I dig into insights shared on a recent episode of Beyond The Shelf from Dave Glaza of DIGITS, who has a rare dual perspective: helping brands activate retail media while also operating networks for regional grocers. Dave unpacks why regional grocery is one of the biggest remaining white spaces in retail media, the real reason brands cap the number of RMNs they’ll work with, and what might actually change as budgets tighten and growth gets harder to find.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:00] Why retail media’s obsession with scale leaves regional shoppers behind[01:09] Dave Glaza explains the “white space” opportunity in regional grocery[02:23] The real infrastructure problem behind managing 10+ retail media networks[03:08] Are brands walking away from half their buyers by ignoring regionals?[04:19] Why being tech-agnostic matters in a fragmented retail ecosystem[06:03] The shift from ROAS to “new-to-brand” and category growth metricsLinks & ResourcesListen to the full Dave Glaza episode of the Beyond The Shelf podcast hosted Dave FeinelibSubscribe to Beyond The ShelfDave Glaza runs the agency DIGITSFollow Dave Glaza on LinkedInFollow David Feinleib on LinkedInRead my related articles:What It Actually Takes to Build a Retail Media FederationMeet The First Retail Media Federations & ConsortiumsThe Retail Media Doom LoopJoin me and Jordan Witmer from Salt XC at 11am Thursday Jan 22 (today!) for a LinkedIn Live on how big brands and small brands MUST approach retail media differently. We'll be answering questions LIVE -- join us!Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn