Behind every successful Retail Media Network (RMN) is a complex tech stack enabling data activation, campaign execution, and performance measurement. As the retail media landscape grows in scale and sophistication, technology platforms are playing an increasingly vital role — helping retailers become media businesses and enabling brands to target, optimise, and track campaigns with precision.
This article maps out the key players and capabilities shaping the retail media tech ecosystem, with a focus on the UK market.
What technology enables retail media?
Retail media requires a unique combination of technologies to function effectively:
- Data infrastructure: Clean rooms, customer data platforms (CDPs), and identity resolution tools
- Ad serving and delivery: Platforms to manage ad inventory across onsite, in-store, and offsite channels
- Measurement and attribution: Tools to track ROI, sales lift, and incrementality across campaigns
- Campaign orchestration: Dashboards and tools to manage campaigns across formats and channels
- Self-serve and automation: Interfaces for brands and agencies to book, manage, and optimise activity
Let’s look at some of the vendors and platforms enabling this ecosystem.
Leading retail media technology providers
ADvendio
A Salesforce-native platform designed to consolidate ad sales and financials across onsite, offsite, and in-store formats. ADvendio is used by over 12 of the top 30 global retailers and supports unified media operations.
Kevel
An API-first Retail Media Cloud offering unparalleled flexibility for building custom ad networks. Kevel powers advertising for Delivery Hero, Edmunds, and Home Depot, enabling retailers to retain control over data and user experience.
Zitcha
Billed as the world’s first unified omnichannel retail media platform. Zitcha enables planning, delivery, and reporting across online and in-store media from a single dashboard. Especially useful for retailers aiming to scale fast.
Plan-Apps (SMG)
A proprietary technology platform powering several UK RMNs including Boots, Co-op, and Morrisons. Plan-Apps is one of the most widely used retail media systems in the UK, drawing on insights from over £1.25 billion in historical media investment.
Osmos
An omnichannel retail media operating system built for fast deployment. Osmos integrates with any tech stack and enables campaign planning, execution, and reporting across formats — including in-store, digital, and offsite.
Skai (formerly Kenshoo)
Offers a unified platform for managing campaigns across more than 100 retailers and marketplaces. Skai specialises in full-funnel performance optimisation, using AI and data-driven insights to inform strategy.
Broadsign
A digital signage and in-store advertising platform. Broadsign powers over 1.5 million screens globally, including in retailers like Sainsbury’s and Auchan, enabling dynamic and programmatic in-store media.
Matcha
An AI-powered personal shopper platform used by Carrefour and Intermarché. Matcha guides customers through complex categories like beauty and coffee, delivering shoppable experiences and capturing shopper intent data.
Commerce Media Tech (CMT)
A newer player focused on shoppable moments and performance marketing. CMT offers solutions across ecommerce, retail media, and content-to-commerce activations.
Where innovation is happening
Several key areas of innovation are shaping the next wave of retail media technology:
- Clean rooms and privacy-first data sharing: Integration with platforms like InfoSum is enabling retailers to collaborate on data without compromising privacy
- Programmatic and DSP integration: More RMNs are linking with DSPs to offer biddable media across onsite and offsite placements
- CTV and social commerce enablement: Tech platforms are building bridges between retail data and video environments
- Self-serve capabilities: Tools are increasingly built for brand and agency users, not just internal retailer teams
- Standardised measurement: There is strong demand for common KPIs and closed-loop attribution frameworks across campaigns and channels
Challenges for tech providers and retailers
Despite rapid progress, the sector still faces technical and operational challenges:
- Integration complexity: Many retailers have legacy systems that make integration slow or resource-intensive
- Adoption maturity: Retailers are at very different stages of digital maturity, which affects platform choice and usage
- Legal and compliance: Clean room use, data governance, and AI adoption all require rigorous controls and clear frameworks
- Vendor overload: The proliferation of platforms creates decision fatigue and risks fragmentation
Vendors that can offer modular, interoperable, and user-friendly solutions — while supporting compliance and ROI — are well-positioned to lead.
What’s next for retail media tech?
As the sector matures, we can expect to see:
- Platform consolidation: Retailers seeking end-to-end solutions rather than patchwork tools
- Vertical specialisation: Tech tailored to specific sectors like fashion, grocery, or electronics
- Global expansion: UK retailers looking to scale tech partnerships into Europe and beyond
- Increased automation: From media planning to campaign optimisation and reporting
The retail media opportunity is enormous, but it’s the tech that will determine how scalable, efficient, and effective these programs can be. Retailers must carefully choose partners who can grow with them, while brands need tools that offer both control and performance.
In our next article, we explore the agencies driving retail media adoption in the UK — and how their clients are investing in this fast-evolving space.
