Possible '26 Recap — Retailers Are Getting Better at This!

S3 E13 · May 4, 2026 · 15 min

Loyalty-led product maturity, AI as a feature rather than the main event, and buying flexibility beyond sponsored search.

Show notes

There was plenty of AI at Possible 2026 — CVS/CMX’s CorIQ included. But the bigger story wasn’t AI. It was maturity.

Retailers with strong loyalty programs are turning that advantage into more sophisticated product — not just for on-site campaigns, but for how media gets planned and executed across platforms.

What’s changing is how you buy. RMNs are becoming more flexible about meeting buyers where they already operate — including extensions into Google/DV360 and other DSPs — something many retailers were wary of early on.

Plus: quick hits from conversations, dinners, and people from the week.

What we cover

Loyalty-led retailers pushing product maturity (not just messaging)
AI showing up as a feature (CorIQ), not the main event
Buying flexibility expanding beyond sponsored search
Why extensions into DV360/other DSPs matter for real budgets
The gap between CPG expectations and the rest of the market

Follow the show

New episodes every other week, wherever you watch or listen.

The newsletter

Shopper Missions

Deeper analysis of retail media and commerce, separate from the show — and how we stay in touch with the Middlemen community.

Subscribe free →