A new survey suggests shopper acceptance of in-store advertising is rising as grocers continue expanding retail media networks and digital screen deployments.
Retail: In-Store Media Gains Ground with Grocery Shoppers
Shopper acceptance of in-store digital advertising continues to grow, according to new research from Grocery TV, with nearly two-thirds of surveyed consumers saying they have purchased a product after seeing it promoted on an in-store screen.
The company’s 2026 In-Store Shopper Perception Report, conducted with retail media analyst Andrew Lipsman, surveyed more than 1,000 US grocery shoppers about their attitudes toward in-store advertising and digital screens.
Among the findings, 62 percent of respondents said they had purchased a product directly after seeing it advertised on an in-store display. The study also found that shopper receptivity increased across every major store zone compared with Grocery TV’s previous survey in 2023.
Increased acceptance
According to the report, front-end screen acceptance increased by 23 percentage points over the three-year period, rising from roughly one-third of shoppers to just over half. Entrance, checkout, deli and pharmacy areas ranked among the most positively perceived screen locations.
The findings arrive as retailers continue expanding retail media networks and adding digital displays throughout stores to generate advertising revenue and influence purchasing decisions closer to the point of sale.
The report also found that 95 percent of shoppers make at least half of their purchase decisions while inside the store, highlighting the continued importance of physical retail environments despite the growth of e-commerce.
Consistency among generations
Context also appears to play a significant role in shopper response. Grocery TV said consumers were 2.5 times more likely to consider a brand when advertisements were relevant to nearby products or shopping tasks. Meanwhile, 86 percent of respondents said contextually relevant advertising on endcap displays was important to their shopping experience.
Acceptance levels were relatively consistent across generations, ranging from 72 percent among Baby Boomers to 81 percent among Millennials.
Retail media has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the advertising industry, with grocery chains, convenience stores and other retailers increasingly building their own digital advertising networks to reach shoppers during purchasing decisions.
The full report can be accessed here.