INSIGHTS FROM CSP RETAIL MEDIA NETWORK FORUM 2026
DIGITS recaps the CSP Retail Media Network Forum 2026 in Chicago with key takeaways on small-format RMN strategy, AI in commerce, and what CPG brands should do differently now.
Small-Format Retail Media Is Not a Scaled-Down Version of What You Already Do
The CSP Retail Media Network Forum brought together retail media leaders from convenience, dollar, and drug retail at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. The through line was consistent: small-format retail media operates by a different logic than what most CPG brands have built their playbooks around. The networks are maturing, the data infrastructure is improving, and brands arriving with a scaled-down version of their Target or Walmart strategy are already behind.
Small-format networks face a structural reality that sets them apart from large-format retail: ecommerce penetration is low, the shopper is in-store, and the most valuable inventory is physical. The rules of onsite search optimization do not translate directly. The opportunity is in store-level context, proximity, and the identity infrastructure that makes personalization possible at scale.
Key Takeaways at a Glance
Small-format RMN leaders self-identified loyalty programs and in-store media as their two primary growth opportunities. Offsite was not on the list, but DIGITS thinks it should be.
Pump screen TV is a high-value in-store tactic with proximity potential for nearby national retailers.
Dollar General announced a new partnership with The Trade Desk for onsite retail media.
Google framed its AI role in commerce as matchmaker, not merchant, with business agents and agentic services on the near horizon.
How Are C-Store Retail Media Networks Actually Growing Right Now?
C-store retail media growth is being driven by in-store digital media and loyalty program expansion, not yet by the offsite channels that dominate CPG planning conversations.
The shopper is already in the store. That changes the entire media logic. Pump screen TV emerged at the Forum as a particularly high-value format, reaching endemic advertisers like soda, snack, and lottery brands in a high-dwell, pre-purchase moment. There is also a less obvious application: pump screens can announce brand launches or promotions at nearby national retailers. A brand launching at a Target or Walmart in the same shopping center can reach C-store shoppers on the way in or out. Most brands have not yet operationalized this proximity play.
On the loyalty side, “Know more customers” was the operating principle shared on stage. The networks that build a cleaner first-party data foundation will attract the most sophisticated CPG media budgets.
If your small-format retail media plan does not include an in-store component, it may not match how these networks are actually growing.
What Did Dollar General’s Retail Media Announcement Signal for the Category?
Dollar General’s Trade Desk partnership signals that small-format networks are investing in programmatic infrastructure that brings them closer to the capabilities CPG brands already use at larger retailers.
Austin Leonard, VP and GM of DG Media Network, shared details at the Forum. Trade Desk connectivity means CPG brands can potentially bring their existing programmatic relationships and measurement frameworks into Dollar General’s environment. It lowers the activation barrier and positions DG Media Network as a serious scaled media channel operable from 1 interface, not just a promotional vehicle.
Programmatic infrastructure announcements tend to look like incremental news. They are usually the first indicator of how a network intends to position itself to brands.
What Should CPG Brands Do Differently After This Conference?
- Audit your small-format media plan against the analog vs personalized barbell model. Identify whether your current activation sits on the analog side, the personalized digital side, or the undifferentiated middle. Use different KPIs and approaches for both.
- Evaluate pump screen as a proximity tactic. If your brand is launching at a national retailer with nearby C-store locations, explore whether pump screen inventory in those trade areas is accessible.
- Pressure-test your identity assumptions. Before building a plan around audience targeting, confirm what first-party data is actually available and how it is resolved at each network.
- Monitor the DG Media Network Trade Desk integration. If Dollar General is a meaningful volume channel, the programmatic connection is worth a closer look in Q3 planning.
- Start asking your agency partners about AI readiness. The brands preparing digital shelf content and inventory architecture now will have a real advantage when agentic commerce scales.
FAQs
What is small-format retail media? Small-format retail media refers to advertising programs operated by convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores, and liquor stores using first-party retailer data. These networks operate differently from large-format retailers because of lower ecommerce penetration and predominantly in-store shopper behavior.
Why is loyalty data so important for C-store retail media? Convenience stores have historically relied on anonymous transactions, which limits addressable audience quality. Loyalty programs and identity resolution platforms close that gap. Without known-customer data, CPG brands are buying broader, less targeted inventory.
What is pump screen TV and how can CPG brands use it? Pump screen TV is digital video advertising served on fuel dispenser screens at convenience stores. It reaches shoppers in a high-dwell, pre-purchase moment. Beyond endemic C-store categories, it can be used by national brands to announce nearby retail promotions, making it a proximity tactic as well as a category driver.
How does Dollar General’s Trade Desk partnership affect CPG media planning? The integration allows CPG brands to connect existing programmatic infrastructure and data with DG Media Network inventory. It lowers the activation barrier and signals that Dollar General is building toward the programmatic capability brands already use at larger retailers.
Ready to Build a Small-Format Retail Media Strategy That Actually Fits the Channel?
About DIGITS Agency
DIGITS is an omnichannel retail media agency specializing in Target, regional grocers, and alcohol retail media. As a Target Managed Services partner, Roundel Media Studio Certified agency and Walmart Connect Partner, DIGITS helps CPG brands navigate retail media with strategic planning, hands-on campaign management, and proprietary analytics. Learn more at www.digitsagency.com.
Dave Glaza, Founder & CEO of DIGITS, remains committed to bringing digital capabilities to physical stores!
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