Retail is undergoing a profound transformation, and at the centre of this shift is “last mile advertising”. This refers to how retailers and brands engage consumers at the point of purchase, using data-driven in-store media to influence decision-making and drive measurable revenue.
This was the central theme at the “Last Mile Advertising – Using Data and In-Store Media to Drive Retail Growth” panel, hosted by Moving Walls during the NRF APAC 2025 in Singapore, featuring experts from across the ecosystem:
The session unpacked how retail media is rapidly evolving from a tactical execution layer into a strategic growth engine, viewed through the lenses of investment, marketing services, and brand leadership.
Here’s what we learned.
Junichi Eto, Managing Director at JRE Ventures (Japan’s government-backed venture capital firm) highlighted the macroeconomic context in Japan, where organic retail growth is slowing. Retail media, he noted, is emerging as a growth lever and presents a path forward for value creation.
JRE, long known for its railway business, is now introducing digital media into train stations to take advantage of foot traffic and location data. Combining demographic information with transaction history enables more precise targeting than traditional digital media.
“Retail media will become the dominant media category—because it uses real purchase data, not just intent.”
— Junichi Eto, JRE Ventures
Eto emphasized that retail media will soon be the dominant media category because it integrates first-party data, in-store visits, and actual purchasing behavior. This enables:
However, he also pointed out a key structural challenge: silos between merchandising and media teams. Bridging these divisions is crucial for retailers to maximize the value of their media assets and improve the customer journey. To unlock full-funnel value, organizations must integrate both functions into a single retail media framework.
Richard Murray, CEO of ADM Group, spoke about ADM’s investments across Asia in retail media networks, particularly through retail groups with massive offline reach.
ADM has built one of the most sophisticated retail media infrastructures in Asia, combining:
ADM is helping brands customize campaigns across the customer journey, including before, during, and after the store visit.
“87% of purchases still happen offline. That’s where intent lives.”
— Richard Murray, ADM
Retail media, Murray noted, provides incremental revenue with high margins for retailers, and deep performance insights for brands. Critically, he reminded the audience that 87% of all purchase decisions are made in-store, making last-mile engagement an intuitive place to invest.
ADM’s approach demonstrates that in-store activation isn’t just awareness; it also drives conversion, measurement, and long-term retention.
May Suenikom, Global Marketing Director at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, focused on experience continuity across both physical and digital channels for a seamless customer experience.
“Impulse matters. With products like ice cream, the last mile is everything.”
— May Suenikom, Global Marketing Director, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Retail media, she noted, plays a critical role in the “moment of truth,” which is the point when a consumer is deciding whether to buy or move on to the next option. For impulse categories like beverages or desserts, timing is crucial. Suenikom relies on foot traffic monitoring and in-store analytics to ensure campaigns are timely, relevant, and personalized.
In her view, real-time engagement at the point of sale is make-or-break. Retail media is no longer optional; it’s essential for building brand equity and driving conversions.
The panel also addressed the APAC retail media maturity spectrum:
Despite different starting points, the shared vision is clear: retail media will become central to omnichannel strategy in APAC.
Retail media has moved beyond campaign execution to become a strategic growth driver by enabling brands to build equity through relevant in-store engagement, monetize data and physical space for new revenue streams, and deliver personalized commerce at scale, making it central to modern omnichannel strategy.
With access to tools like heat maps, foot traffic analytics, and in-store behavioral insights, brands can now apply the same performance marketing mindset to physical retail spaces that they use in platforms like Google Ads or Meta Ads Manager. Just as marketers A/B test creatives or optimize bidding strategies based on CTRs and conversion paths online, they can now:
For example, a consumer electronics brand running a campaign across multiple mall locations can analyze which screen placements drive the most traffic to their nearby pop-up or retail shelf. They can then reallocate media budget or change content frequency, just like optimizing budget allocation across keywords or audiences in Google Ads.
In this new environment, the store becomes a high-performing channel, not just a sales floor. It can be measured, and scaled like any other media investment.
As the panelists made clear, the future of retail growth lies in the last mile—where physical interaction meets data precision. Retail media delivers value across the board:
Organizations that move quickly to break silos, unify data, and invest in programmable in-store media will shape the next wave of retail transformation across APAC and beyond.
Interested in launching your own retail media strategy?
Connect with Moving Walls to explore our last-mile activation toolkit.
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