The news: Retail media is maturing fast past its experimentation phase—and Evan Hovorka, VP of Product and Innovation at Albertsons Media Collective, says its next phase will hinge less on flashy tech and more on practical innovation. In an EMARKETER interview at Advertising Week New York, he described retail media’s evolution from commerce media—focusing on digital shelf and point-of-sale activations—to a broader engine for brand storytelling and omnichannel engagement.

“Commerce has to be at the core,” Hovorka said, “but the future is experiential and inspirational, not just transactional.” The next opportunity, he argued, is to make retail media simpler, more creative, and more transparent for brands.

How retail media must mature: Hovorka emphasized Albertsons’ focus on clarity and ease of managing cross-channel data and campaigns, which he said are pain points for the sector at large.

• Standardization is an imperative. Albertsons is standardizing across Pinterest, DV360, The Trade Desk, Meta, and onsite inventory so all activations use the same audiences and metrics. “Same audience, same methodology, everywhere,” Hovorka said. “That makes the brand’s job easier and keeps the data defensible.” He cautioned marketers to avoid “grossed-up” metrics and generic mix models that blur performance.
• Data collaboration must be easier—and cleaner. To give brands more flexibility, Albertsons uses LiveRamp’s Habu clean room technology to securely combine advertiser and retailer data. Hovorka said some advertisers bring their own data, while others rely on Albertsons’ first-party insights—and the company must enable both approaches.
• Measurement must also standardize. Retail media’s credibility, Hovorka said, depends on consistent, defensible measurement. Albertsons only counts conversions that happen after a shopper sees an ad—a rule that prevents inflated results. “If you saw it on the 14th and bought it on the 13th, we don’t get credit,” he explained.
• Optimization and continuity are key to ROI. Hovorka sees the biggest efficiency gains in omnichannel optimization—fluidly shifting spend across CTV, social, display, and in-store to maximize ROI. “We can treat channels consistently and move dollars around to maximize performance,” he said.

What advertisers should do:

• Treat retail media as a long game, not a sprint. As retail media moves from experimentation to maturity, advertisers should prioritize transparency and consistency. Hovorka’s focus on clean attribution and standardized metrics signals a future where retail networks operate more like performance platforms than walled gardens. With US retail media spend set to grow 17.9% next year to $69.33 billion, advertisers can capitalize if they stay focused on efficiency and clarity.
• Prioritize the shopper experience as much as the sale. Hovorka cautioned against cluttering retail spaces with intrusive ads, stressing that growth should “add channels, not chaos.” Instead of cramming more inventory into apps or sites, brands should expand into formats that elevate the experience—like CTV, digital out-of-home, and other high-impact placements.
• Simplify, standardize, and spend smarter. As retail media matures, advertisers should demand greater transparency and consistency. Hovorka’s push for clean attribution and standardized metrics signals a shift toward retail networks operating more like performance platforms than walled gardens.

“Innovation should make advertising easier, not harder,” Hovorka said. “It doesn’t mean you spend more—it means you spend smarter, toward consistency and continuity.”