Retail Media Day: Switzerland Discovers the Impact on Purchasing Decisions

125 guests, over 20 speakers and panelists, a packed schedule from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and a networking reception to wrap things up: RMD25 demonstrated just how much traction this topic has in the market. Organized by IAB Switzerland under Managing Director Urs Flückiger, with support from Gold Partners Advertima, Audienzz, Goldbach, Ringier Advertising, and Bring! Labs, the event focused on one central goal: advancing potential, standards, and collaboration across the entire retail media value chain.

Working Groups as a Catalyst

The opening was hosted by the presenter Sven Ruoss, IAB Vice President Roger Baur as well as the leaders of the retail media working groups. Their common message: The industry needs clear definitions and standards to put retail media in Switzerland on a solid footing. Nicolas Bill, Head of Marketing at OBI and Chair of the Retailer Working Group, aims to pool the strengths of retailers and raise the profile of retail media from a retailer’s perspective. His group facilitates the exchange of experiences among retail companies and identifies market trends based on these insights. Sven Ruoss emphasized the need to overcome fragmentation and establish a common understanding. Without clear structures, he noted, retail media would be virtually impossible for advertisers to book—standards are a prerequisite for growth.

Strategic Turning Point

This was followed by Robert Jozić, Managing Director of Schwarz Media and Chair of the Retail Media Working Group at the BVDW, delivered the first keynote address titled «Retail or Media—At a Strategic Turning Point.» He painted a clear picture: The retail sector is under massive pressure—from the pandemic, from platforms, and from AI assistants that are increasingly taking over customer access. In this environment, he said, retail media is not a side business but a strategic necessity.

Speaking as a representative of the Schwarz Group, the world’s fourth-largest retailer, Jozić was unusually candid: With growth of over eight percent, its own recycling facilities, and an educational foundation, the group is independent of stock market expectations. This position allows it to expand retail media as a business segment over the long term.

He cautioned against using the revenue of platforms like Amazon, Ali, or Temu as a benchmark: It is 100 percent incremental and therefore not comparable to traditional retailers. He also criticized the «relabeling» of advertising subsidies as retail media budgets—without any real added value. The often-cited nominal RoAS is obsolete: «Nominal RoAS is dead.» What matters is incremental RoAS (iRoAS), which can be measured through rigorous A/B tests—differences by a factor of three are not uncommon.

He cited loyalty apps such as Lidl Plus and Kaufland—which combine purchase data and customer loyalty—as key channels. Advertising on these platforms is more measurable and effective than traditional online advertising. Jozić also advocated for retailers to assume the advertising risk themselves, for example through CPA models based on AI-driven forecasts.

Scaling requires standards: He referred to the BVDW’s product portfolio, adapted from IAB Europe, which covers the entire funnel. At its core, the goal is to distinguish between a «Red Ocean Game»—integration into existing commercial negotiations—and a «Blue Ocean Game»: The latter taps into new budgets from CMOs and agencies, regardless of sales, and is also open to non-endemic partners such as Disney+.

His conclusion was programmatic: Retail media must be established as a distinct media category—with clear metrics, standards, and partnerships. Only in this way can its full potential be realized: «Loyalty, Partnerships, and Content» as the foundation for a holistic customer journey.

Omnichannel and Cumulus Data

Gian Berger, Head of Product and Business Development for Retail Media at Migros, shed light on a wholesaler’s perspective. For Migros, retail media is an omnichannel initiative driven by first-party data. About 80 percent of all transactions are processed via the Cumulus card, giving Migros a precise picture of purchasing behavior. Berger defined retail media as the convergence of data and touchpoints—from online platforms to apps and loyalty programs to the point of sale (POS). The goal, he said, is to make advertising opportunities for advertisers transparent and customer-centric. For him, retail media is a «playing field» that is complex but offers enormous potential.

The challenges lie in developing a clear data strategy, securing management buy-in, and breaking down internal silos. Retail media must be part of the overall strategy, not an isolated department. In addition, leadership, cultural change, and investment in talent are needed.

Using a „test and learn“ approach, Migros develops small MVPs with partners, scales successful models, and selects topics that are marketable and scalable. For Berger, establishing standards and scaling up are the crucial next steps.

Retail Media on the Rise

Retail media is much more than just another advertising space. This was also evident in numerous case studies and discussions. Particular emphasis was placed on the measurability of campaigns. The focus is shifting from nominal RoAS to incremental impact—the actual increase in revenue, reliably measured through A/B testing.

Real-world examples demonstrated the impact: Marc Goetti (Excom Media) presented campaigns with Ricola and Carlsberg that, using real-time targeting, achieved 13 percent more relevant impressions and 86 percent fewer ad impressions per 1,000 contacts. A Carrefour study from the Middle East showed a 68 percent increase in revenue through programmatic targeting. The topic of omnichannel was also a focus: For Gian Berger, retail media is clearly a synergy between physical stores, online platforms, and loyalty apps, all connected via first-party data.

Swiss Retailers in Detail: Impact at the POS

Tobias Kober (MediaMarkt Switzerland) describes retail media as a «passion project.» Significant results can be achieved with relatively small budgets: 3,700 francs led to a ROAS of 1,027 percent. The mix is significantly more effective across the entire funnel—for example, by combining Sponsored Product Ads and Sponsored Brand Ads. The «Apple Days» were particularly impressive: a coordinated two-week campaign that combined product selection, pricing, in-store visibility, and first-party data—resulting in a 75 percent increase in sales across the entire Apple product line.

Pierre Bohren (Brack.Alltron) outlined the strategy «»Show what you're made of" First: Creativity comes before funding. First, the idea is developed; then, production budgets are sought—or, if necessary, the project is carried out without them. That’s how the «Prince Charming» campaign for printers came about, for example. Another striking fact: 100 percent of Brack’s campaigns are AI-generated. Advertising should be natively integrated; the company rejects clunky banners. The next steps involve the further development of Sponsored Products, new brand formats, and first-party data products.

Nina Hoss (Digitec Galaxus) presented a broad portfolio - from print ads in a package to newsletters and offsite campaigns to truck branding. In order to maintain credibility, Digitec Galaxus deliberately refrains from advertising on the online store. With 3.3 million active customers - a third of the population - the platform offers enormous reach. Cases prove the effect: +200% growth for a socks supplier, +600% traffic for a smartphone campaign or 10 million impressions for gardening products with an average CPC of CHF 0.71.

 

 

Consolidate retailers and establish measurable metrics

Nicolas Bill, Chair of the IAB Retail Media Working Group and Head of Marketing at OBI, sees the main task as bringing together retailers’ interests and sharing collective insights with the market. With over 20 years of experience. Measurability is essential: ROAS and the cost-to-revenue ratio are key metrics that can only be reliably measured with clear standards. This is precisely what his group is working on—with the goal of creating a solid foundation for the Swiss market.

Voices from Agencies: Partnership and Precision

Manfred Strobel, a media expert at Webrepublic, described the RMD25 as a successful kickoff and an important signal for the market. He found the insights from Germany and OBI’s report on ten years of retail media development particularly valuable. For Strobel, retail media will only work within partnership-based models. The touchpoint at the point of sale—where context and consumer desire converge—is crucial. For agencies like Webrepublic, retail media has long been part of their business: their expertise in measurability and precision has been continuously expanded. The benchmark remains the clients’ revenue targets.

Learning from a Mature Market

Moritz Hoffmann, Managing Director of the pilot agency group and Chair of the Retail Media Ecosystem at the BVDW, highlighted the trends in Germany. Retail media began there over 20 years ago in the marketplace business, gained volume in 2015–2016, and has experienced a boom in recent years—accelerated by the pandemic and e-commerce. Today, most of the top 10 retailers offer retail media solutions.

The market is currently in a consolidation phase. The biggest challenge is the convergence of retail and media—two historically separate worlds with different operating principles. Retailers entering the media business are venturing into a new industry with new competitors. Media companies, in turn, must understand that retailers’ core business remains more important to them than media.

Retail media is driving new models: sellers and buyers are becoming partners who purchase reach, inventory, and data from one another. Retail media also influences media planning as a whole: Access to transaction and demographic data enables more precise targeting that goes beyond traditional market research. Hoffmann’s message: Collaborative partnerships are the only way to develop standards and learn from one another.

What Needs to Be Resolved Now

In addition to the great potential, the challenges also became clearly apparent. Technical Complexity and the need for Standardization remain key issues. Representatives from Advertima, for example, emphasized that this is the only way to scale. At the same time, there is a need for a Culture change. Retailers must learn to see themselves as media companies. Management buy-ins, data strategies, and breaking down silos are essential to this. It is also important to distinguish retail media from traditional trade marketing. New business can only be generated if there is genuine incremental growth.

The consumer's perspective remains the guiding principle. Advertising should inform and offer added value—not be a nuisance. Juan-Pablo Schmid (Bring! Labs) spoke of «Pretail Media,» which engages consumers as early as the shopping planning stage. Pierre Bohren also emphasized that user experience takes precedence over media budgets.

Looking Ahead: Data, Standards, and Double-Digit Growth

The RMD25 made it clear: Switzerland has woken up to the concept of retail media. Experts expect double-digit annual growth rates. First-party data is considered a «key asset,» and common standards are seen as essential for building trust and scaling operations.

There are varying estimates regarding the market size: excluding Amazon, it ranges from 100 to 150 million Swiss francs; including print media, it is around 250 million. However, there was agreement that retail media must be an integral part of media plans going forward.

Virginia Ruggieri (Ricola) summarized the expectations: Retail media must realize its full potential, use budgets more efficiently, and offer customers a relevant, inspiring shopping experience. The first Retail Media Day laid the groundwork for this—and sparked a discussion that will bring about lasting change in the Swiss marketing landscape.