The Middlemen Podcast by Nextipedia

Possible 2026: Retailers Are Getting Better at This

Retail media maturity, loyalty-led product updates, and buying flexibility beyond sponsored search.

Tom Limongello & Todd Sawicki

Todd and Tom break down what stood out at Possible 2026.

There was plenty of discussion about AI, including CVS Media Exchange’s new CorIQ platform, but the bigger story felt more practical: retailers with strong loyalty programs are starting to show real signs of product maturity.

That maturity is showing up in:

• Better campaign planning and measurement
• More flexibility in how brands buy media
• Greater willingness to integrate with existing buying workflows
• Expansion beyond sponsored search into broader omnichannel media strategies

The conversation around Google DV360 and broader DSP access came up repeatedly throughout the week. Retailers increasingly seem willing to compete on product quality and shopper data instead of keeping everything tightly contained inside owned systems.

Todd and Tom also discuss:

• Why loyalty-led retailers still have a major advantage
• The gap between CPG expectations and challenger brand expectations
• Why not every retailer will earn the right to operate across every offsite channel
• Mark Williamson’s merchant-first vision for Costco retail media

Plus: conversations from the week with CVS Media Exchange, Albertsons Media Collective, Ace, HEB, Backpack, and others.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back from Possible

00:36 What Possible Actually Is

04:01 RMN Product Sophistication

05:13 CVS (CMX) & Albertsons (AMC) Announcements

10:37 Mark Williamson (Costco): Merchant-First Vision

12:08 Looking Ahead to Cannes & Wrap-Up

Coming Next

• Albertsons Media Collective — Google / DV360 and going where buyers are
• CVS Media Exchange — a look at their new AI platform CorIQ

Possible 2026: Retailers Are Getting Better at This - YouTube

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Possible 2026: Retailers Are Getting Better at This The Middlemen Podcast