Personalization boosts retail media as trust gap remains

LONDON — New research from dunnhumby underscores a central tension shaping the future of retail media: shoppers are highly receptive to personalized experiences, but only when those experiences are delivered with transparency, relevance and control.

According to the report Retail Media: Technology, trust and retail experiences reshaping shopper decisions, nine in 10 shoppers are open to greater retail media engagement, provided it is tailored to their preferences. The findings indicate that personalization is a primary driver of both trust and purchase intent, with consumers more than twice as likely to trust personalized advertising as generic messaging.

The study, based on a survey of 3,000 grocery shoppers in the United States and the United Kingdom, found that 91% of respondents are willing to share transactional data if it results in more relevant advertising. At the same time, 59% of shoppers aged 18 to 54 said they are more likely to buy from retailers that deliver truly personalized retail media experiences.

The data also highlights a dual opportunity for retailers and brands. While 66% of shoppers stick with familiar products, 71% say they enjoy discovering new brands. That dynamic creates an opening for retail media strategies that blend reassurance with discovery, using customer insights to introduce new products in a relevant and timely way.

At the same time, the research signals caution about emerging technologies. While shoppers expressed interest in innovations such as personalized pricing, in-store digital screens and tailored health recommendations, nearly half of respondents said that highly automated retail experiences feel intrusive.

“Retail media is transforming at an extraordinary pace, but the shopper perspective is often missing,” said Michael Schuh, head of retail media at dunnhumby. “Today’s world is filled with marketing messages, so it’s vital retailers and brands break through the noise with deep shopper loyalty and quality engagements.”

The report emphasizes that successful retail media strategies will depend on collaboration between retailers and brands, grounded in shared customer insights. Rather than fragmented execution, dunnhumby argues that the most effective approaches integrate loyalty, personalization, and category management into a connected ecosystem that delivers consistent value throughout the shopper journey.