From Shelf to Screen: The Evolution & Expansion of Trade Marketing into Retail Media

For decades, trade marketing has been the backbone of how brands show up at retail. Whether it’s a beautifully executed endcap, a well-planned planogram, or an in-store promotion, the goal has always been the same: capture attention where buying decisions happen.

Today, that still matters... a lot. But what’s changed is where & how those moments occur. The shopper’s journey no longer starts at the shelf; it often starts on a screen. Retail media hasn’t replaced trade marketing; it’s extended its reach, creating new touchpoints that mirror the same intent, influence, & collaboration that built the in-store world.

What I Mean by Trade Marketing

In its simplest form, trade marketing is the collaboration between brands & retailers designed to drive visibility & conversion where shoppers make decisions. It includes everything from in-store displays & promotions to co-funded media & joint business planning.

Historically, that meant optimizing the physical shelf, but today, it also means showing up on the digital shelf. The purpose hasn’t changed; only the playing field has expanded.

The Foundation: Trade Marketing’s Enduring Role

Trade marketing remains the art of visibility. It’s about creating experiences that guide shoppers, strengthen retailer relationships, & drive conversion. Having started my career in merchandising & space planning, I’ve seen how strategic every shelf, display, & assortment decision can be, it’s data-driven storytelling in physical form.

Those fundamentals haven’t gone anywhere. What’s changed is that the shelf is no longer the only place the story unfolds.

The Expansion: From Physical Space to Digital Real Estate

As shopping journeys became increasingly hybrid, retailers realized that influence extends well beyond store walls. The same principles that made in-store trade marketing so powerful — visibility, relevance, timing — now apply digitally.

Sponsored product listings, onsite banners, personalized emails, & shoppable video ads are the new endcaps & feature tables. The “digital shelf” has become a dynamic extension of the in-store experience & often the first impression a shopper has with a brand.

What’s exciting is how quickly this landscape has matured. In just a few years, retail media has grown from an emerging channel to a multi-billion-dollar industry that connects marketing spend directly to sales outcomes.

Rather than replacing the old playbook, retail media builds upon it. It introduces new data capabilities, targeting precision, & measurement sophistication, while preserving the same collaborative spirit between brands & retailers.

The Omnichannel Era: Where Physical & Digital Meet

 Today’s most effective retail strategies blur the line between online & in-store. The best brands & retailers are orchestrating campaigns that connect the dots, from a mobile ad to an in-aisle display, from a search result to a store shelf.

Digital signals now inform physical merchandising decisions, & vice versa. Retailers can measure how online media drives in-store sales, & how in-store exposure feeds digital retargeting. It’s not “shelf or screen,” it’s both, working together.

What It Means for Brands & Retailers

 For brands, the opportunity has never been bigger. The combination of trade marketing’s shopper understanding & retail media’s data precision means visibility is now measurable, personal, & omnipresent.

For retailers, it’s an expansion of influence. They’re no longer just distributors, they’re media owners, experience builders, & data partners.

& for marketers, this moment calls for connection, connecting teams, data, & creativity across every shopper touchpoint.

Closing Thought

Trade marketing didn’t fade; it evolved. What began in aisles & endcaps has expanded into algorithms & ad placements. However, the mission remains unchanged: to help brands show up where shoppers make decisions, whether that’s on the shelf, on the screen, or somewhere in between.

Retail media isn’t the next chapter of trade marketing; it’s the expanded universe of it.

-Malorie Ragsdale, MBA.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of any affiliated organizations, employers, or other entities.