In-Store Retail Media Viewability: Standards, Measurement, and Best Practices

Current Measurement Approaches

Traffic-Based Impressions

The most common method: multiply the number of ad plays by the average foot traffic in the ad's zone during the play time. If a screen plays an ad 100 times in a day and the average zone traffic is 50 shoppers per play, that's 5,000 impressions. This is an estimate, not a precise count.

Sensor-Verified Impressions

Advanced networks use cameras, sensors, or Wi-Fi analytics to count actual people in viewing range when an ad plays. QSIC uses ambient noise levels as a proxy for store occupancy. Some screen networks use anonymous computer vision to count faces oriented toward the screen.

Dwell-Time Adjusted Impressions

Not all impressions are equal. A shopper standing in a checkout line for 3 minutes has more opportunity to see a screen ad than someone walking past at full speed. Some networks weight impressions by estimated dwell time.

Emerging Standards

IAB Retail Media Standards

The IAB's Retail Media Working Group has published measurement guidelines that include recommendations for in-store media. Key principles include separating impressions from opportunity-to-see metrics and providing transparent methodology documentation.

MRC Accreditation

The Media Rating Council is working toward accreditation standards for in-store media measurement. Networks seeking MRC accreditation must demonstrate accurate counting methodology, regular auditing, and transparent reporting.

Best Practices for Retailers

Invest in foot traffic counting technology, be transparent about impression methodology with advertisers, separate impression estimates from verified impressions in reporting, and pursue third-party auditing or MRC accreditation as the industry matures. Advertisers are increasingly demanding measurement rigor comparable to digital channels.