Question 1: Dennis, great to have you here. Retail media is currently regarded as one of the most dynamic growth markets in retail communication. How do you assess the current development in Europe and especially in Germany - and what are the strategic consequences for marketers like MoM or specialists like MEDIA CENTRAL?
Dennis: Very much so. Retail media is still on a high growth trajectory. Budgets continue to grow at double-digit rates and at a faster pace than other communication channels. In Europe, a market volume of around € 22 billion is forecast for 2026. At the same time, market concentration is high: Amazon currently holds around 70% of the share in the retail media sector. However, local retailers in Germany and Europe are increasingly starting to establish their own retail media solutions. This applies to both e-commerce formats (e.g. sponsored products) and in-store digital offerings.
For marketers like us or specialists like MEDIA CENTRAL, this presents an opportunity to play a mediating role. We can help to reduce fragmentation, offer standardised booking processes and establish reporting standards.
Question 2: How does MoM differentiate itself in the increasingly competitive retail media market and what specific expertise does it use to create added value for retailers and brand partners?
Dennis: Basically, we have two central pillars:
- Retail Media as a service: We advise retailers on setting up and developing their retail media products: from business planning and technical implementation to data monetisation.
- Network marketing: We bundle the inventories of various retailers and make them easily bookable for brands.
In our sales team, we combine experience from agency and media marketing. This means that we speak the language of media agencies and understand CPM logic, reach models and reporting standards. This enables us to facilitate access for brands and secure additional reach and budgets for retailers. Through standardisation, easy access and someone who speaks media.
Question 3: What makes the partnership between MoM and MEDIA CENTRAL so special and promising for retailers? What specific advantages are there when retailers market their media inventory with MoM and MEDIA CENTRAL?
Dennis: We bring together two worlds that complement each other perfectly. You are absolute specialists when it comes to retail communication. MEDIA CENTRAL has known retailers for years and knows what their needs are, how the decision-making processes work and where the pain points are.
At MoM, we come from the media side: we have the expertise to turn retail space into a genuine retail media product. This includes digital in-store screens, sponsored product solutions, but also data monetisation - in other words, the ability to translate customer data into targeting and audience solutions.
If you think about the two together, there are several very specific advantages for retailers: We create a holistic offering. They don't have to choose between classic retail communication and retail media, but get everything from a single source. We create new sources of revenue in addition to traditional WKZ budgets, jointly develop additional media budgets, establish reporting standards and clear processes and act as an intermediary between media agencies and retailers. We put retailers in a position where they can act on an equal footing with brands and agencies. Together, MEDIA CENTRAL and MoM ensure that retail spaces are professionally organised, that marketing is structured and that budgets are used where they have the greatest effect.
Question 4: What are the key challenges in the retail media sector today, and how does the partnership address these systematically and sustainably?
Dennis: The biggest challenges in retail media is the high level of fragmentation, lack of standards and lack of transparency. Every retailer works with their own systems and formats, which means that KPIs and reporting vary considerably. Brands want comprehensible results, while retailers want transparency and comparable key figures. This is exactly where we come in: By standardising purchasing - using CPM models and standard market discounts, for example - and standardising reporting, we create clear metrics. Our collaboration makes retail media comparable, more transparent and easier to use for retailers and brands. In this way, we shed light on the complex ecosystem and specifically support the desire for optimisation.
Question 5: How are MEDIA CENTRAL and MoM working together to actively shape the future of retail media and set new standards? What trends can we expect to see?
Dennis: Our biggest lever clearly lies in standardisation. The more retailers participate in joint solutions, the easier it will be for brands to access them and the more attractive retail media will become overall. Together, we can standardise inventories, bundle processes and thus ensure that budgets flow more efficiently.
Another important trend is the opening up of non-endemic advertising. Retail space is also becoming increasingly interesting for brands that are not even represented in the product range - this creates new sources of revenue and makes Retail Media even more relevant.
There is also the issue of data monetisation: retailers have valuable consumer data that can be used both for insights and for targeted advertising. And finally, we are seeing strong impetus from technological developments - from in-store tracking and digital screens to interactive shopping baskets.
Three sides must always benefit: Retailers, brands and consumers.
Retail media will only be successful in the long term if advertising does not disrupt but creates added value.
About Dennis Götze
Dennis Götze has been one of two Managing Directors of Marketing of Moments, one of the leading retail media agencies in Germany, since 2023. Before joining MoM, Dennis Götze was Director Retail Media at Redcare Pharmacy, where he was responsible for building up the company's retail media division. Prior to this, he gained many years of agency experience, including at MediaCom, and has broad expertise in media, digital strategies and retail communication.
He studied media management at the Rheinische Fachhochschule in Cologne and is also involved in industry committees, e.g. as Head of Retail Media Landscape at the BVDW.