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Customer-first retail media

September 1, 2026
Campbell Ettinger
Head of Retail Media, Waitrose & Partners

In this episode of The Retail Media Show, Steve Gray speaks to Campbell Ettinger, Head of Retail Media at Waitrose & Partners, about putting the customer at the centre of retail media and building an approach that works for customers, clients and the retailer.

Campbell Ettinger is Head of Retail Media at Waitrose & Partners. Drawing on experience across buying, ecommerce and commercial leadership, he explains why retail media needs to stay anchored in customer outcomes while connecting more closely with commercial and customer teams.

In this episode:

  • How Campbell’s experience in buying, ecommerce and commercial leadership shaped his customer-first view of retail media
  • Why retail media should deliver a win for the customer, a win for the client and a win for the retailer
  • Why advertising income should not be the sole objective of a retail media programme
  • How Waitrose balances retail media growth with its ambition to be the home of food lovers
  • Connecting retail media more closely with commercial and customer teams
  • Why aligned incentives across teams matter
  • Why retail media measurement cannot be one size fits all
  • Agreeing campaign objectives before deciding which metrics matter
  • Balancing self-serve technology with strong account management and storytelling
  • How collaboration and aggregation can make retail media easier to buy
  • Waitrose’s participation in collaborative retail media initiatives with other retailers
  • Why innovation should improve the customer or client experience, not simply generate cash
  • The opportunity for connected stores, in-store screens and shelf-edge technology
  • How in-store retail media could become more localised by location, weather and demographics

About The Retail Media Show

The Retail Media Show is a weekly conversation with the people building, buying and shaping retail media. Hosted by Steve Gray, it brings together retailers, brands, agencies and technology leaders to explore what's changing, what's working and what comes next.

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About SG-retail

SG-retail helps retailers turn retail media ambition into practical, commercially effective propositions. We work with retail businesses to shape strategy, strengthen capability and create the operating models, propositions and partnerships needed to make retail media work in practice. Our focus is on building approaches that are commercially valuable, customer-led and sustainable — helping retailers move from opportunity to execution with greater clarity and confidence.

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