Retail media has become one of the most dynamic forces in modern marketing—offering retailers the opportunity to both buy and sell media using their valuable first-party data. But as the opportunity has grown, so too has the complexity. Unfortunately, many retail media players are making foundational technology choices that limit their long-term potential.

The Buy-Side Bias in CDPs

A recurring issue we see across the industry is the overreliance on buy-side-oriented CDPs — platforms primarily designed to help brands activate media campaigns, but not to monetise inventory or manage sell-side data workflows effectively. This narrow focus becomes a constraint for retail media networks who need solutions that work both ways.

At mediarithmics, we've built our platform to serve both the demand and supply sides of the retail media equation. Our clients span both worlds — retailers looking to activate their own audiences across open web and walled gardens, and those building full-scale media networks to attract brand advertising investment. We’re not just built for one side of the transaction. We’re built for the full cycle of retail media.

Unlocking Value with a Transparent ID Graph

A key enabler of success in retail media is a robust ID graph. Retailers often have a wealth of loyalty data tied to physical addresses, alongside logged-in user behaviour on their websites and apps. But connecting those two touchpoints — and translating them into a single, addressable identity—is where real value is unlocked.

This is where many CDPs fall short. Identity resolution is often treated as a black box or a bolt-on, when in fact it should be central to the architecture. 

mediarithmics offers an open, configurable ID graph, allowing retailers to unify data across touchpoints, improve addressability, and power measurement with confidence. And we do so with full transparency — no hidden fees, no opaque logic, just scalable identity infrastructure designed around your business.

European Compliance is Not Optional

Another critical factor for European retailers is data compliance. With regulations such as the GDPR, and more recently the Data Governance Act and ePrivacy updates, data sovereignty and auditability are not negotiable.

Many US-based CDPs struggle with the nuances of European compliance, especially when operating across multiple territories. mediarithmics, by contrast, was born in Europe and serves a wide portfolio of retailers and publishers in France, Germany, the UK, Spain, and beyond. We build compliance into the core of our platform, offering native capabilities to manage consent, control data residency, and uphold user privacy.

Don’t Just Check Boxes—Know What Really Matters

One final note: too often, tech vendors focus on what they’re good at — but stay silent on where they fall short. That’s a problem for buyers trying to make informed decisions. If you're building a retail media network, you need a clear checklist of what matters:

• Does the CDP serve both buy and sell side?
• Can it integrate in real time with demand and supply platforms?
• Does it support ID resolution across both digital and physical environments?
• Is it truly compliant with European data laws?
• Are the costs clear and sustainable?
  

At mediarithmics, we’ve designed our platform to be best-in-breed for retail media use cases, not just another generic data tool. Whether you're scaling your own campaigns or building a new revenue line through retail media monetisation, we’re ready to help you do it right — from day one.