"The retail media gold rush has created more than 200 networks - and an equally large headache. For brands, the promise of closed-loop measurement is irresistible, but the reality is messy: every retailer guards its shopper data like crown jewels while advertisers are forced to spend across fragmented platforms without any real way of joining it all up. Into this chaos steps Nikhil Raj, freshly appointed CEO of MetaRouter."
"What began as "throwing banners on Walmart.com" turned into a multi-billion-dollar profit engine. Under Raj's watch, the business grew from near zero to $400m - proof that retail media could move from co-op afterthought to one of the most lucrative lines in modern retail. "People forget: Walmart had no loyalty program, so we had to invent new ways of linking ad impressions to in-store sales," Raj recalls. "That technology still underpins the business today.""
Retail media has fragmented into more than 200 networks, creating closed-loop measurement promise but messy, guarded shopper data and fragmented advertiser spend. Nikhil Raj built Walmart's ad business from near zero to $400m by inventing ways to link ad impressions to in-store sales without a loyalty program; that measurement technology remains foundational. MetaRouter operates inside a retailer's cloud, encrypting and routing consumer data so platforms like Meta or Google can receive usable signals without exposing competitive details. The platform prevents audience leakage between retailers, enables cross-network buying or national audience building, and preserves commercial confidentiality.
Read at The Drum
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