UK and European retailers playing retail media catch up as US powers ahead, Currys CIO Andy Gamble

Retail media is becoming the operating system of modern commerce. It has rewriten the retail playbook Stateside and the UK/Europe are in catch up mode. So says Andy Gamble, Group CIO at Currys.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "I was in the US last week. Four days. Some of the biggest names in global retail. All $100 billion+. And one clear takeaway: one retailer I spoke with has now unified media, loyalty, and insights under one roof."

"No more silos. No lag between data and action. I’s all connected. All real-time. All strategic. As their exec told me: “We’ve removed the friction. Now brands grow with us using precision data, personalisation science, and seamless marketing tech.”

"And the most powerful part? The data is now the product - fuelled by AI, scaled by strategy. It’s not just what you know. It’s how fast you can act on it."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Retail media will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.