At Marketecture Live, retail media took center stage—and behind every successful retail media network is a successful partnership. Ace Hardware’s Corporate Vice President of Retail Media Networks, Molly Hjelm, and Epsilon’s SVP of Retail Growth, Edina Kalamperovic, sat down for a conversation on how retail media is moving the industry beyond proxy metrics, the role of deterministic data and how partnerships like Ace and Epsilon’s are setting a new standard for trustworthy measurement.
Dig into their conversation below.
Edina Kalamperovic, Epsilon: If you look back at the last decade of digital advertising, measurement was late to mature. We relied on third-party and platform-reported metrics—impressions, clicks, viewability. It was “good enough” because it was all we had. But retail media changed the rules. It’s growing nearly twice as fast as digital overall, and it’s forcing us to ask: What really counts as performance?
Molly Hjelm, Ace Hardware: I’ve spent my career in retail data—from consulting to activation and measurement. I’ve led sales teams within mature retail media networks in the dollar channel and in grocery, and now I’ve had the opportunity to launch RedVest Media for Ace Hardware. What’s exciting is that we’re finally speaking the same language across the industry. Deterministic precision, closed-loop outcomes—these aren’t niche ideas anymore. They’re becoming the standard.
And yet, there’s still debate within RMN communities on what measurement should be. For advertisers, when it comes to partnering with media networks, not all data and measurement is created equal; the customer data at the heart of it all really matters. At Ace, we have scale—nearly 5200 stores across the US, we have reach: 50MM monthly site visits to our site and app, and we have a value-exchange connection to our customer in our 70MM+ member loyalty program.
Kalamperovic: Most measurement today is projected—MMM, ROAS, platform-reported numbers. But a Meta/IAB study showed that non-experimental methods missed true lift by up to 80%. Retail media offers deterministic, closed-loop sales data. Yet even with that advantage, we’re still debating what counts as “good enough,” why there’s no standardization, and whether incrementality or ROAS matters more.
Hjelm: As a marketer, I’ve felt the pain of opaque models. While every retail media network has a right to customize their measurement for their unique dataset, purchase cycle and approach to identity resolution, it can lead to massive distrust—a perception that they are grading their own homework.
When we stood up RedVest, we did so with intention and focused on what matters: Real time, comprehensive measurement that spans ecommerce and in-store. We’re using Epsilon’s standardized iROAS methodology. It’s real-time, cross-channel and rooted in our loyalty data. That gives us credibility and objectivity from day one.
Kalamperovic: Retailers want to prove their value within their walls, but, as Molly said, that can look like grading your own homework. With over 200 retail media networks in the U.S., each with their own KPIs, advertisers are left trying to compare apples to oranges.
Molly, what do you think: How do you see that balance, of building an ad network sitting within a broader retail context? What does it mean for how you are looking at outcomes and the conversations you are having?
Hjelm: At Ace, our merchants are deeply attuned to the advertising investments. There’s an expectation that we’re not wasting time or money. It’s a microscope on what we’re doing in the best kind of way. The beauty of retail media really shines when we focus media tools on addressing business pain points and engaging specific retail customer cohorts to drive results. Retail media lets you target lapsed customers, retain loyals, and launch innovation with precision.
When advertisers compare across retailers or national media, there are certainly challenges. The key is to focus on the business pain point. If you’re accountable for growth at Ace, RedVest Media is a toolkit that can help you reach your goals.
Kalamperovic: Standardization, incrementality vs. ROAS, deterministic vs. modeled—these are the hot topics. Off-site retail media is growing 1.5× faster than on-site, which means more fragmentation and more risk of double counting. The brands that win will triangulate across methodologies and weight deterministic data higher.
Hjelm: I’ve seen advertisers swing wildly based on MMM results—pulling back from ecommerce, then pouring investment back in. You have to build your gut. Your retail media investment probably isn’t driving $40 for every dollar spent, but it’s not $0.50 either. Benchmark within each retailer’s ecosystem, optimize over time, trust deterministic results over modeled/projected, and make the tools work harder for you.
Kalamperovic: Anchor in people, not proxies. If it’s not tied to a person and a purchase, it’s not the truth. And triangulate—align with finance on a simple plan: incrementality = impact, ROAS = efficiency, MMM/MTA = planning check.
Hjelm: I’d add: Don’t over-index on comparisons across retailers. Focus on what works within each ecosystem. At RedVest, we’ve built a setup that integrates the best of Ace’s data with the best of Epsilon’s tech. That’s how we learn, optimize, and grow.
Kalamperovic: Retail media is growing fast because it promises accountability. Let’s make sure it delivers—and push the rest of digital to follow.
Hjelm: Well said. Let’s keep the focus on outcomes and the people who drive them.
This conversation made one thing clear: “good enough” measurement isn’t good enough anymore. As Edina explained, retail media’s promise is accountability—but it’s up to the industry to deliver on it, and Molly agreed: the brands that will win are the ones focused on outcomes and the people behind them.
Partnerships like Epsilon and Ace are proving what’s possible when technology, trust and first-party data align. To learn more about what you can do with Epsilon Retail Media, click here.
