DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home Advertising)

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising refers to digital screens placed in public and semi-public environments — billboards, transit networks, airports, shopping centres, and increasingly inside physical retail stores — that display dynamic advertising content. In the ecommerce and retail context, DOOH has become structurally significant because it sits at the boundary of physical and digital commerce: In-Store Retail Media networks now treat store-floor screens as DOOH inventory, while programmatic buying mechanics (pDOOH) allow ecommerce-native brands to activate the channel alongside CTV, mobile, and online display in unified omnichannel campaigns.

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Market scale (as-of 2026-07)

DOOH is the fastest-growing segment of out-of-home advertising globally.

• US OOH revenue reached a record $9.46 billion in 2025 (+3.6% YoY), with DOOH accounting for 36.3% of total OOH revenue (+10.5% YoY) (as-of 2026-04). (OAAA 2025 Facts & Figures, published 2026-04)
• US DOOH ad spend is projected at $10.2 billion in 2026, up from $8.9 billion in 2025 (+14.1% YoY), outpacing every traditional channel (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing OAAA/PQ Media Q1 2026, MAGNA Global Dec 2025)
• DOOH will account for 45.2% of total OOH ad spending by 2028, up from 22.0% in 2016 (as-of 2026-01). (eMarketer, Out-of-Home Forecast and Trends 2026, published 2026-01-15)
• Global DOOH ad spend is projected at a CAGR of 10.8% through 2024–2028 (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing PQ Media Global OOH Forecast and Statista Digital Advertising Outlook)
• WOO estimates global DOOH at $25.5 billion in 2025 (47% of all OOH), projected to reach $28 billion in 2026 (49%) — the first year DOOH is projected to overtake static OOH (as-of 2026-06). (World Out of Home Organization, 2026 Global OOH Expenditure Report)
• In Europe, Retail Media grew 16.7% to €13.3 billion in 2025, for the first time surpassing 10% of total European digital ad spend (as-of 2026-07-07). (IAB Europe AdEx Benchmark 2025 Report)

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How programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) works

DOOH inventory can be purchased directly (via insertion order) or programmatically. Programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) uses the same DSP/SSP infrastructure as digital display but adapted to screen-level inventory.

• In programmatic DOOH, advertisers use DSPs to bid on digital screen inventory supplied through SSPs; campaigns can be activated via RTB, Private Marketplace (PMP), Programmatic Guaranteed (PG), or in-advance automated booking (as-of 2026-01-26). (Broadsign)
• Approximately 33% of US DOOH spend is transacted programmatically in 2026, up from 18% in 2023; 41% of buyers now say programmatic DOOH is their default activation path (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing IAB/DPAA programmatic DOOH study; DPAA Annual Buyer Survey 2026)
• Global programmatic DOOH market revenue is estimated at $1.4 billion in 2025 (WOO Global Programmatic DOOH Market Study, 2026-06); US pDOOH spend is forecast at $1.22 billion in 2026 (+22.6% YoY) (eMarketer, via advision.digital 2026-06-22).

• After Broadsign's acquisition of Place Exchange (Nov 2025), over 1.8 million screens are now programmatically accessible worldwide (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing Broadsign acquisition disclosure)
• Dynamic creative optimisation (DCO) in DOOH adapts messaging using location, time of day, weather, and product availability signals in real time; DCO usage has grown 3× since 2022, and 54% of advertisers plan to run dynamic, data-triggered DOOH creative in 2026 (as-of 2026-01-26). (Broadsign; doohmarketing.com)
• Laure Malergue (CEO, Displayce) argued at DMEXCO 2025 that programmatic DOOH brings four capabilities over static DOOH: precision (contextual/data-driven targeting), flexibility (real-time delivery adaptation), creativity (dynamic triggered messages), and anticipation (audience peak identification for Prime Time screen selection). (ExchangeWire, 2025-09-26)

Privacy architecture

DOOH is structurally privacy-compliant: targeting uses contextual and aggregated signals (time, location, weather, venue type) and does not rely on personal identifiers, making it one of the few channels where First-Party Data works without third-party cookies. (advision.digital, 2026-06-22)

• 68% of buyers cite cookieless/privacy resilience as a top reason for shifting budgets into DOOH (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing DPAA Annual Buyer Survey 2026)
• Brands activate first-party CRM data in DOOH by hashing segments and uploading them to a DSP, which matches anonymised identifiers against audience signals near screen locations — this is called data onboarding or audience matching (as-of 2026-06-22). (advision.digital)
• Under GDPR, DOOH screens do not carry personal identifiers; Wi-Fi sensor data and mobile IDs used for attribution go through hashing/aggregation to levels classified as anonymous data, reducing regulatory friction compared to browser-based tracking. (advision.digital, 2026-06-22)

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In-store DOOH and Retail Media Networks

The most commercially significant DOOH growth vector for ecommerce/retail is in-store retail media — screens at checkout lanes, aisle ends, pharmacy sections, and store entrances operated by retailers as advertising inventory.

• In-store retail media is expected to drive 55.9% of DOOH's total growth between 2025 and 2029, and in-store retail media ad spending is projected to make up nearly one-fifth of total ad spend by 2027 (as-of 2026-01-15). (eMarketer, Out-of-Home Forecast and Trends 2026)
• Retail media saw a 70% CAGR between 2020 and 2024; in-store DOOH (screens at point of sale) is now identified as a core component of the four-part retail media stack alongside on-site, off-site, and data (as-of 2025-11-18). (Caretta Research at DMEXCO 2025)
• IAB Europe's definition of retail media explicitly includes "in-store environments" as a third tier alongside on-site and off-site activations; Commerce Media Networks use commerce/retail data for planning, execution, and measurement across all three tiers (as-of 2026-07). (IAB Europe Retail Media Hub)
• Major US retail media networks — Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Kroger Precision Marketing — are integrating in-store DOOH screens into their advertising offerings, giving FMCG brands access to real-time first-party shopper data and the ability to deliver promotional messages at the moment of decision-making (as-of 2026). (osmos.ai, 2026)
• Approximately 25% of DOOH budgets are now allocated to retail media networks in 2026 (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing GroupM Retail Media Forecast)

IAB Europe in-store measurement standards (2026)

IAB Europe hosted its In-Store Measurement Workshop at Tesco Media in London on 1 July 2026, bringing together retail media networks including Douglas, ICA Sverige, Media-Saturn Marketing GmbH, REWE Deutscher Supermarkt, SMG, Tesco Insight and Media Platform, and UNLIMITAIL. (IAB Europe, 2026-07-03)

• Opportunity to See (OTS) — the number of people who could pass by or hear an in-store activation — remains the closest proxy to a viewable impression in a physical environment.
• Likelihood to See (LTS) — which uses sensor and analytic technology to determine whether an ad was actually noticed — is moving toward standardisation.
• Unlike online environments, individual shoppers are not identifiable in real-time in physical stores; the industry uses a combination of visual attributes from computer vision, contextual location-based data, and retailer first-party data.
• Current in-store sales measurement standards: Sales Variance and Brand Variance; incrementality is at the centre of discussion. Proposed standardised purchase cycle categories: regularly purchased (0–6 weeks), semi-regular (7–26 weeks), and infrequent (27+ weeks).
• Nectar360 was announced as the first UK retail media network to achieve IAB Europe Retail Media Certification (as-of 2026-07-01). (IAB Europe)

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Attribution and measurement

Attribution in DOOH is fundamentally probabilistic — unlike digital display, there is no deterministic click or cookie to track. Four primary attribution methods are in use as of 2026:

1. Footfall attribution (most common)

Collects mobile advertising identifiers (MAIDs) from devices near a DOOH screen at impression time, then checks whether the same identifiers appeared within a radius of the store. A DOOH impression is always a probabilistic match, not a deterministic one. Reputable vendors acknowledge this uncertainty and use control groups. (advision.digital, 2026-06-26)

2. Mobile ID retargeting

Devices identified near a DOOH screen are added to a retargeting pool for subsequent mobile ad delivery — creating a cross-channel continuation from the physical impression to an online touchpoint. (advision.digital, 2026-06-26)

3. Wi-Fi sensor measurement

Sensors near DOOH screens and inside retail stores capture device signals searching for a network, enabling a near-closed measurement loop in shopping centres, railway stations, and airports where DOOH networks operate alongside stores. Does not require mobile identifiers. (advision.digital, 2026-06-26)

4. Lift studies (gold standard)

The audience is divided into an exposed group and a control group with similar characteristics; incremental uplift in store visits or purchases is isolated as the pure advertising effect. NIQ and Displayce announced a geo-matched control zone methodology for France in September 2025, matching exposed store areas with retail sales data. (advision.digital, 2026-06-26; NIQ/Displayce, 2025-09-17)

Attribution benchmarks

• OAAA/Harris Poll (2024): 51% of consumers who noticed DOOH advertising with directions to the nearest store or restaurant visited that business; of those who visited, 93% made a purchase; 76% of viewers take some action after DOOH contact. (advision.digital, 2026-06-26 citing OAAA/Harris Poll 2024)
• Median ROAS 5.4× for DOOH-led omnichannel campaigns; average foot-traffic lift +15%; average aided brand awareness lift +22% (as-of 2025). (doohmarketing.com citing Benchmarketing OOH ROI Study 2025)

• 38% average lift in mobile search activity in DMAs exposed to a DOOH flight; 31% of DOOH-exposed audiences take a digital action (search, social, site visit) within 30 minutes of exposure (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing Comscore/OAAA cross-channel study; Solomon Partners/DPAA)
• Layering DOOH with mobile retargeting delivers a 2.5× effectiveness multiplier (as-of 2026). (doohmarketing.com citing Vistar Media/Solomon)
• DOOH + Mobile combined delivers a 2.7% Store Visitation Rate — higher than either channel alone — and a 3% CTR per individual viewer, outperforming Mobile-only by 50% (as-of 2025-11-05). (GroundTruth, 2025-11-05 — vendor self-reported data)

Attribution window

Short for impulse purchases: 1–2 days. Longer for considered purchases (electronics, furniture): 1 week or more. Closing reports too early leads to undercounting of conversions. (advision.digital, 2026-06-26)

Standards frameworks

• IAB US: Three Ps framework (Play, Presence, and Pairing) — released December 2025, became the 2026 standard for making DOOH campaigns measurable within omnichannel strategies. (Referenced across multiple sources including osmos.ai)
• IAB Europe in-store: OTS, LTS, Sales Variance, Brand Variance — in active standardisation as of July 2026.

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Consumer behaviour and in-store screen acceptance

Grocery TV's In-Store Shopper Perception Report (n=1,018 US grocery shoppers, March 2026) provides the most recent consumer-side data:

• 62% of shoppers have bought something directly after seeing it advertised on an in-store screen (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)
• 37% say in-store advertising helped them discover a product they would not have noticed otherwise (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)
• In-store signage now ranks as the top channel where shoppers learn about sales, promotions, and new products — ahead of store app notifications, print circulars, and retailer websites (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)
• Shoppers are 2.5× more likely to consider a brand when its in-store ad matches the environment around it (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)
• Screen placement favourability: entrance/checkout/deli/pharmacy screens all cleared 84% favourability; cooler screens scored lowest at 58.9% (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)

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Case studies

belVita × Target (CPG, programmatic DOOH + Mobile)

belVita ran a programmatic DOOH + Mobile campaign geo-targeted near Target stores for National Coffee Day. The campaign drove 221,000 proven in-store visits at $0.22 per visit and $476,000 in carted dollars (as-of 2025-10-16). States exposed to DOOH ads (New York, California, Illinois, Texas) showed measurably higher in-store visitation rates than states without DOOH exposure. (GroundTruth, 2025-10-16)

Grocery TV sales lift (CPG, in-store screens)

• A national personal care brand: 15% lift for the advertised item, plus 12% lift across complementary products and 8% halo across full portfolio (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)
• A CPG brand: 20% lift in oral care sales alongside a 15% halo across both advertised categories (as-of 2026-07-09). (eMarketer reporting Grocery TV study)

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European context

• IAB Europe hosted an In-Store Measurement Workshop at Tesco Media (1 July 2026) — see above. European retail media networks Douglas, ICA Sverige, Media-Saturn Marketing GmbH, REWE, SMG, Tesco, and UNLIMITAIL are all active participants.
• Nectar360 is the first UK retail media network to achieve IAB Europe Retail Media Certification (as-of 2026-07-01). (IAB Europe)
• NIQ and Displayce are piloting DOOH sales lift measurement in France, using a geo-matched control zone methodology (announced 2025-09-17). (NIJ/Displayce press release)
• DOOH in CEE/Czech/Polish markets is early-stage for programmatic: local screen networks are gradually connecting to SSPs, and brands are beginning to test programmatic buys; demand for personalisation is "quieter than in the West" but the direction is consistent. (advision.digital, 2026-06-22 — vendor's own market assessment)
• Advision (CEE/European focus) notes that contextual DOOH advertising adapts creative based on conditions without requiring cookies, user consent, or personal identifiers; this approach is positioned as "emotionally stronger, legally cleaner" for European brands operating under GDPR. (advision.digital, 2026-06-22)
• Retail Media projected to reach €28.8 billion in Europe by 2028, having grown 21% in 2024 (excluding Amazon); 53% of buyers cite the lack of retail media standards as a barrier (as-of IAB Europe Retail Media Hub). (IAB Europe Retail Media Hub)

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Key ecosystem players

Major OOH operators (global, digitising their estate): JCDecaux, Ströer, Lamar, Clear Channel, Outfront, Bauer — more than a third of combined revenue already derived from digital channels (as-of 2025-11-18). (Caretta Research at DMEXCO 2025)

Programmatic platforms (DSP/SSP): Vistar Media, Broadsign, Hivestack (acquired), The Trade Desk, Place Exchange (acquired by Broadsign Nov 2025)

In-store screen networks: Grocery TV (US, checkout aisles), Cooler Screens, National Retail Solutions

European retail media networks running in-store DOOH: Tesco Media, Nectar360 (Sainsbury's), Douglas, REWE, UNLIMITAIL

Measurement / attribution: GroundTruth, Catalina (retail data), NIQ + Displayce (EU sales lift), Geopath (audience measurement)

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Key terms

Term	Meaning
DOOH	Digital Out-of-Home — digital screens in public/retail environments
pDOOH	Programmatic DOOH — inventory bought via DSPs/SSPs in real-time or automated workflows
OOH	Out-of-Home — the broader category including static (print) and digital
OTS	Opportunity to See — proxy for viewable impression in physical environments
LTS	Likelihood to See — sensor-based estimate of actual noticeability
DCO	Dynamic Creative Optimisation — real-time content adaptation based on contextual signals
Footfall attribution	MAID-based method linking screen exposure to subsequent store visit
Lift study	Control-group method isolating the incremental advertising effect
RMN	Retail Media Network — retailer's owned advertising platform, may include in-store DOOH
MAID	Mobile Advertising Identifier — used for probabilistic footfall attribution

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Gaps and open questions

• Fashion/apparel-specific DOOH use cases not found in public sources. CPG/FMCG and QSR dominate documented examples. UNIQLO, H&M, Zara DOOH deployments not documented in accessible sources.
• Online ecommerce conversion attribution (DOOH → ecommerce session → basket) is discussed conceptually (QR codes, mobile retargeting of exposed audiences) but no quantified benchmark for online-only conversion lift found.
• European DOOH spend data: specific European revenue figures (UK, France, Germany) not found in free-access sources. Outsmart (UK OOH trade body) and IAB Europe do not break out DOOH as a standalone line item.
• UK retail DOOH specifics (Tesco, Boots in-store screen performance data) not publicly available.
• IAB DOOH Measurement Guide (July 2025) — full text not retrieved; Three Ps framework (Play, Presence, Pairing) referenced by multiple sources but primary PDF not fetched.

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Next frontier

Retail Media Network · In-Store Retail Media · Dynamic Creative Optimisation · CTV · Attribution Modelling · Programmatic Advertising · OAAA · Outsmart