James Hay, Global CEOBarrows Connected Store works backward from the shopper experience and commercial objective, bringing retail design, technology and media operations together rather than treating the store as another advertising channel. That capability underpins the company’s recognition as Best Digital In-Store Media and Retail Platform 2026.
BCS, its proprietary in-store retail media orchestration platform, connects intelligence, operations and demand to help retailers operate and scale networks with media that is better integrated, more relevant and more accountable.
“The best in-store media feels native to the environment and useful in the moment rather than like advertising that has simply been transported from another channel,” says James Hay, global CEO.
Backing that approach is the company’s decades of expertise across retail design, engineering, manufacturing, installation, creative, strategy and operations. Together, those capabilities support connected media from concept and deployment through ongoing optimization for shoppers, retailers and brands.
One Connected Operating Environment
BCS Connect, the platform’s operational foundation, brings the physical estate, campaign management, media delivery and measurement into one environment.
Network Manager oversees displays, media players and device health. Campaign Manager turns that estate into structured inventory for planning and delivery, Media Manager handles creative assets and Insights Manager connects proof-of-play, verified impressions, performance reporting and sales attribution.
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The best in-store media feels native to the environment and useful in the moment rather than like advertising that has simply been transported from another channel.
A shared operating record links campaign planning and approvals with what played, who had the opportunity to see it and what happened at the point of sale.
BCS Bright adds intelligence across those functions. It monitors network health, triages issues, validates creative, surfaces insights and increasingly automates actions. This helps retailers scale screens without increasing operational headcount at the same rate, reducing complexity as networks grow.
Building for Physical Retail
At Barrows Connected Store, implementation is collaborative and customer-led. It begins with the retailer's objectives, environment and shopper journey. Traffic flow, merchandising, sightlines, power and brand standards are considered before deciding where touchpoints belong.
The design and engineering teams define how a touchpoint fits the store, while manufacturing turns the concept into a repeatable physical solution. Technology teams then connect the solution to the network, and operations maintain performance after launch. Together, they move retailers from individual installations to a scalable media network.
Barrows Connected Store’s work with Kroger Precision Marketing shows this in practice. As its in-store media expanded, BCS provided the foundation for campaign activation, delivery and network management while Kroger’s first-party data and SKU-level measurement connected media exposure with sales outcomes. The relationship also expanded into creative, drawing on more than 25 years of in-store design expertise.
Beyond network management, Barrows Connected Store also uses sensors to strengthen opportunity-to-see accountability, interactivity to encourage engagement and dynamic creative to adapt media to promotion or product availability. During the summer, BCS worked with Tesco to update in-store creative reflecting local weather patterns, stock availability and also integrating the results from the World Cup, while the retailer retained control of the shopper experience across its network.
Keeping the Network Moving Forward
Barrows Connected Store sits at the intersection of physical-retail realities and modern-media expectations. Retailers need technology that works reliably at scale while protecting the shopper experience, while brands and agencies expect clear delivery, measurable audiences and evidence of business outcomes.
It treats a connected media network as an ongoing asset and works as a long-term extension of the client team, helping navigate complexity as it evolves.
The next phase of in-store media will be defined less by screen count than by how intelligently and effectively networks operate. BCS is bringing intelligence, media operations, demand and measurement closer together while expanding how brands and agencies access in-store inventory without compromising retailer rules, governance or control.
