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Samsung’s Smartify: Turning In-Store Screens Into Monetizable DOOH Inventory (NRF 2026)

Samsung’s NRF 2026 move reframes in-store screens as buyable media—bringing DOOH-style workflow into the aisle.

January 12, 2026 5 min read Atlas OOH Editorial
Samsung’s Smartify: Turning In-Store Screens Into Monetizable DOOH Inventory (NRF 2026)
Categories: In-Store DOOH • Retail Media • Programmatic
Quick answer: At NRF 2026, Samsung introduced Smartify, positioning retailers’ existing Samsung displays as instantly monetizable inventory—activated into a premium DOOH + retail media network with programmatic and local buying options. (Sources: Samsung Newsroom, NRF)

In-store screens are shifting from “fixtures” to inventory

Retail media is accelerating fast—but the biggest structural change is happening inside the store. Samsung’s NRF 2026 messaging points to a clear reframe: in-store screens aren’t just “digital signage” anymore. They’re becoming sellable media with workflows that look a lot more like modern DOOH.

What Smartify is (and why it matters)

Samsung describes Smartify as a way for retailers to monetize existing Samsung displays by enabling them as part of a broader DOOH + retail media network. The promise is operational: turn monetization on without ripping and replacing the entire in-store stack.

Simple translation: if the screens are already there, the business model can switch on faster.

The strategic unlock is “buyability,” not the screen

The big shift isn’t that stores have screens. Stores have had screens. The unlock is the marketplace logic that makes screens purchasable like a channel:

  • Programmatic buying for scaled demand
  • Local advertiser access for regional budgets
  • Context alignment by location, environment, and foot traffic

When those pieces come together, in-store media starts behaving like DOOH: repeatable workflows, standardized packaging, and clearer expectations around reporting.

Why NRF 2026 feels like a signal moment

NRF programming has increasingly emphasized that stores are becoming formal retail media networks—where screens can be monetized programmatically without necessarily displacing traditional shopper marketing budgets. The direction is clear: in-store becomes a line item, not a pilot.

What marketers should take from this

If your 2026 plan includes shopper conversion, the store is no longer the “final step.” It’s a media layer with audience context digital can’t replicate—because it sits in the moment of choice.

A practical planning frame

  • Approach: city DOOH to drive awareness and search
  • Near-store: timing + visitation cues
  • In-store: reduce friction, reinforce trust, trigger purchase
Planning takeaway: Smartify is another sign that “retail DOOH” is becoming a standard, scalable channel—meant to be bought like media, not managed like signage.

Sources

FAQs

Samsung introduced Smartify, positioning retailers’ existing Samsung displays as monetizable DOOH/retail media inventory that can be activated without rebuilding the entire in-store tech stack.
Through programmatic buying for scaled demand, plus local/regional buying options designed to make in-store screens accessible to more advertiser budgets.
It extends DOOH-style buying behavior into the store environment—standardized, repeatable, and measurable—so planners can treat the aisle as a real media layer, not just signage.
Faster activation: retailers can turn existing displays into sellable inventory, and media teams can plan in-store screens alongside street and near-store DOOH as part of a single shopper journey.
Short, decisive messaging: reduce choice friction, reinforce trust, and trigger purchase. In-store is not where you explain everything—it’s where you close the last step.

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