The Future of Retail Media: A Conversation with Chase Binnie, CEO of RetailWire
Written by George Goodwin
The grocery and CPG world is shifting faster than ever. Between AI transforming consumer behavior, the rise of retail media networks, and the growing importance of authentic storytelling, retailers and brands are being forced to rethink how they connect with shoppers.
On this episode of the GroceryPulse Podcast by Innovar Marketing Agency, I sat down with Chase Binnie, CEO of RetailWire — a legacy media platform with 1M+ monthly readers, over 100 thought leaders on its BrainTrust panel, and more than eight acquisitions in its 23-year history. RetailWire has become a go-to destination for grocery and retail executives looking to cut through the noise and understand what’s really driving the industry forward.
Chase’s story is just as inspiring as the work he’s doing. From designing album covers on MySpace in high school to running a national media company, he’s proof that creativity, consistency, and community can transform an industry.
💡 What We Covered in This Episode
From Music to Media – How Chase’s early creative projects inspired his path to marketing and eventually taking the helm of RetailWire.
RetailWire’s Growth – How the company built a 1M+ monthly readership and scaled through eight acquisitions while staying true to its role as an unbiased thought leader.
The AI Shift in Retail – Why 67% of retail executives now use digital media platforms to guide purchasing, tech, and operations decisions (NRF, 2024). With AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, retail leaders face both massive opportunities and new challenges.
The Rise of Retail Media Networks – How retailers and CPG brands can leverage media, roundtables, and digital communities to share insights, build trust, and influence buying decisions.
Authenticity Wins – Why consumers resonate with founder-led brands like Poppy (acquired by Pepsi in 2023) and Health-Ade (acquired for $500M by First Bev), and how authentic storytelling drives long-term brand value.
Attention as Currency – In today’s attention economy, the average adult spends over 2.5 hours daily “doomscrolling” (Statista, 2024). Chase and I explore how brands can cut through the noise with strong hooks while staying true to their values.
Leadership & Team Culture – Chase shares what makes him smile as a CEO: seeing his team take ideas, make them better, and create content that resonates with millions of readers.
📖 Related Resources
🔗 Explore RetailWire’s daily retail insights → RetailWire.com
🔗 Read our write-up: Smart Tech in Grocery – How OpSense is Helping Grocers Prevent Loss & Waste → Innovar Blog
🎧 Listen to the full GroceryPulse episode with Chase Binnie → Spotify
🚀 Final Thoughts
Retail is changing — fast. As AI reshapes consumer behavior and major CPG brands like Pepsi and Health-Ade make big moves, one thing is clear: authentic voices and trusted communities are more valuable than ever.
That’s exactly why RetailWire has thrived for over two decades — by curating the right conversations at the right time, and giving grocery, retail, and CPG leaders a place to share real insights.
At GroceryPulse by Innovar Marketing Agency, we’re on the same mission: to document founder stories, highlight retail innovation, and help businesses grow by sharing knowledge.
✅ Key Takeaways
RetailWire reaches 1M+ monthly readers and has grown through 8 acquisitions.
67% of retail execs rely on digital media for business decisions (NRF, 2024).
AI in retail is a massive opportunity — but requires clean data and smart execution.
Founder-led brands like Poppy & Health-Ade prove that authenticity drives growth.
The attention economy means hooks matter, but trust matters more.
Retail roundtables & peer conversations are the future of industry learning.
👉 Listen to the full conversation with Chase Binnie on GroceryPulse here:
→ Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
