Acosta Group Exec Sees Connected Commerce as Key to Reigniting Growth

John Carroll, President of Connected Commerce, discusses how brands and retailers can leverage data, AI, and retail media to drive sustainable unit and dollar growth.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 3:39pm

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In a recent interview, John Carroll, President of Connected Commerce at Acosta Group, shared his perspective on the changing retail landscape and how brands and retailers can leverage connected commerce, data analytics, and AI to drive sustainable growth. Carroll emphasized the importance of integrating digital and physical retail strategies, using retail media networks strategically to drive incremental sales, and leveraging AI-powered technology to make faster, more informed decisions.

Why it matters

As retailers and CPG companies face pressure on both unit sales and dollar sales, Carroll's insights highlight the critical role that connected commerce, data-driven decision making, and strategic retail media investments will play in reigniting sustainable growth. His perspective underscores the urgency for brands and retailers to adapt their commercial strategies to meet the evolving shopping behaviors of consumers.

The details

According to Carroll, the majority of category growth is now coming from online channels, necessitating a more integrated approach to digital and physical retail strategies. He emphasized the importance of planning with merchants not just for the store, but for digital as well, incorporating elements like retail media, micromarketing, and in-store execution. Carroll also discussed the growing focus on retail media accountability and incrementality, with brands seeking to understand which networks are driving true incremental growth. To help brands make faster, more informed decisions across the growing complexity of digital commerce and retail media, Acosta Group recently announced a partnership with CommerceIQ to leverage advanced AI-driven capabilities.

  • Acosta Group announced a new partnership with CommerceIQ in January 2026.

The players

John Carroll

President of Connected Commerce at Acosta Group.

Acosta Group

A leading sales and marketing agency that provides connected commerce services to brands and retailers.

CommerceIQ

A technology company that provides an AI-driven platform to help brands make smarter, faster decisions across digital commerce and retail media.

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What they’re saying

“We don't just want more data. We want better decisions – decisions that help brands invest in the right places, with the right messages, and with confidence that those investments are actually delivering growth.”

— John Carroll, President of Connected Commerce, Acosta Group

“The ability to unify those signals into coordinated dashboards and workflows is what turns data into action.”

— John Carroll, President of Connected Commerce, Acosta Group

What’s next

Acosta Group and CommerceIQ plan to continue collaborating to help brands leverage advanced AI-driven capabilities to make faster, more informed decisions across digital commerce and retail media.

The takeaway

As retailers and CPG companies navigate a complex growth environment, the ability to seamlessly integrate digital and physical retail strategies, leverage data and AI to drive accountability and incrementality in retail media investments, and make faster, more informed decisions will be critical to reigniting sustainable unit and dollar growth.