H1 OOH Review: Looking Back, Moving Forward
Samuel Maskell, Marketing Director
In Out of Home, momentum is everything. The industry is constantly evolving, with new ideas, new technology and new opportunities emerging almost daily. As individuals and as businesses, we're always looking ahead - planning the next campaign, launching the next innovation or exploring what's coming next. It's what keeps our industry moving.
That pace is exciting, but it can also mean we rarely take the opportunity to reflect on how far we've come.
The halfway point of the year offers a natural moment to do just that. Before the pace of the second half gathers speed and attention turns to the busy autumn and festive trading period, it's worth looking back at the milestones, partnerships, insights and campaigns that have shaped the first six months of 2026.
So, with one eye on where we're heading next, here's a H1 review - looking back at the moments that have defined the year at Limited Space so far and the momentum carrying us into the second half.
This piece includes (click below to jump ahead):
1. Investing in the Future of Retail Media
The biggest story of the first half of the year has undoubtedly been the continued evolution of our national media network.
Our 2026 digital upgrade programme gathered significant momentum with the rollout of next-generation LED technology across several of the UK's busiest retail destinations. Beginning with Manchester Arndale before extending to Metrocentre and Eldon Square, these upgrades have introduced large-format, ultra-high-definition LED screens designed to deliver greater visual impact and enhanced creative flexibility.
Beyond image quality, the investment also reflects our commitment to building a network that's fit for the future. Advanced Chip on Board (COB) LED technology not only improves durability within busy public environments but also opens the door to more immersive and interactive creative possibilities. At the same time, lower energy consumption supports our ongoing commitment to delivering more sustainable media solutions for both brands and retail partners.
Rather than isolated upgrades, these installations form part of a wider strategy to create a consistent premium standard across our portfolio, making it easier for advertisers to deliver high-impact campaigns across multiple destinations with confidence.
Our 2026 digital upgrade programme gathered significant momentum with the rollout of next-generation LED technology
2. Expanding Our Networks
Alongside these enhancements, our Orbit digital network continued to grow with the addition of Queensgate in Peterborough. Positioned at the heart of one of the region's most prominent retail and leisure destinations, the new large-format LED screen provides brands with another opportunity to connect with millions of shoppers through full-motion, high-definition creative supported by audio.
Expansion also continued through the growth of our Orbit Ownership portfolio, with Liberty Shopping Centre in Romford joining the network. Delivering 100% Share of Voice within one of Greater London's strongest retail destinations, Liberty strengthens our ability to offer advertisers immersive, destination-wide campaigns capable of creating lasting impact across key UK markets.
Our premium banner portfolio also expanded with the introduction of two new large-format locations at Eldon Square. Complementing the centre's existing media offering, the additions provide brands with even greater flexibility to dominate the shopper journey through impactful creative positioned immediately before the point of purchase.
Collectively, these developments reflect more than investment in infrastructure. They represent continued investment in creating a smarter, stronger and more connected national retail media network capable of delivering exceptional experiences for advertisers and shoppers alike.
Portfolio expansions with new Orbit sites, Ownership opportunities and Banner locations reflect a continued investment into creating a stronger national retail media network
3. Advancing the role of our screens
As digital out-of-home continues to evolve, so does the role of the screen itself. Increasingly, audiences expect more from the environments they spend time in - not just advertising messages, but content, entertainment and moments of discovery.
This shift was reflected in the launch of our new collaboration with HELLO! Magazine, bringing premium editorial content across our Orbit digital network for the first time. Combining HELLO!'s expertise in celebrity, fashion, culture and lifestyle storytelling with Limited Space's high-impact retail environments, the partnership creates a new way for audiences to engage with content during their everyday journeys.
Designed specifically for DOOH, the channel transforms editorial storytelling into dynamic, motion-led experiences, bringing fresh content to shoppers in moments when they are receptive, engaged and immersed within the retail environment.
4. Building Smarter Retail Media Through Insight
While investment in physical infrastructure has been a defining theme throughout H1, we've also continued investing in something equally valuable: understanding audiences.
As retail media grows in importance, brands increasingly need evidence, not assumptions, about how consumers behave within physical environments. Throughout the first half of the year, our programme of research has explored the relationship between attention, movement, entertainment and culture, helping advertisers make more informed planning decisions.
Panoramic: The Seen Stealers
Our attention research into large format platforms, the Seen Stealers, reinforced the power of scale within retail environments. Our Panoramic sites demonstrated how physically dominant media naturally commands greater visual attention, with shoppers noticing these formats first and engaging with them for longer. In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, the findings reaffirmed a simple principle: attention follows scale.
DataJam: Mall Media Makes An Impression
One year on from partnering with DataJam, real-time audience measurement has provided an even richer picture of how people use shopping centres today. Across 93 screens and 19 locations, we looked at how measured impressions continued to grow throughout 2025, with seasonal events, holidays and key retail moments consistently driving significant increases in footfall. The findings reinforce what we continue to see across our portfolio: shopping centres remain vibrant destinations where people come not only to shop, but to spend quality time together.
Entertainment also remained a key area of focus
Our Gaming insights demonstrated how malls have evolved into entertainment ecosystems, bringing together retail, leisure, gaming, cinema and social experiences within a single destination. Combined with long dwell times, affluent audiences and strong gaming participation, these environments offer brands meaningful opportunities to engage consumers beyond digital channels alone.
Similarly, our Cinema Effect research highlighted the growing influence of mall audiences on theatrical success. Far from simply attending films, mallgoers shape group decisions, drive opening weekend attendance and generate valuable word-of-mouth, reinforcing the role shopping centres play within the wider entertainment landscape.
Taken together, these studies paint a clear picture of the modern shopping centre. Today's malls are no longer simply places to shop - they are destinations where commerce, culture, entertainment and community intersect.
5. Creativity That Connected With Consumers
Of course, the true value of a media network is measured by the creativity it enables. Throughout H1, brands continued to demonstrate just how powerful retail media can be when creative ideas are paired with the right environment.
BBC: The Traitors
BBC's launch campaign for The Traitors transformed our Adlift format into an immersive brand experience, inviting shoppers to choose between becoming a Traitor or a Faithful before stepping inside fully themed lift interiors complete with bespoke audio from Claudia Winkleman. Supported by a wider national rollout across our Orbit network, the campaign blurred the line between advertising and entertainment, creating memorable moments that encouraged participation rather than passive viewing.
McDonald’s: Secret Menu
McDonald's embraced curiosity with the launch of its Secret Menu, using our unique Atrium Banner at Bullring to create a playful sense of discovery. Suspended above shoppers, the creative perfectly reflected the campaign's central idea, transforming an everyday journey through the centre into an unexpected brand moment.
JD: Summer, Who’s In?
Elsewhere, JD Sports demonstrated the power of combining multiple premium formats to create complete destination takeovers. Across Manchester Arndale and Trafford Centre, vibrant seasonal creative stretched across balustrades, stair wraps and large-format banners, delivering standout visibility among highly engaged Gen Z audiences.
Sony Pictures: GOAT
We always encourage advertisers to embrace multiple formats, creating a variety of touchpoints that drive continued visibility and repeat exposure throughout a campaign. Sony Pictures did exactly that for GOAT, combining our large-format Panoramics (linking to their campaign tagline) with dynamic digital Orbit showcase trailer content and Adlifts to effectively engage family audiences.
Universal Pictures: Michael
Theatrical campaigns consistently perform strongly within the shopping centre environment, and Universal Pictures' campaign for Michael was another standout example. Running across our digital Orbit screens, complete with audio, the campaign used the power of sound to bring the music and energy of the King of Pop into the mall environment. By combining impactful visuals with one of the most recognisable music catalogues of all time, the campaign created an immersive experience that captured shoppers' attention and built anticipation for one of 2026's biggest cinema releases.
Across every campaign, one thing remained consistent: the combination of premium environments, strategic placement and ambitious creative continues to produce work that captures attention, sparks conversation and strengthens brand engagement.
6. Looking Ahead
As we move into the second half of 2026, the momentum built during H1 provides an exciting platform for what's next.
Continued investment in our network and environments will further strengthen the opportunities available to advertisers, while ongoing research will ensure brands remain equipped with the insights needed to navigate an evolving retail media landscape. At the same time, our growing portfolio of destinations, formats and partnerships will continue to create new possibilities for bold, impactful campaigns.
Retail media is evolving rapidly and shopping centres continue to play an increasingly important role within that evolution. As places where people shop, socialise, relax and discover, they provide brands with something increasingly difficult to find elsewhere: genuine attention in meaningful moments.
Want to discuss this further? Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to talk to us about opportunities relating to anything mentioned above or any other queries.