蘑菇AV

DoorDash is strengthening its media network through new ad products and the acquisition of tech company Symbiosys, aiming to help brands reach consumers both on and off its platform.

To take on retail media giants like Amazon and Walmart Connect, smaller networks need to constantly show what sets them apart and step up their media game.

IAB introduces in-store retail media standards: New guidelines aim to unify ad formats, metrics, and improve measurement transparency.

If sellers cannot pass on these extra costs or face inventory disruptions, they may cut back retail media investments to protect profitability. However, retail media is still in high-growth mode, giving it a larger cushion to absorb even a major downshift. Our worst-case scenario for retail media still entails 8.5% growth this year, a healthy figure by most measures.

FMNs are a small but burgeoning part of commerce media, offering valuable first-party transaction data. Despite their promise, FMNs face scale limits due to data sensitivity and must find ways to shift audiences toward commerce-focused behaviors.

Given that more than 80% of total retail sales still take place in stores, retailers are recognizing an opportunity to extend their lucrative retail media advertising programs into physical spaces.

Looma secures $10 million to expand its in-store media platform: Funding reflects broader industry shift toward in-store retail media as brands seek dynamic in-store engagement.

69% of US agency and marketing decision-makers measure the success of retail media campaigns through return on ad spend (ROAS) or incremental ROAS, according to July 2024 data by Quartile and NewtonX.

Search and retail media stand to benefit鈥攁nd Nielsen confirms this, showing that 65% of marketers believe retail media networks will play a growing role in media strategies in 2025. Our take: As economic uncertainty becomes the norm, advertisers will see greater adaptability, rather than increased ad spend, as their biggest advantage.

The news: Digital advertising had a strong showing in Q1 2025, with major platforms reporting growth across search, social, streaming, and retail media. But looking ahead, macroeconomic headwinds鈥攑articularly tariffs and regulatory action鈥攁re clouding the outlook.

鈥淚n 2022, retail media hit the first of many milestones when it became the fastest US ad channel to eclipse $30 billion in spending鈥攏early twice as quickly as it took social media,鈥� our analyst Max Willens said on a recent Meet the Analyst webinar. 鈥淭hat was just the start.鈥�

Last week, retail marketplaces Thrive Market and Faire joined the growing number of retail media.

Spend from current retail media network (RMN) advertisers is showing signs of cooling, forcing RMNs to look to non-endemic advertisers outside their existing ad networks for new ad dollars.

Here鈥檚 how ad buyers ranked the retail media networks of 14 leading CPG-focused retailers鈥攊ncluding Ahold Delhaize, Albertsons, Amazon, Costco Wholesale, CVS, Instacart, Kroger, Target, and Walmart鈥攁ccording to the attributes they value most.