蘑菇AV

鈥淪hopper journeys are very complex, and retail media networks (RMNs) need scale to reach those shoppers, wherever they may be,鈥� said Shawn McGahee, head of retail media at Google, during last week鈥檚 蘑菇AV Summit on commerce media.

In the increasingly crowded retail media space, hiring could be one strategy for networks to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Retail media will set the pace for digital advertising growth in the coming years as more retailers invest in monetizing the channel and more advertising options become available to media buyers.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of US sell-side retail media decision-makers rank creative services as one of the most important services/solutions that retail media networks (RMNs) offer, according to Dentsu鈥檚 2025 Retail Media Industry report.

Mercado Libre鈥檚 retail business is thriving: Advertising revenues rose 50% YoY in Q1, and there鈥檚 ample room for growth.

Retail media鈥檚 growth will continue to be fueled by two complementary advertiser needs: the need for measurable sales, and the need for privacy-compliant data that can be used to reach consumers at the top or middle of the purchase funnel.

ChatGPT's shopping tool threatens retail media revenues: Its product search could siphon ad dollars from retailers struggling with tariffs, higher prices, and weak demand.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss what traveler media can do that retail media can鈥檛, what makes travelers more receptive to personalized ads, and the possibilities that emerge once fast, free WiFi becomes ubiquitous on planes. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano, and the CEO of MileagePlus, United Airlines Richard Nunn. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Led by retail media, commerce media is well on its way to becoming an essential component of many advertisers鈥� media budgets. But a rapidly diversifying field of competitors will change how advertisers approach the channel.

Two-thirds of US retail media buyers expect to spend more on video advertising over the next 12 months, according to March 2025 data from Koddi. Nearly as many (63%) will up their investments in social media.

This sponsored article by Tinuiti will explore iROAS in retail media.

The news: Global ad spend growth is slowing but staying positive, with WARC projecting a 6.2% rise to $1.16 trillion in 2025 and MAGNA forecasting a 4.9% climb to $979 billion. Retail media is outpacing linear TV for the first time, and Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon continue to control the majority of digital revenues. Measurable channels like short-form video, retail media, and ad-supported VOD are gaining ground. Our take: Amid economic pressures and trade concerns, advertisers are prioritizing performance, shifting budgets geographically and platform-wise. With elections, AI, and major global events on the horizon, platforms that prove outcomes鈥攏ot impressions鈥攚ill shape the next era.

Tariffs threaten to reduce US digital ad spending growth this year. This series explains the effects tariffs will have on ad spending in search, social, CTV, and retail media鈥攁nd which parts of each might fare best and worst.

This sponsored video by Roundel will explore how first-party data fuels modern retail media.

This sponsored video by CVS Media Exchange (CMX) will explore retail media collaborations.

Digital ad giants beat Q1 expectations, but tariffs, regulation, and slowing growth signal choppy waters ahead. This report breaks down which platforms are thriving, which are stalling, and what鈥檚 next for search, social, streaming, and retail media.

There are now more than 80 retail media networks (RMNs) in the US. The volume of RMNs, combined with the dominance of Amazon and other established competitors, makes it challenging for new and niche RMNs to capture share.

The trend: Summer retail sales are starting earlier and stretching longer than ever. Our take: Retailers aren鈥檛 just chasing summer sales鈥攖hey鈥檙e building revenue engines that integrate ecommerce, loyalty programs, and retail media into a more durable flywheel. By making sales events exclusive to members or offering perks like early access to deals, they鈥檙e encouraging sign-ups, deepening engagement, and boosting long-term customer value. The longer promotional windows give retailers more time to drive discretionary spending, alleviate fulfillment bottlenecks, and monetize digital traffic through advertising. That鈥檚 especially critical this year, as economic uncertainty prompts more consumers to pull back on nonessential purchases.

Incrementality has always been the holy grail of retail media. But lately, it鈥檚 taken on greater importance as ad budgets are squeezed and retail media networks (RMNs) fight for their share of ad dollars.

The insight: Amazon is trying to figure out how it can benefit from the AI agentic boom without giving shopping agents unfettered access to its site, according to a report by The Information. Our take: While agentic commerce is far from the norm for the time being, retailers need to be prepared. That鈥檚 especially true for companies with retail media businesses, given the potential for AI agents to upend their ability to monetize their sites.