蘑菇AV

Retailers want richer experiences that still respect guest trust. Katy Hershey, senior director, partner solutions group at Roundel shares how Target鈥檚 165 million guest profiles and 15 years of retail media insight fuels its brand-safe omnichannel campaigns鈥攁nd outlines what鈥檚 next: goal-based buying, AI-driven personalization, and broader reach via off-platform partnerships.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how to get folks to buy something they can鈥檛 go and see in a store, how D2Cs should be thinking about generative AI, and how one DTC is negotiating the tariff minefield. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves and CEO and president of Eyebuydirect Sunny Jiang.

Retail and commerce media were huge topics at last year鈥檚 Cannes Lions festival, and this year, the festival is doubling down on the channel by introducing a new retail media sub-category in the Media Lions and Creative Commerce Lions awards. However, 鈥渢he tone is definitely shifting鈥� as the industry matures鈥攁nd faces the threat of tariff-related impacts, according to our analyst, Sarah Marzano.

As retail media networks expand, one of the biggest challenges facing marketers is measurement. In fact, 42% of US retail media buyers believe that more effective and accurate campaign measurement is the most important issue in retail media advertising today, according to March 2025 data from Koddi. To help advertisers better assess the effectiveness of their campaigns, Sam鈥檚 Club Member Access Platform (MAP) has introduced Omni-Impact鈥攁 new AI-powered measurement solution.

The news: Klarna will be the default payment option for Bolt鈥檚 CheckoutOS merchants, per a press release. Our take: Klarna faces multiple challenges. It has to increase its availability to US consumers while also rivaling credit cards that offer both installment plans and cash back or points that likely exceed the value of Klarna鈥檚 gift-based rewards system through Nift

The news: Saks Global鈥攖he roughly year-old troubled parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus鈥攕ays it is finding its footing and has no plans to close stores, Retail Dive reports. Our take: Saks Global needs more than fresh financing鈥攊t needs a clear strategy that will make clear how it can navigate economic headwinds and rebuild trust with suppliers. With luxury spending softening as consumers grow more cautious, execution in the months ahead will be critical鈥攏ot just for stability, but for long-term survival.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Eyebuydirect are overcoming traditional barriers in high-consideration purchase categories like eyewear.

The news: The Trump administration recently met with leading retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, to explore ways in which more US consumers can get their prescription medications directly from pharma manufacturers, according to a Bloomberg report. Our take: It鈥檚 unrealistic to expect pharma鈥檚 middlemen to be cut out anytime soon, as they are so deeply rooted in the US healthcare infrastructure.

The news: Amazon is shutting down its standalone free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform Freevee in August. All Freevee content鈥攊ncluding original series and live TV鈥攚ill migrate to Prime Video. Advertisers take heed: As streaming giants consolidate, ad buyers might see fewer platforms but more fragmented audiences. This centralization of inventory boosts scale but narrows options for niche targeting. Our take: Amazon and its rivals are bundling content into fewer apps to boost ad revenue and reduce churn. But for advertisers, viewer behavior is splintering as audiences jump between services each month, chasing new shows, deals, and lower costs.

The news: The Trade Desk CRO Jed Dederick likened Amazon鈥檚 advertising approach to Google鈥檚, accusing it of bundling and self-preferencing practices that threaten market competition. In an interview at Cannes Lions, Dederick urged Amazon to adopt a more open model like Meta鈥檚, warning that closed systems could draw regulatory scrutiny. Our take: By framing Amazon as the next Google, The Trade Desk is angling to become the preferred neutral alternative for marketers. As Amazon expands in CTV and commerce media, regulatory pressure may follow. If it does, The Trade Desk is well-positioned to gain from any shift toward more transparent platforms.

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.

H-E-B is expanding its retail media footprint with the launch of a new self-service advertising platform, developed in partnership with Epsilon.

The news: Amazon鈥檚 Private Auction is quietly reshaping the CTV landscape by introducing more flexible buying on Prime Video. The format allows smaller advertisers and performance marketers to compete for inventory through open bidding, bypassing the need for costly guaranteed placements. As CPMs decline and the demand for agility rises, this move gives brands better control over pricing and access. Our take: While big brands may still favor premium guarantees, Amazon鈥檚 shift reflects broader momentum toward programmatic efficiency. By inviting direct-response buyers into the Prime Video ecosystem, Amazon is not just monetizing scale鈥攊t鈥檚 redefining what CTV access looks like in 2025.

Retail media will reach $60.81 billion in 2025鈥攁dding more new dollars than Meta and Alphabet combined鈥攁nd brands now rank incrementality as a top KPI. In this interview, Tinuiti鈥檚 Elizabeth Marsten lays out how to prove incremental sales, pick smarter tools, and keep measurement future-ready.

This is the first installment of our biannual 鈥淯K Ad Spending Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps ad buyers and sellers calibrate their spending and revenue mix against the market.