蘑菇AV

Acadia acquires Crush to expand Amazon-first capabilities: The deal reflects growing demand for full-funnel retail media solutions.

Like Best Buy, Target, and virtually every other retailer at this point, Ulta sees its forthcoming marketplace as an opportunity to expand its assortment without having to bulk up inventory鈥攁s well as a chance to beef up ad revenues for its retail media network. It plans to improve the guest experience with deeper personalization, enhancements to its app and website, and better stores.

Walmart鈥檚 ad business fuels operating income growth: Retail media revenues jumped 29% driven by marketplace expansion.

Our annual Trends to Watch report for Canada highlights expected developments in the country鈥檚 media and advertising market for 2025. Next year, we anticipate a shift in media buying will favor domestic publishers and retail media channels, while large platforms will contend with the new Digital Services Tax.

The challenge of cross-platform measurement is particularly prevalent with the rise of retail media networks (RMNs). Most US advertisers (55%) say a lack of standardization across retail media platforms is the biggest RMN-related challenge, according to a January 2024 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) study.

Retail media networks linking store-level inventory data with consumer profiles for real-time ad adjustments. Publicis is deploying AI models within client-owned data environments to assist with privacy compliance. It is also developing a probabilistic data workbench, increasing transparency in AI-driven projections.

Commerce media is an underused channel. The biggest channels for targeting SMBs are social media (59.6%) and email (59.1%), the 蘑菇AV and Intuit study found. Commerce/retail media networks are less used (17.2%). Commerce media networks can help marketers overcome their biggest hindrance to reaching SMBs: the size and diversity of the market.

As retail spending slows down, consumers are increasingly using the same feeds that fuel impulse shopping to bond over the collective desire to curb their spending. This makes an influencer strategy embedded in value and relatability crucial.

Retail media networks are facing a little more competition these days as banks, payments providers, airlines, and hotels are starting their own media networks to monetize their first-party data and build out new revenue streams.

Instacart鈥檚 deals with 220 retailers to power ads on their properties is helping to extend the reach of its retail media network. Our take: With digital grocery sales growth slowing considerably, Instacart will have to pull as many levers as it can to lure shoppers and encourage them to spend.

Latin America鈥檚 digital economy will undergo significant changes in 2025 as retail innovation and regulatory changes redefine business dynamics for global and local players alike.

Video ad spending continues to outpace overall digital ad spending and will power the fastest-growing ad-supported media.

Our first-ever marketing and retail media survey explores the latest trends unfolding in Latin America, how the regional landscape will evolve, and the broader implications for ad buyers鈥� and retailers鈥� go-to-market strategies.

Regulation will disrupt some digital players, while retail media and genAI adoption will create opportunities across advertising and commerce.

Wonder acquires a media company, Unilever dedicates more spend to influencers, and Ulta launches a third-party marketplace. Here are the eight most interesting retailers and brands from last month, as ranked on our 鈥淏ehind the Numbers鈥� podcast.

Search is undergoing a seismic shift. Google is still the go-to for most inquiries, but generative AI is changing how people search, and leading people to explore alternative search engines. Meanwhile, paid search dollars are moving to retail media networks as shoppers begin their searches on Amazon and other retailer sites. And Gen Z鈥檚 search habits look different from older generations, with the cohort flocking to social media sites like TikTok and using visual search and chatbots.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the differences between commerce media networks and retail media networks, how financial services and payment companies are leveraging media networks, who has been successful in the space so far, and who we expect to launch a media network in the next year. Listen to the conversation with our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sarah Marzano and Maria Elm.

Retail media networks (RMNs) have a lot of data and a healthy amount of inventory. But selling on-site inventory to advertisers can be complicated. Connecting retail media data with off-site ads on places like social networks and connected TV (CTV) is even more complicated. RMNs can鈥檛 do everything related to selling and serving ads on their own, especially if they want to capitalize on off-site placements.

Google and Meta landed slightly below expectations in Q3, allowing a collection of hungry competitors to inch ahead. But overall, the ad industry remains healthy. Sports events drove streaming and CTV to record gains, and retail media continues to be the sector鈥檚 fastest-growing ad channel.

Video and retail media networks (RMNs) will drive programmatic ad spending growth this year. Programmatic ad spend will increase by 15.2% in 2024 to reach $156.82 billion, 75% of which will go to direct channels. Programmatic video ad spending will grow even quicker at 21.2% YoY in 2024 and will continue to grow at a CAGR of 14.3% over the next two years.

In turn, retailers are using these platforms to unlock valuable customer data that can be used to power retail media networks for both in-store and online advertising. But consumers have mixed opinions about the various digital tools aimed at helping them discover, shop, and purchase grocery products. Here are five charts on the current state of consumer attitudes toward grocery technology.

Albertsons Companies鈥� retail media network (RMN) launched 鈥淐ollective TV,鈥� expanding its CTV ad offering, which includes a shoppable ad product for YouTube and other platforms. Combining premium video, RMN data, and frictionless checkout holds substantial potential. But it will create a complex framework for retailers to navigate.

While the retail media opportunity is massive, it requires reaching consumers across a growing number of channels and adapting in real time. Google鈥攚hich receives billions of searches daily鈥攃an help capture new demand, and turn that demand into purchases, by bringing in valuable first-party data to a brand鈥檚 retail media program.

Leveraging over 90% of sales data, Target's innovative use of first-party information through its Circle program and Roundel network is redefining how brands connect with consumers. Explore the transformative power of data in crafting personalized shopping experiences that resonate and drive loyalty.