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In 2024, retail media ad spend will grow 28.6%, coming to just under $60 billion, per our forecast. To reach that potential, retail media networks (RMNs) need to identify what attracts advertisers and set them up for success. Here鈥檚 how three consumer packaged goods (CPG) leaders are thinking about retail media.

On today's episode, we discuss what to make of Microsoft putting ads in its AI-powered Bing Chat platform, the biggest pitfalls of companies using generative AI, and publishers' concerns about AI chatbots cutting readership. "In Other News," we talk about how much retail media networks are actually boosting the US ad market and which car manufacturers are leading the US electric vehicle (EV) race. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Gadjo Sevilla and Max Willens.

On today's special podcast episode, we continue our monthly show where we discuss the biggest trends of the moment and the newest research, sprinkle in some analysis, and bundle it up into a quiz. Every month, three of our analysts representing their respective coverage area teams compete against each other. (We also encourage you to play along at home.) We keep a running score and will crown a winning team at the end of the year. Today, we cover retail media network investment and experimentation, the generative AI (genAI) bubble, and Google's dominance. Tune in to the discussion with this month's contestants: our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

Saks launches retail media network amid slowing sales: The ecommerce retailer is billing its offering as a unique opportunity to connect with luxury shoppers.

2025 will bring significant change to the retail industry: Several of the main trends dominating retail鈥攇enAI, RMNs, and China鈥檚 ecommerce disrupters鈥攚ill look very different this time next year.

T-Mobile sees a $600 million opportunity in Digital OOH: The mobile provider will acquire Vistar Media in a deal hinting at the format鈥檚 future.

Travel companies leveraging first-party data to power proprietary ad networks are establishing a presence in the commerce media landscape. Advertisers can enhance their digital strategies by incorporating travel into the commerce media mix.

Customer data collection, the dawn of retail media, and AI-assisted shopping has upended a retail industry already in the midst of a big-box transformation at the tail end of the 20th century. And then there is one of the biggest elephants in the room: Amazon. Here are some of the most impactful changes that marketing leaders have seen over the last 25 years.

Walmart dominated the US retail landscape in 2024: The mass merchant鈥檚 ability to offer savings and convenience won over shoppers, and its growing ecommerce and advertising businesses are helping it make inroads against Amazon.

As marketers attempt to piece together a full, nuanced picture of how their paid media affects outcomes, old-fashioned measurement tactics are coming back into vogue, and new players are rising to prominence.

The retail media landscape is evolving rapidly, requiring brands, networks, and tech partners to optimize and enhance their ad solutions and capabilities. Here are three recent announcements.

Retail has come off its lengthy run of outperforming overall US ad spending growth. While growth will dip below the average for all industries in 2024, the pace is set to pick up again in 2025 and 2026.

Creator commerce will reshape retail, both on and off social media. Retailers are forging closer relationships with creators. Retail media networks (RMNs) have partnered with creator networks and social platforms to satisfy advertiser demands for incrementality and stay relevant as shopping becomes more social. Walmart convened a Creator Upfront in October.

What鈥檚 next for retail media? The rapidly expanding ad channel is facing growing pains as the majority of RMNs struggle to keep pace with Amazon and Walmart.

Traveling for the holidays? Here are four episodes of our "Reimagining Retail" podcast for your listening pleasure.

Retail media networks (RMNs) are opening doors for digital audio. Like other digital channels, digital audio can make use of retailers鈥� consumer data to enhance targeting and measurement. Retailers with brick-and-mortar footprints like Walmart, Lowes, and CVS are also expanding in-store advertising capabilities to include audio formats, often available for purchase programmatically.

Walmart Connect today announced new in-store and off-site ad inventory, omnichannel measurement tools, and upper-funnel offerings. The retail media network (RMN) is providing advertisers with more opportunities to connect with customers on app, online, and in-store, Rich Lehrfeld, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart Connect, said in an interview with our analyst Sarah Marzano.

Retail media networks and AI search capabilities are expected to drive search growth. Nonvideo formats will account for just $12.75 billion of incremental spend through 2028. Our take: Digital advertising's robust growth reflects the market's continued evolution, with video emerging as the dominant force.

To keep pace in a complex landscape and meet increasing demands from advertisers, commerce media players need to invest in fresh channels, tools, and innovation.

Halfway through the current decade, retail media has bled into the wider concept of commerce media, which will be a $68.69 billion industry in the US this year, per our December 2024 forecast.