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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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

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.

Retail media networks will challenge Google and Meta, and offer retailers serious margins.

Over 9 in 10 US marketers who invest in creator marketing planned to promote their partnerships via retail media networks in 2025, per Q3 2024 data from LTK and Northwestern University. That trend will help drive retail media ad spending, which will rise by 20.2% YoY in 2025. Brand deals are no longer bound to social platforms.

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.

Retail media networks are moving out of their comfort zones, and they're needing to find ways to partner with social platforms who aren't exactly known for openly sharing their data. In order for retail media networks to position themselves to help deliver on the promise of better measurement, formal integrations and solutions like data clean rooms are going to be a crucial component.

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.

Amazon鈥檚 next move is to grow the retail media market. The company is licensing its ad tech to other retailers in a pilot program as its own retail media growth begins to slow. The company鈥檚 retail media dominance is looking less impenetrable as Walmart begins to close the gap. The ad industry is prepared to pounce on a year of market gains and consolidation.

Despite the changes in the media landscape, upfront advertising is here to stay. Upfront ad buying dates back to the 1960s but remains a helpful practice for marketers even though advanced alternatives exist. In addition to linear TV and video streaming services, podcasts, video games, out-of-home (OOH), and retail media networks (RMNs) all sell inventory upfront now.

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.

Growth rates in retail media ad spending are slowing YoY. The channel鈥檚 contribution to total digital ad spending continues to rise, however, highlighting the increasing influence of retail media on holistic advertising strategies.

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.

The news: China is outpacing the US in retail media鈥檚 global rise, with nearly half of its digital ad spending now flowing through retail platforms. While Amazon still leads globally, its growth is slowing鈥攅xpected to rise just 18.6% in 2025. Meanwhile, players like Uber Eats, Meijer, and Albertsons are growing ad revenues at triple-digit rates. Our take: Retail media is becoming more fragmented and competitive. Success now requires portfolio diversification, especially as new channels鈥攍ike last-mile delivery and in-store signage鈥攇ain momentum. What began as an Amazon-centric, US-led trend is now a worldwide shift reshaping how consumers discover, consider, and buy.

In the first 100 days of his second term, President Trump has reshaped business strategy across retail, tech, healthcare, and media. Here鈥檚 how tariffs, regulation, and market volatility are forcing brands to rethink spend, growth, and planning.

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

鈥淣ot only does it make delivery faster and cheaper, they get to own the relationship with their customers and use their data to bolster their media 苍别迟飞辞谤办蝉,鈥� he said. This additional data can give advertisers more insight into consumer behavior, which can be used for more targeted messaging. 3. Membership programs boost loyalty.

DoorDash鈥檚 pitch: The acquisition will help make DoorDash鈥檚 ad platform鈥攏ow a $1 billion business鈥攁 more attractive proposition to advertisers who are increasingly demanding more from their retail media partners. To drive that message home, DoorDash also announced a host of ad updates鈥攎any AI-powered鈥攖o make it easier for brands to set up and manage their campaigns and attract users鈥� attention.