What is Retail Media?
Retail media is advertising sold by retailers on their own sites, apps and stores, targeted with the retailer's own shopper data.
Why does Retail Media matter for marketers?
Retailers know what people buy, so their advertising can be tied to sales. As other tracking weakens, that first-party data is a reason budgets move to retail media.
Where does Retail Media stand today?
Wikipedia reports that as of 2024 retail media accounted for roughly one-fifth of global digital advertising spend. Measurement varies between networks, from footfall counts to segmented audiences and sales attribution, and buying processes differ by retailer type and sales cycle.
Common use cases
- Advertising to shoppers on a retailer's site or app
- Measuring sales results of advertising
- Reaching audiences built on purchase data
Retail media networks are advertising channels spanning one or several retailers. They can range from posters and in-store materials to audio, visual and digital formats, delivering targeted messages to shoppers at decision points and offering both narrowcast and broadcast audience buying.
Why the data matters
The shift toward first-party data collection has made retail media particularly valuable as third-party cookies decline, according to the reference source. Major retailers are increasingly working with dedicated agencies to run campaigns.
What to ask
Our editorial guidance: ask each network how results are measured, whether sales are attributed on the retailer’s own data only, and whether a campaign can be compared with other channels.