Retail media is changing in 2026. Retailers are pushing beyond ads on their own websites and apps and putting more focus on offsite ads, connected TV and in-store media. Retail media networks are advertising businesses run by retailers using their first-party shopper data and advertising space. Brands can reach shoppers on a retailer’s website or app, then reach the same audiences across other channels or inside stores.
Retailers can also connect some of that ad activity to purchases. That shift is changing the way of thinking of brands about retail media. The bigger question now is how this growth can be measured clearly when advertising moves away from the retailer’s own website.
Key takeaways
- Retail media networks now cover on-site ads, offsite audiences and in-store placements.
- Amazon Ads and Walmart Connect remain major retail media players alongside grocery and delivery networks.
- Offsite spending is growing quickly as retailer websites become more crowded.
- Closed-loop measurement gives brands useful purchase data but doesn’t automatically prove incremental sales.
- Buyers should ask about incrementality, attribution windows, offsite reach and independent audits before signing a deal.
What a retail media network actually is
A retail media network is an advertising business operated by a retailer. The retailer uses its first-party shopper data to sell access to audiences and its own advertising space. The easiest example is a sponsored product on a retailer’s search page. A shopper searches for coffee. A coffee brand pays for a sponsored position. The retailer can then connect that ad activity with a later purchase. There are 3 main places those ads can appear:
| Surface | What it means |
| Onsite | Ads on the retailer’s website or app |
| Offsite | Retailer audiences reached on other websites, social platforms, video or streaming TV |
| In store | Screens, displays, audio and other paid placements inside physical stores |
Retailers built these businesses because advertising can add a high-margin revenue stream to assets they already have. Walmart says its Walmart Connect business covers onsite, offsite and in-store advertising. The retail media network model works because the retailer controls part of the shopping journey. That gives brands a direct path from ad exposure to a possible purchase.
The 2026 landscape, grouped by type
The RMN landscape makes more sense when you group networks by the shopping experience they control.
| Type | Main retail media players | Strongest use |
| Marketplaces | Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect | Search, product discovery and purchase data |
| Grocery and mass retail | Kroger Precision Marketing, Target Roundel | Loyalty data and household shopping |
| Drug and convenience | Walgreens and other pharmacy networks | Health, beauty and frequent purchases |
| Delivery and quick commerce | Instacart Ads, DoorDash Ads | High-intent shoppers close to purchase |
| Retail media technology | Criteo and other ad-tech providers | Helping retailers build and run networks |
Amazon Ads and Walmart Connect
Amazon Ads sits inside one of the world’s biggest online shopping environments. Its retail media business connects advertising with product search and shopping activity. Walmart Connect has been pushing further into streaming TV. Its August 2026 Vibe.co acquisition gives Walmart more self-service connected TV technology.
Target Roundel and Kroger Precision Marketing
Target’s Roundel reaches Target shoppers across Target.com, the Target app, and external channels, including CTV and programmatic advertising. Kroger Precision Marketing has deep purchase and loyalty data, giving brands access to information about grocery shopping behavior.
Grocery and Delivery Networks
Grocery is a different game. Instacart connects brands with shoppers across many grocery retailers. Instacart said in March 2026 that its advertising ecosystem connected more than 2,200 retail banners and 100,000 stores.
DoorDash and Commerce Media
DoorDash is pushing beyond food delivery too. Its 2026 advertising business added offsite reach and new measurement tools as the company expanded into a wider commerce media platform.
How the RMN Landscape Is Changing
The list will keep changing. Partnerships get signed. Platforms get bought. Some smaller networks will use outside technology rather than build everything themselves.
Where the money is coming from
Trade Budgets and Shopper Marketing
Retail media money started heavily around trade budget shifts and shopper marketing. Trade budgets have long funded retailer promotions and activities tied to selling products. Retail media gives brands another way to spend that money closer to the purchase.
Brand and Media Budgets
Now brand and media budgets are moving in too. US offsite retail media spending is expected to reach $17.05 billion in 2026, according to EMARKETER.
Connecting Advertising to Sales
Finance teams like the connection between advertising and sales. A retailer can show that people exposed to an ad later purchased the product. That makes the budget conversation easier.
The Retail Media Budget Shift
Still, the money isn’t unlimited. When a brand increases its RMN spend, it may reduce money from social, search, CTV, or other shopper programs. The real budget question is therefore simple: which existing media dollar is moving into retail media and why?
Onsite against offsite, and why the split matters
Onsite retail media puts the ad on the retailer’s own website or app. Offsite retail media uses retailer audience data to reach shoppers somewhere else. The difference matters because the farther the ad travels from the retailer’s own shopping environment, the harder measurement becomes.
| Factor | Onsite | Offsite |
| Reach | Smaller | Larger |
| Purchase intent | Usually high | Depends on audience and channel |
| Retailer control | High | Lower |
| Purchase measurement | Stronger | More difficult |
| Main use | Search and conversion | Reach and consideration |
Onsite inventory is getting crowded. That helps explain why brands are looking outside retailer websites.
- EMARKETER forecasts US offsite retail media spending of $17.05 billion in 2026 with 29.5% year-over-year growth.
- Walmart’s Vibe.co deal shows the direction clearly. Walmart can now connect its commerce media business with streaming TV buying through a self-service platform.
The downgrade is measurement. A sponsored product beside a shopper’s search is easy to connect with a purchase. A streaming ad seen hours or days earlier is harder to connect with the same sale.
Where the measurement still breaks
Why Closed-Loop Measurement Matters
Closed-loop measurement is the main reason brands like retail media. A retailer can connect an ad exposure with shopping activity inside its own ecosystem. That data is useful. It still needs careful handling.
Retailer Control Over Measurement
The first problem is control. The retailer often sells the media, then reports the result. The buyer needs to know exactly how that result was calculated.
Attribution Does Not Prove Incrementality
The second problem is attribution. A purchase after an ad does not automatically mean the ad created an additional purchase. Incrementality asks a different question: would the shopper have bought the product without seeing the ad?
Attribution Windows Can Change Results
Attribution windows create another problem. One network may count a purchase within 7 days while another uses 30 days. The two ROAS numbers then look comparable when they aren’t.
Industry Measurement Standards
Industry standards are getting better. IAB Europe updated its commerce media measurement standards in January 2026 with clearer sales definitions plus a formal definition of incrementality and approved methods. The Media Rating Council also has dedicated Retail Media Measurement Guidelines.
Is Retail Media Measurement Reliable?
It can be very useful when the methodology is clear. A buyer should still separate attributed sales from incremental sales and ask how each number was produced.
How to judge a retail media network before you sign
Use this 7-question RMN buyer checklist in the vendor meeting.
- What data granularity do we get?
Ask whether reporting reaches campaign, audience, product, category, store or SKU level. - Will you run an incrementality test?
Ask for a holdout, control group or another method that can test causal impact. - How often is reporting delivered?
Find out whether reports arrive daily, weekly or monthly. - Which measurement standards have you adopted?
Ask which industry standards guide your reporting and definitions. - What offsite reach do you really have?
Ask where ads can run and how much of that audience comes from retailer data. - How is in-store measured?
Ask how exposure is recorded and how it gets connected to store purchases. - Who audits any of it?
Ask whether an independent organization checks audience, delivery or measurement.
These questions force the conversation away from a single ROAS number. They also give you something useful to compare when 2 networks use different reporting systems.
The read
I expect the retail media market to consolidate over the next 2 years. The biggest retailers have the shopper data and advertiser relationships to keep expanding. Delivery platforms also have a strong position because they see people close to a purchase. Smaller networks will have a harder time if they lack distinctive shopper data or a clear reason for brands to buy from them.
Measurement will decide which networks earn repeat budgets. The industry is starting to put common definitions and incrementality methods in place. IAB Europe’s 2026 standards are one example. For a brand team this quarter, I’d take every RMN currently in the media plan and put 4 things side by side: attribution window, incrementality method, offsite reach, and measurement standard. That table will tell you more than another audience-size presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a retail media network?
A retail media network is an advertising business run by a retailer. It uses first-party shopper data plus advertising space on websites, apps or in stores. Brands pay to reach those shoppers. The retailer can then connect some advertising activity with shopping behavior and purchase data.
What is the difference between onsite and offsite retail media?
Onsite retail media places ads on the retailer’s own website or app. Offsite retail media uses the retailer’s shopper audiences to reach people on other websites, social platforms, streaming services or other channels. Onsite usually sits closer to purchase while offsite provides more reach.
Where do retail media budgets come from?
Retail media budgets can come from trade marketing, shopper marketing and broader brand media budgets. Trade money helped fund the early growth of the channel. More brands are now moving general media spending into retail networks as those networks expand into offsite channels and streaming TV.
Is retail media measurement reliable?
Retail media measurement can provide detailed purchase data, but the quality depends on the method used. Attribution can show that a purchase followed an ad exposure without proving the ad caused the purchase. Ask about attribution windows, incrementality tests, reporting definitions and independent audits.
Which retail media networks are the biggest?
Major retail media players include Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Target Roundel and Kroger Precision Marketing. Instacart Ads and DoorDash Ads are also important in grocery and delivery. Each network has a different mix of shopper data, inventory, audience reach and measurement options.
What is closed loop measurement in retail media?
Closed-loop measurement connects advertising activity with a shopping outcome. A retailer can see that someone was exposed to an ad and later purchased a product. The connection is useful because the retailer has access to shopping data. It still doesn’t automatically prove that the ad caused an incremental sale.
Sources
- Walmart Corporate: Walmart’s August 2026 Vibe.co acquisition and Walmart Connect details. Walmart Corporate
- Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB): 2026 advertising outlook and commerce media measurement work. IAB 2026 Outlook
- IAB Europe: 2026 Commerce Media Measurement Standards V2.1. IAB Europe measurement standards
- Media Rating Council (MRC): Retail Media Measurement Guidelines and measurement standards. Media Rating Council standards
- DoorDash: 2026 commerce media expansion and measurement developments. DoorDash Ads
