Creator deals may fill its long-form library, though proving TV-scale ad value remains a hurdle.
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Become a ClientUnderstanding whether a customer is shopping for themselves or buying a gift requires reading real-time signals rather than relying solely on purchase history.
Retail media budgets are still climbing, and the networks competing for them can no longer win on inventory and price alone. Advertisers are rewarding partners that offer deeper audience libraries, faster activation, and measurement they can defend to leadership. They are pulling spend from the ones that fall short. The money is there. Some 85% of advertisers working with retail media networks (RMNs) and commerce media networks (CMNs) said they plan to increase spend on these networks in the next 12 months, according to GrowthLoop's "2026 Commerce Media Investment Index," a survey of 291 US and Canadian advertisers. Already, 73% allocate at least 15% of their digital ad budgets to RMNs and CMNs, and 94% say those partnerships are meeting or exceeding ROI targets. With more networks chasing the same budgets, the deciding factors are operational: how many audiences a network can offer, how fast it can deliver them, and how clearly it can prove what worked.
Private label, healthy essentials, and meal solutions aim to win budget-conscious shoppers without broad discounting.
Attacks on refrigeration systems show how connected store technology can cause physical losses.
Distinctive campaigns aim to stand out in a longer season without adding to shoppers’ promotional fatigue.
Estée Lauder, Puig, and L’Oréal beat expectations as shoppers continue to protect beauty spending despite tighter budgets.
Reach Black Friday shoppers through traditional and AI search while keeping product details accurate to curb returns.
As shoppers buy more protein-rich desserts, breads, and snacks, brands must prove health benefits beyond protein content.
In-store access and essential categories can help providers turn Gen Z interest into payment volume.