In-store sales data is a massive opportunity gap. The biggest gap between how retail media networks (RMNs) perform today versus their most desired attributes was with in-store sales data. With nearly 90% of grocery sales still occurring in physical stores, RMNs that deliver seamless omnichannel sales attribution will be well positioned to capture consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertising budgets.

The Kroger Co. took our No. 1 ranking for omnichannel sales data. With 96% of transactions linked to its loyalty card, Kroger has established a best-in-class capability of measuring in-store sales and surfacing that data in campaign reporting. Kroger’s data arm—named 84.51°—is known for its detailed customer insights and omnichannel sales reporting.

CPG brands are hungry for RMNs to provide first-party data to help them quickly plan, measure, and optimize campaigns. Retailers have historically kept customer insights and purchase data close to the vest and have been reserved about providing CPG brands with all available data needed to deliver the highest-performing campaign. However, they will need to act more like media companies if they want to earn more dollars from brands.