AI is gaining influence over what consumers discover and consider long before it commands a meaningful share of the digital economy. But existing advantages in reaching consumers, earning trust, and driving transactions still matter.

Commerce media is entering a new phase, one defined less by rapid expansion and more by operational maturity, EMARKETER analysts and industry leaders say. Commerce media ad spending will reach $83.71 billion in the US this year, accounting for 20.5% of all digital ad spending, according to EMARKETER's June 2026 forecast. As the channel becomes a core part of marketers' media strategies, the conversation is shifting from whether to invest to how to make those investments deliver measurable business results. In a new EMARKETER guide titled "Commerce media outlook: What industry leaders see ahead," our analysts and industry leaders give their thoughts about the capabilities brands should prioritize today, the consumer behaviors that will shape tomorrow, and what it will take to succeed as commerce media becomes a permanent pillar of the media mix. Sarah Marzano, a vice president and principal analyst at EMARKETER covering retail and commerce media, told us about the biggest misconceptions of the channel and where marketers are most confident in it.

Amazon reached 235.0 million US unique visitors in June 2026, 67% more than second-place Walmart's 141.0 million and more than the six smallest sites in the top 10 combined, according to June data from Comscore.

Digital ad spending continues to perform well across industries in Western Europe’s economic powerhouses. But growth and comparative strength are uneven across categories. Economic and regulatory pressures, in particular, are acting as a drag on certain industries.

This FAQ covers how marketplace power is distributed, where the growth is, and what sellers should do about it in 2026.

Frequent users make more impulse purchases, plan less, and expect retailers to deliver on demand.

Football is commanding more media budgets as premium ad inventory gets pricier and college sponsorship options expand. Now, brands face a widening trade-off between its unmatched reach and rising ad costs.

Retail media networks (RMNs) have built out social and creator offerings, but advertisers have not widely adopted them. To attract spend, RMNs must prove that their offer of better targeting and measurement outweighs the added cost and complexity.

Economic headwinds are reshaping Asia-Pacific ad spend as AI-powered platforms, retail media, and video continue to attract performance-focused budgets. Digital remains resilient as growth diverges across China, Australia, Japan, and Thailand.

Burlington, Walmart, Target, and Amazon are using tariff money to fund lower prices.

A new back-to-school campaign ties entertainment, brands, and campus experiences to deeper Gen Z engagement.

US ecommerce is poised to enter a phase of mature and stable growth, but AI remains a wild card that could significantly alter the trajectory of retail’s online shift.

Facebook’s massive reach still attracts ad dollars even as its usage growth stalls. Commerce, video, and automated advertising offer fresh opportunities, but it has weak appeal among creators and younger users.

Ecommerce plays a bigger role in purchasing health products than in discovery of them, giving brands an opportunity to convert in-store trial into online demand.

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their digital ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their retail media ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their search ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their social media ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​

This benchmark covers how ad buyers can calibrate their TV and CTV ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how publishers and solution providers can assess whether their ad revenues align with industry trends.​