Commerce media is becoming more competitive as retailers and non-retailers continue to build out their networks and advertisers prioritize measurement for proven results. Looking ahead to 2025, cross-industry partnerships will grow and in-store media will enable retailers to merge online behaviors with in-person shopping.

US real-time payment transaction volume will nearly quadruple between 2023 and 2028, according to GlobalData and ACI Worldwide.

US travel media network (TMN) ad spend will reach $2.13 billion this year and increase to $2.96 billion in 2026, per our September 2024 forecast.

Ancillary services, such as item repairs, pet grooming, and tailoring, are becoming an increasingly important part of retailers' strategies to drive foot traffic, build brand loyalty, and create additional revenue streams. But the benefit of these services often extends beyond direct financial returns.

To stand out in a crowded commerce market, Lyft Media is thinking about partnerships and measurement differently. While its current partnerships help Lyft Media navigate “traditional ecosystem of measurement,” the network is also thinking about what the next phase of measurement will be, said Shane Dwyer, head of sales at Lyft Media and Lyft Business.

2024 has been a disruptive year for generative AI (genAI), which transformed from a buzzword into a practical part of marketing workflows, and commerce media as more platforms launch. Meanwhile, advertisers are still figuring out the lifespan of third-party cookies. And connected TV (CTV) advertising got a big boost from Prime Video.

Measurement and attribution are the most critical advertising capability or media investment for over half (53%) of retail marketers worldwide, according to November 2023 data from Mediaocean.

While travel media networks aren’t new—Marriott has had one for years—the burgeoning commerce media landscape is ripe for travel and hospitality brands to secure their share of ad dollars.

Retail media networks are facing a little more competition these days as banks, payments providers, airlines, and hotels are starting their own media networks to monetize their first-party data and build out new revenue streams.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why prices continue to be such a hot topic, how consumers determine what value means to them, and which retailers performance is representative of the broader retail space. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts senior director of media content Becky Schilling and analyst Zak Stambor.

When Chase Media Network launched last month, it revealed the potential for more payments and financial service companies to get in on the commerce media game, leveraging consumer payments data to sell ads. One unexpected out-of-home implementation could be ATMs, said Stuart Mackinnon, COO of NCR Atleos, on our “Behind the Numbers: The Baking & Payments Show” podcast.

Retail media is traditionally dominated by, well, retailers. But as access to customer insights becomes increasingly important for advertisers amid cookie deprecation and mounting privacy laws, other industries are hopping on retail media’s bandwagon.

JPMorgan Chase launched its Chase Media Solutions ad unit earlier this month. The venture looks a lot like a retail media network (RMN), with one important distinction—Chase is not a retailer. But because it’s monetizing purchase data, Chase Media Solutions operates a lot like an RMN.

In just five years, retail media went from a $1 billion segment to a $30 billion segment. With US omnichannel retail media ad spend poised to reach $59.98 billion this year, per our October 2023 forecast, non-retail industries from health and fitness to restaurants and financial institutions are looking to build out their own media networks.

On today's podcast episode, our contestants compete in The Great Behind the Numbers Take Off, 2024 social trends edition, where they will try and cook up the most interesting predictions for the coming year. They'll discuss search becoming the next battleground for social commerce and why LinkedIn is about to get its day in the sun. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jasmine Enberg and Minda Smiley.

Our newsletter team has already made a number of advertising and retail predictions, but now it’s time to combine the two. Retail media is still on the rise in the US (growing by a projected 28.6% this year), but competition is getting fierce. From commerce opportunities to consolidation, here’s what we expect to see from retail media in 2024.

The world of retail media is always changing. Here’s what has caught our eye over the past few months.

Over a third (35%) of CMOs worldwide are using generative AI to create a great brand experience, per Dentsu Creative.

US annual social commerce sales per buyer will nearly double from $627.8 in 2023 to $1,223.7 in 2027, according to our forecast.

TikTok’s rapid ascent in social commerce is drawing comparisons to Amazon’s flywheel strategy. The platform is taking multiple steps to achieve its goal of quadrupling its global ecommerce business to a potential $20 billion in annual merchandise sales through TikTok Shop. Here’s what’s working, what isn’t, and what has yet to be seen.