With US retail media ad spend hitting $60.32 billion in 2025, retailers and advertisers alike are exploring how non-endemic partnerships can expand reach, unlock new revenue streams, and deliver relevant advertising experiences to shoppers.

Spend from current retail media network (RMN) advertisers is showing signs of cooling, forcing RMNs to look to non-endemic advertisers outside their existing ad networks for new ad dollars.

53% of brands often leverage data and media opportunities with retailers that do not carry their products, according to August 2023 data by Merkle.

What is non-endemic advertising, and what should brands and retailers know about this emerging ad format?

When retailers allow non-endemic brands to advertise, it benefits both sides. “Retailers can further monetize their data, while non-endemics, who have an appetite to expand their reach, are able to leverage that data,” our analyst Sarah Marzano said on an episode of the “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. Here’s why major retail media players such as Walmart and Home Depot have recently opened up their offerings, along with three best practices to boost performance.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss what's fueling the non-endemic retail media fire, how to do non-endemic advertising the wrong way, and how success is measured. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Sarah Marzano.