Retail media networks (RMNs) are moving beyond traditional return on ad spend metrics to prove business impact through closed-loop attribution that connects media exposure to actual purchases, both online and in-store.

For the past several years, commerce media has been defined by proliferation: New networks, new formats, new acronyms. As the category heads into 2026, industry leaders agree that growth alone is no longer the story. What matters now is connection: Across channels, across data, and across the full customer journey.