Meta enhances its retail media tools: New APIs and ad formats aim to drive in-store and ecommerce sales while offering retailers better attribution data.

Multi-industry players have the power to redefine the future of commerce media advertising. Unlike in the US, where retailers and FIs typically operate independently, many Latin American retailers act as financial services providers—offering credit lines, digital wallets, and other banking products to unbanked and underbanked consumers.

Brand loyalty membership is rebounding in the UK as shoppers turn to loyalty programs for savings. Supermarkets are driving innovation, but there is space for brands and retailers of all sizes to boost revenues and forge stronger customer connections.

Vizio boosts Walmart’s retail media edge: New beta program brings exclusive connected TV inventory under Walmart’s direct control.

No matter when or how they land, President Donald Trump’s tariffs will shake up retail and digital media.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss some of the moves commerce media players have made this year to stand out from the pack, why advertisers are investing in more or fewer media networks, and the main challenges for advertisers when it comes to working with media networks. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Arielle Feger, and Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

What do brands need to know about the next wave of digital growth?

Last week, Amazon made a last-minute offer to buy TikTok, just days before President Donald Trump postponed enforcement of the sale-or-ban law for another 75 days. Reportedly, the bid isn’t being taken seriously, so it’s unlikely the deal will go through. However, the deal is worth considering because it shows how Amazon is trying to maintain its status as the top retail media network and ecommerce retailer in the US.

Acadia acquires Crush to expand Amazon-first capabilities: The deal reflects growing demand for full-funnel retail media solutions.

Walmart plans to open or remodel 45 Fuel and Convenience stations this year, bringing its total to 450 locations.

Off-site retail media ad spend will grow 42.1% in 2025, almost three times as much as on-site, according to our November 2024 forecast.

“Today’s shoppers are like savvy jugglers,” Ben Galvin, senior director of omnichannel retail sales and ecommerce at Monster Energy, said during a recent Path to Purchase Institute webinar. “They’re balancing budgets, bouncing between in-store and online. Convenience continues to be king, but value is what they’re really looking for.” But value means different things to different people.

Retail media networks (RMNs) are using APIs to give advertisers more control over the management, measurement, and optimization of their campaigns.

Ad revenues outlook declining amid economic uncertainty: The latest Magna ad sales forecast indicates several factors are at play in the downturn.

Last week, Best Buy Ads launched Social+, an offering that allows brands and agencies to leverage Best Buy’s first-party data for social media campaigns. The tool is currently only available for Meta campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, but will expand to other social media networks in the future, per a press release.

Partnerships between retail media networks (RMNs) and connected TV (CTV) platforms are giving brands access to better data, more shoppable ad options, and a full-funnel approach that drives results. These collaborations can make targeting smarter, shopping easier, and measurement clearer, helping advertisers prove their effectiveness.

Historically, brands used upper-funnel channels like connected TV (CTV) for brand awareness, while relying on lower-funnel tactics such as retail media to drive conversions. But with shoppable CTV ads, brands can do both, leveraging retail media network (RMN) data to target consumers across CTV platforms, connecting the moment of discovery directly to the point of purchase.

US retail media ad spending will increase 88.5% from 2024 to 2028, reaching $97.9 billion, according to a November 2024 EMARKETER forecast.