Since bringing its retail media capabilities in-house, grocery giant Kroger continues to develop its self-service strategy for advertisers, Cara Pratt, SVP, Kroger Precision Marketing at 84.51°, recently told EMARKETER.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss what AI can do for retail, who the biggest players are, and if hyperpersonalization is something people even want. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank four promising examples of AI in retail. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Carina Perkins.

Digital ad spend is growing and going increasingly toward programmatic formats. Search ad spend is on the rise as well, as retail media growth remains healthy. And social media is in better shape than previously projected. Here are five recent charts forecasting the future of ad spend.

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.

The vast majority (81.5%) of retail media ad spend will go toward on-site formats this year, per our October 2023 forecast. As advertisers seek to target consumers whenever and wherever possible, other formats are emerging, particularly in-store, streaming, and social.

Amazon Prime Video ads launched today, defaulting Amazon’s 163.3 million US viewers into its ad-supported tier unless they pay a premium to opt out. This is good news for Amazon’s $44.26 billion dollar retail US media business. But who could this move hurt?

It may be a new year, but 2023 shopping habits aren’t going anywhere, according to Barbara Connors, vice president of strategy and acceleration at 84.51, a retail data company under The Kroger Co. Customers are still motivated by price and value, still expecting the shopping experience to seamlessly shift between online and offline channels, and still interested in buying private label goods.

With the majority of retail sales still taking place offline, marketers are rethinking the in-store experience, attempting to combine the reach of physical retail with the engagement of digital channels via in-store retail media.

To help keep return volumes down, retailers are trying everything from implementing return fees to ensuring product descriptions are as accurate and detailed as possible. But there are still a couple of out-of-the-box solutions that they could try, like leveraging peer-to-peer solutions to cut down on logistics costs or being more cautious around inspiring impulse purchases.

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.

Sam’s Club’s rich collection of first-party data provides advertisers with insight into members’ shopping and purchase behaviors. This near real-time visibility, powered by Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP), allows advertisers to meaningfully engage members along their shopping journey with content and offers that align with their interests.

Grocery is set to become the largest US ecommerce category by 2026.

45% of US retailers are planning a change to their contextual marketing strategies, which include sending SMS and emails to customers in-store, according to October 2023 Retail Systems Research data.

Cost, lack of third-party verification, limited on-site ad space, and limited activation options are some of the top challenges brands and advertisers in the US, France, Germany, and the UK face when using retail media networks (RMNs), according to an August 2023 DoubleVerify study.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the most important retail trends we're watching in 2024: How retailers will try to compete less with Amazon online, how China's influence will shake up online shopping in the US, and buying retail media networks. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Sky Canaves and Blake Droesch.

On today's podcast episode, we give out some 2023 retail awards for the most must-visit store, the company that came the closest to crashing and burning—only to course-correct at the last minute, the retailer you need to know, and the comeback story of the year. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Blake Droesch and Sky Canaves.

Before retail media, brands would pay retailers to market their products, but weren’t necessarily involved in how they were promoted. “Now, it’s more of a conversation,” said Melanie Babcock, vice president of Retail Media+ and monetization at The Home Depot. Retail Media+ is The Home Depot’s retail media network.

Consumer behaviors will be shaped by continued uncertainty, heightened in an election year, and cultural trends spilling over into commerce (think Krispy Kreme and Ozempic). Retailers that lean into tech advancements and get back to basics will win.