Retail media networks may be working on standardization, but a universal measurement system is still a dream. Aside from a sluggish move toward standardization, here are four predictions about the future of retail media networks our analysts gave on our “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast.

The continued growth and success of retail media hinge on achieving measurement standardization, according to Jeffrey Bustos, vice president of measurement addressability data at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

Walmart has the largest audience of any digital grocery platform. But our survey found that Amazon Fresh customers were more active and willing to try new products.

Brands must balance personalization with privacy considerations and ensure product pages are comprehensive and complete. Lower-funnel ad tactics and easily accessible shipping and returns info also help to encourage purchases. Here are four strategies to boost online conversion rates.

Travel will see the fastest growth in US digital ad spending of any industry in 2023, according to our forecast. Travel, retail, healthcare and pharma, automotive, and entertainment will outpace the national digital ad spending growth rate.

Recent news of Walmart’s expansion of in-store ads, including audio and product demos, plus The Kroger Co.’s planned roll out of digital ads in the cooler aisle, has intensified the spotlight on the rise of in-store retail media. This fast-emerging segment is perhaps the most critical development in the digitization of the store, retail’s next mega-trend. Physical stores have enormous—and almost completely untapped—potential as the next major media channel, yet US retailers have been remarkably slow to adopt.

Retail’s resilience and its outsized role in digital ad spending will help offset the impact of a broader slowdown in growth in the US digital advertising market.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss what we are paying close attention to this holiday season, how much more the holiday season has been pulled forward, and besides being earlier than everyone else, which holiday strategies will work? Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank one projected winner and one retailer that needs help this holiday season. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Zak Stambor.

The travel and retail industries will post healthy digital ad spending growth figures this year, but many other verticals we track will underperform compared with the national growth average. Next year is looking better for almost all of them.

Smart carts enable brands to put their products right in front of shoppers as they move through the store. Digital cooler screens use bright, informative visuals to pique consumer interest. And digital end caps add an element of interactivity to the old-school format. Here’s how retailers can put them to use to up their retail media game.

Membership-based retailers might have an edge in retail media. While most retail media networks tout first-party data and closeness to purchase as benefits of this burgeoning channel, membership stores like Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and more have rich troves of historical data on its members.

“We all want to create that aura and the air of excitement so the customer across all channels can say, ‘It is indeed my happy place we’ve got here,’” Dhriti Saha, COO of The Container Store, said at eTail Boston this week.

Ecommerce sales growth worldwide is poised to increase by 8.9% in 2023 after increasing by 6.5% in 2022, according to our forecast. While this growth trend will continue in 2024—reaching 9.4%—ecommerce sales growth worldwide will fall to 8.6% in 2025.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss what established brands have to gain by going D2C, the ways digitally native brands sell in brick-and-mortar stores, and how brands are maintaining a digitally native “identity” for marketing purposes while also going wholesale. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the the digital natives that are primed for success and the ones that need to up their game. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and president of SageBerry Consulting and author of "Remarkable Retail" Steve Dennis.

Digital activity now plays a major role in product discovery, with younger generations driving sizable shifts in the way shoppers find new products.

Casper’s subway ads give commuters fun puzzles to solve while increasing its brand awareness. Albertsons Companies leverages a game to entice consumers to play for discounts and rewards. And Nike’s mobile app earns the brand a spot in consumers’ everyday lives. Here are five ways brands are embracing gamification across different stages.

Retail media partnerships are the future of TV.

Digital ad spending growth in Canada continues apace, driven in large part by key industries tied most closely to the digital economy. Our rankings show that retail and CPG lead the way, while sectors like travel and automotive are still recovering from hard times during the pandemic.

While the retail media opportunity is massive, it requires reaching consumers across a growing number of channels and adapting in real time. Google—which receives billions of searches daily—can help capture new demand, and turn that demand into purchases, by bringing in valuable first-party data to a brand’s retail media program.

Though growth is slowing, digital grocery will continue to fuel overall ecommerce growth in the US. “Growth is no longer driven by new adopters, but heavy digital grocery users,” our analyst Blake Droesch said on a recent “Reimagining Retail” podcast episode. Here’s how retailers like Instacart, Amazon, and Walmart can capitalize on frequent buyers.