Grocery Retail Media Networks: A Journey ‘From Side Hustles to Strategic Engines’

Retail media networks (RMNs) have matured and evolved rapidly these past few years, and their growth shows no signs of relenting: eMarketer projects that U.S. retail media ad spend will jump from $51.9 billion in 2024 to $97.9 billion by 2028.

Amazon accounts for a majority of U.S. retail media digital ad spend – 77.3%, according to eMarketer – followed by Walmart, a distant second, at 6.9%. This leaves RMNs from grocers, including Albertsons Media Collective, Kroger Precision Marketing and AD Retail Media (Ahold Delhaize’s retail media arm), to vie for a smaller slice of the pie.

While the retail media landscape is competitive and crowded, RMNs have evolved to be far more than just alternative revenue streams for retailers.

“What started as a monetization play is evolving into a more integrated business function focused on full-funnel impact,” says Angela Myers, SVP, retail media at New York-based advertising agency Goodway Group.

Retailers now recognize the value of their first-party data and media inventory — not just as a way to drive ad revenue, but also to fuel smarter, data-led growth, according to Adam Skinner, managing director, global unified retail media at Epsilon, an Irving, Texas-based retail marketing platform.

“Grocery RMNs have evolved from side hustles to strategic engines,” Skinner asserts.

In the full report downloadable below, learn as leaders from top companies weigh in on retail media's evolution, ongoing priorities for both retailers and CPG brands, and what's holding the industry back.