Retail media networks (RMNs) are expanding beyond retailers' websites and apps, pushing into connected TV (CTV) and in-store displays. As the industry matures, experts predict 2025 will be marked by significant growth in these off-site channels, with new technologies and partnerships reshaping how brands reach consumers throughout their shopping journey.
Here is what industry leaders expect in 2025 for RMNs.
Retail media is moving off-site
“In 2025, brands are expected to embrace full-funnel strategies that incorporate both on-site and off-site channels,” said Melanie Babcock, vice president of Orange Apron Media and monetization at The Home Depot.
About 1 in 5 (20.9%) US retail media dollars will go to off-site formats this year, up 41.1% over 2024, per our November 2024 forecast. Channels like CTV, out-of-home (OOH), social media, and other display formats are increasingly using retail media data.
Lyft Media is using off-site advertising to complement its on-site offerings across its customer journey. “Lyft connects riders on their way to meet up with a friend, to go shopping, to go to dinner, and to live their lives, and we are excited to begin thinking about how to deliver relevant messaging across our surfaces and within other mediums that our riders spend time consuming,” said Shane Dwyer, head of sales for Lyft Media.
CTV is benefiting from retail media’s move off-site
In 2025, 15.0% of US CTV ad spend will come from retail media. Partnerships between streamers and RMNs are paving the way for more shoppable ads due to CTV’s tech capabilities and RMNs tying ads directly to a retailer.
“Shoppable video, especially with the increasing popularity of CTV, is predicted to be a significant trend in 2025,” said Babcock.
The share of US consumers who purchased something from shoppable CTV ads increased nearly 50% from February 2024 to August 2024, per our survey conducted by Bizrate Insights.
“This format allows consumers to buy products directly from video content, providing a convenient and integrated shopping experience. The growth of CTV, which combines the broad reach of television with the interactive capabilities of digital devices, is expected to further accelerate the use of shoppable video,” Babcock said.
In-store is also broadening retail media’s audience
Orange Apron Media expects in-store media placements to increase on digital displays on endcaps, interactive kiosks, and audio advertisements, Babcock said. “These innovative approaches offer brands highly targeted opportunities to engage with consumers at the point of purchase, influencing their buying decisions and ultimately driving sales.”
In-store retail media ad spend will grow by 45.5% this year, but remain low at $530 million. Challenges with attribution and hardware will keep that figure low. But in-store retail media spend is powering digital OOH spend, making up 15% of the channel’s ad dollars this year, per our November 2024 forecast.
“With OOH, you can leverage the same targeting tactics and measurement insights [as on-site], though noting that measurement won’t be exactly apples to apples,” said Lucy Markowitz, senior vice president and general manager of US marketplace at Vistar Media.
AI and automation fuel the more distant future of retail media
“Looking ahead, the next 25 years promise to bring unprecedented innovation to the retail media ecosystem, fueled by advances in AI and automation,” said Melanie Zimmermann, general manager of global retail media at Criteo. “I anticipate that we see even greater advancements in predictive analytics and machine learning, allowing brands to anticipate consumer behavior more effectively and make real-time, data-driven decisions.”
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