The trend: 2021 was the year that marketers fully embraced retail media networks—and the year that retailers fully embraced their role as advertising platforms.
What’s the appeal? For retailers, media networks function mainly as an additional revenue source, but they have other benefits.
Major players: While Amazon still dominates with 77.7% of US digital retail media spend, companies like Walmart and Instacart are emerging as media networks to watch.
A few key stats:
New entrants in 2021: Several retailers and commerce platforms made their media network debut this year, including:
What to expect in 2022: With third-party cookies set to vanish next year, expect to see more advertisers turning to retail media networks to provide valuable insights into consumer behavior. At the same time, Amazon’s stranglehold on retail media spend will start to slip, giving competitors like Walmart and Instacart an opportunity to establish themselves.