The State of Measurement in Retail Media

Why Standardization May Not Be a Silver Bullet for Solving Retail Media’s Measurement Problem

Report by Sarah Marzano  | Jan 8, 2025
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Executive Summary
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
RMN proliferation is putting pressure on the status quo
Retail media’s lack of standardization can lead to diminishing returns for advertisers
Transparency, not standardization, may be the answer to retail media’s measurement woes
The path forward will require patience, flexibility, and a middleman (or several)
EMARKETER Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
As retail media networks (RMNs) clamor for advertiser budgets, the channel’s measurement shortcomings are moving into the spotlight. Advertisers cite a lack of cross-platform standardization among their top RMN-related challenges, but an overcorrection on measurement could do more harm than good.
Topics
Retail Media
US
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
RMN proliferation is putting pressure on the status quo
Retail media’s lack of standardization can lead to diminishing returns for advertisers
Transparency, not standardization, may be the answer to retail media’s measurement woes
The path forward will require patience, flexibility, and a middleman (or several)
EMARKETER Interviews
Sources
Media Gallery

As retail media networks (RMNs) in the US compete for advertising dollars, the channel’s measurement limitations are becoming increasingly evident. A key concern for advertisers is the lack of cross-platform consistency. But an overly aggressive focus on standardization could backfire.

Key Question: How is the lack of standardized measurement across RMNs affecting the channel’s growth trajectory?

Lack of Standardization Is One of the Biggest RMN Challenges for Over Half of Advertisers (% of US retail media advertisers, Jan 2024)
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Key Stat: Most US advertisers (55%) cite a lack of standardization across retail media platforms as the biggest RMN-related challenge.

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    Table of Contents

    1. Executive Summary
    2. RMN proliferation is putting pressure on the status quo
    3. Retail media’s lack of standardization can lead to diminishing returns for advertisers
    1. Transparency, not standardization, may be the answer to retail media’s measurement woes
    2. The path forward will require patience, flexibility, and a middleman (or several)
    3. EMARKETER Interviews
    1. Sources
    2. Media Gallery

    Charts in This Report

    Lack of Standardization Is One of the Biggest RMN Challenges for Over Half of Advertisers (% of US retail media advertisers, Jan 2024)For Advertisers, Higher ROI Is the Greatest Factor Influencing Increased Spend, July 2024 (% of US agency/marketing decision-makers, July 2024)
    Dozens of Retail Media Networks Are Fighting Over a Small Slice of the Pie (% of US retail media digital ad spending, by company, 2025)More Retail Media Advertisers Are Dedicating Resources to Measurement (% of US retail media advertisers, 2023 & 2024)

    Interviewed for This Report

    Eric Brackmann
    Koddi
    Vice President, Commerce Media
    Interviewed December 3, 2024
    Jeffrey Bustos
    Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)
    Vice President, Measurement Addressability Data
    Interviewed December 5, 2024
    Bernie Che
    Flywheel Digital
    Director, Omnichannel Platforms
    Interviewed November 26, 2024
    Sean Crawford
    SMG North America
    Managing Director, North America
    Interviewed December 5, 2024

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    authors

    Sarah Marzano

    Contributors

    Suzy Davidkhanian
    VP, Content
    Madan Kumar
    Copy Editor
    Penelope Lin
    Director, Data Visualization
    Wendy Malloy
    Director, Reports Editor
    Emma Noyes
    Graphic Designer, Data Visualization
    Amy Rotondo
    Director, US Research
    Matt Torpey
    Senior Chart Editor
    Max Willens