Top Retail Media Networks: What Companies Rule the Market

In 2024, global digital ad spending accounted for an impressive amount of $600 billion. In 2025, it is projected to hit the mark of 650 billion. According to researchers, by 2034, it can be around $1,483 billion. Such impressive figures demonstrate that the role of digital ads is growing. This can be viewed as a clear sign for businesses to look for relevant tools and strategies that will help them not to fall behind in competition and to stay visible to their target audiences in the era of digital ads. In the retail industry, retail media is one of the most promising approaches to creating smooth and engaging ad experiences for customers.

Retail media networks (RMNs) are advertising platforms operated by retailers. Such platforms allow brands to deliver their ads directly to shoppers using first-party data. These networks rely on customer purchase behavior, online browsing history, and loyalty program insights to serve targeted ads across various digital and in-store touchpoints.

In this article, we will talk about the RMN landscape, its current state, and the top retail media networks that are shaping the market these days.

The RMN Market and the Biggest Retail Media Networks

Today, we can observe a rapid expansion of the retail media network market. In 2024, its size was valued at $22.87 billion. Now, it is expected to grow to $87.97 billion by 2034 from $26.17 billion in 2025. This growth indicates that a CAGR for the forecast period from 2025 to 2034 will be over 14%.

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/

There are several drivers of this growth, including:

As of January 2025, there were 252 retail media networks offering their services to brands and advertisers in different regions of the world.

It’s interesting that amid the growing demand for retail media and online sales, around 65% of listed retailers also operate marketplaces today. This shift highlights how retailers have transformed from traditional brick-and-mortar stores into all-encompassing platforms. These platforms host third-party sellers and can satisfy consumers’ demand for all-in-one shopping experiences.

Approximately 40% of these marketplaces successfully blend digital and brick-and-mortar strategies across such regions as North America, Europe, and some parts of Asia.

At the current moment, the largest retail media networks cover the North American market. The industry is led by such giants as Walmart, Amazon, and Target. The survey conducted in the period of 2023 and 2024 revealed that 74% of marketers prefer Walmart Connect for their ad campaigns. Amazon Advertising and Target Roundel trailed this RMN, with 61% and 55% of respondents, respectively.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/

However, when it comes to retail media advertising spending, the undeniable leader is Amazon, which was a pioneer in the RMN market. It launched its retail media network in 2012 and in 2023 it captured around two-thirds of the $45.15 billion US retail media ad market. Its share is more than 10 times that of Walmart Connect.

In Europe, digital retail media advertising spending reached the level of 13.83 billion euros (it is nearly $14.29 billion) in 2024. Here, we can observe greater fragmentation. Amazon dominates the RMN market as well. Nevertheless, some local supermarket chains like Carrefour also demonstrate strong performance.

The Latin American RMN market seems to have started its skyrocketing growth. The economic uncertainty in some countries across the region primarily explains this trend. Such a situation is driving consumers to seek the best prices and discounts. To look for special deals, many people turn to retailers’ digital channels.

Though Amazon is also active here, the local retailer Mercado Libre stays ahead of the competition. According to some sources, in 2023, Mercado Libre accounted for approximately 48.5% of digital retail media ad revenue in the region ($625 million). Amazon’s RMN operations in Brazil and Mexico collectively brought the company nearly 18% of the region’s retail media advertising revenues ($237 million). If we take Mexico alone, in 2024, Mercado Libre and Amazon received 40.9% and 39.1%, respectively.

As for the Asia-Pacific region, the growth of retail media networks is slower than in other regions, with no strong players like Amazon.

What Types of Businesses can Rely on RMNs to Boost Sales?

Retail media networks today attract the attention of businesses operating across different domains. However, the majority of those working with RMNs are brands that build their marketing efforts on direct consumer engagement.

They can leverage targeted advertising and data-driven insights, as well as get access to high-intent shoppers. Thanks to the possibility of ensuring a comprehensive advertising journey across multiple channels and delivering personalized content, they can influence customers’ purchase decisions and successfully boost sales.

Among the most active users of RMB services, we should name:

• Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands (food, beverage, personal care, household, and beauty products);
• Electronics and tech brands (consumer electronics, computer hardware, and smart home device manufacturers);
• Fashion brands (clothing, footwear, and accessory businesses);
• Health and wellness brands (pharmaceutical companies, supplement brands, fitness products, and personal health items);
• Home and furniture brands (including DIY and home renovation services and products);
• Automotive brands (car parts, tire, and auto accessory manufacturers);
• Financial services and payment providers (banks, credit card companies, and Buy Now, Pay Later services);
• Travel and hospitality brands (airlines, hotels, and travel service providers);
• Entertainment and streaming services (subscription-based entertainment services and gaming companies);
• The focus is on restaurants and food delivery services, including fast food chains, meal kit companies, and delivery platforms.

Apart from this, it’s worth mentioning emerging brands regardless of the exact domain that they are working in. RMNs can help new companies get greater visibility in retail ecosystems and significantly scale their reach.

Types of RMNs

For those who are considering the launch of a retail media network solution, it’s vital to know that there are several categories of RMNs.

Best Retail Media Networks: Success Stories

When retailers plan to launch their own media networks, they always have two options: either to rely on the ready-to-use platform or to develop their own custom solutions. Second scenario: Their platforms can only be fully customized to their needs and those of their most likely brand partners.

Though both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, in this article, we will focus on the example of individually developed retail media networks.

Instacart

It is an American company founded in 2012. Today, it provides a grocery delivery and pick-up service in the US and Canada. Its offers are available to customers via a website and mobile app.

It operates its retail media network, dubbed Instacart Ads. The RMN enables brands to promote their products directly at the point of purchase at every stage of the buyer’s journey. This helps to significantly increase the product’s visibility for consumers.

The audience of Instacart is made up of highly intent-driven shoppers who are actively looking for the most suitable options because they want to make immediate purchases. This provides the platform with big volumes of valuable first-party data based on past purchases and browsing behavior.

In March 2020, Instacart launched Ads Manager. It is a user-friendly self-service platform that allows businesses featured in Instacart-serviced stores to promote their products to online grocery shoppers.

The interaction with a platform is organized via an intuitive dashboard. It lets advertisers create ads, track campaign performance, and optimize strategies using real-time data. For the convenience of advertisers, Instacart Ads enables them to manage their campaigns through third-party platforms.

Instacart Ads offers a range of ad products aimed at driving sales, engaging consumers, and expanding reach.

• Sponsored product ads. These ads appear in top search results, relevant department pages, or post-purchase recommendations. They look like organic results, with a “sponsored” tag. Brands pay for them based on the CPC (Cost-per-click) model.
• Promotions. Advertisers have the possibility of offering coupons and “stock up and save” deals. They appear on product cards and encourage savings at checkout.
• Pages. This feature is free to all advertisers. These customizable pages serve as a brand overview, highlight top products, and act as landing spots for new customers.
• Display ads. This ad format is based on using eye-catching banners that appear at the top of pages, designed to engage and re-engage shoppers.
• Shoppable display ads. These interactive banners enable brands to feature multiple products in a single ad, driving awareness and consideration.
• Shoppable video ads. These immersive ads let users view and purchase products directly from the video, streamlining the journey from discovery to purchase.

Each of the provided formats is designed for some particular purposes that correspond to different advertisers’ needs.

For example, Sponsored Product Ads and Promotions are designed to reach shoppers at key decision-making moments. That’s why they can help maximize visibility and drive conversions.

Shoppable display and video ads go beyond simple visuals. They allow users to add products to their carts seamlessly and can significantly drive engagement.

Meanwhile, Instacart’s Display Ads serve as powerful tools for boosting brand awareness and attracting new customers.

The Home Depot

The Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States and offers a wide range of products for construction, renovation, and home maintenance. It was founded in 1978, and now it operates over 2,300 stores across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The Home Depot introduced its RMN in 2019. At that time, it was known as Retail Media+. In 2024, it was rebranded to Orange Apron Media.

The retailer has nearly 200 million individual customers and around 2,000 advertisers utilizing its RMN. Advertisers aren’t limited to the home improvement sector. State Farm Insurance, for example, is one of its largest advertisers.

Additionally, the media network has started testing programmatic inventory sales, with a view to attracting even more non-category-specific brands to the platform. This can be considered a promising opportunity for businesses that do not expect their potential customers to make purchase decisions immediately. This way, they can place their ads across different platforms to increase visibility and brand recognition, which can bring them benefits in the long run.

The company is continuously enhancing its offers for advertisers. For example, after rebranding Orange Apron Media has announced the integration of Pentaleap’s retail media technology to deliver more relevant, timely ads that align closely with user needs during their shopping journey. This technology relies on an algorithm that can handle giant volumes of contextual data. Thanks to it, Orange Apron Media can dynamically demonstrate ads to the right people at the right moment.

Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a high-end American department store chain known for its luxury fashion, shoes, accessories, beauty products, and home goods. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, it has since expanded to offer a wide range of designer and contemporary brands.

In 2021, the company launched its ad program called Nordstrom Media Network, which allowed brands to place on-site sponsored ads. In 2021 alone, Nordstrom worked with hundreds of brand partners and generated $40 million in ad revenue.

Now, Nordstrom Media Network helps brands promote their products via on- and off-site media campaigns among users of Nordstrom.com and NordstromRack.com.

On-site options include:

• Sponsored product ads;
• Native display ads;
• Brand pages;
• Email.

For those interested in off-site channels, Nordstrom can offer:

• Paid social and display ads;
• Search and shopping;
• Video;
• CTV;
• Affiliates;
• Custom content creation;
• Stylist ambassador partnership.

By integrating advertising efforts across its digital and physical channels, Nordstrom creates seamless, personalized customer experiences. This approach is beneficial for both consumers and brand partners.

Wrapping Up

The retail media network landscape is experiencing rapid growth. Global digital ad spending continues to rise. Amid this trend, businesses across various industries are turning to RMNs to capitalize on the power of first-party data, personalized targeting, and the increasing demand for seamless digital experiences.

Given the growing interest in such ad offerings from the side of brands and the benefits that both businesses and customers can enjoy, the predictions for its further expansion in the coming years look quite optimistic.

Today there are quite a lot of successful RMNs. They help thousands of brands all over the world to engage consumers, boost sales, and enhance brand visibility across multiple touchpoints.

With the continued evolution of data analytics and advertising technology, RMNs are poised to play an even more integral role in shaping the future of advertising. Thus, RMNs may become essential for retailers to monetize their digital assets and first-party data.