ShopMy launches consumer shopping platform with multi-curator discovery engine
ShopMy has launched shopmy.us, a consumer shopping platform featuring a multi-curator discovery engine called Circles and a personalization layer called Taste Profile.
Retail Media News
Retail-media advertising technology and programmatic (on-site and off-site), in-store and omni-store digital media (screens, audio, smart-cart), shoppable video and CTV, measurement, data and identity, creator and influencer commerce, and AI and agentic marketing automation.
Best Buy launches creator storefronts and third-party marketplace
Best Buy is introducing a creator program for shoppable influencer storefronts and a third-party marketplace that grants sellers access to its retail media network for social targeting.
ShopMy crosses $1B annual sales across 1,200 brands
ShopMy, an affiliate and link-in-bio platform for creators, now facilitates over $1 billion in annual sales across more than 1,200 brands, having expanded its catalog beyond beauty and fashion into home, health, and food categories.
Instacart opens in-store cart advertising to all brand partners
Instacart has enabled all 7,000+ brand partners to run unified campaigns across its marketplace and in-store Caper Carts, which are deployed in over 60 US cities.
Albertsons Media Collective launches off-site cart add capability
Albertsons Media Collective introduced an 'Add-It' feature on December 15, 2025, allowing shoppers to add products and offers from off-site display ads directly to their digital cart.
Walmart Connect expands offsite retail media reach via Yahoo DSP
Walmart Connect has made its first-party data available through the Yahoo DSP, activating Vizio CTV inventory via Magnite in a closed proof-of-concept following the expiration of its exclusive deal with The Trade Desk.
Walmart Connect enables first-party audience targeting on third-party DSPs
Walmart Connect has launched a flexible buying model that allows advertisers to use Walmart first-party audiences with closed-loop measurement when purchasing inventory directly through third-party demand-side platforms.
Over 30% of US users buy via shoppable media
More than 30% of US internet users have made at least one purchase through shoppable media channels, including social, CTV, and livestream platforms.
AI tools automate retail media ad creation and campaign management
Several MarTech vendors have launched AI-native platforms that generate interactive ad modules, manage autonomous merchandising agents, and convert product pages into video campaigns for retail advertisers.
Agentic commerce market map highlights $1T US retail revenue projection
CB Insights mapped over 90 companies in the agentic commerce sector, citing McKinsey’s projection of approximately $1 trillion in US agentic retail revenue by the end of the decade.
Retail media networks lag in agentic commerce adoption
Only about 40% of retail media networks are currently piloting agentic commerce, according to Salesforce Connected Shoppers.
US in-store retail media spend projected to exceed $1 billion by 2028
US in-store retail media spend is on track to pass $1 billion by 2028, a figure representing less than 1% of the total channel.
AI agents and new tools reshape retail media buying
Major media platforms and tech firms are deploying AI agents for automated buying, while marketers report that proving incrementality remains the primary barrier to expanding retail media budgets.
CVS Media Exchange targets 90 million customers with precision retail media
CVS Media Exchange is utilizing 90 million addressable customer relationships to deliver precision multi-channel advertising at the point of purchase with integrated merchandising and media.
Skai opens retail media infrastructure to external AI agents
Skai launched Agent Connect to allow external AI agents to access its omnichannel marketing infrastructure via MCP connectors.
Retail media CTV ad spend projected to reach $5 billion in 2025
Retail media CTV ad spending is forecast to hit approximately $5 billion in 2025, growing roughly three times faster than retail media search according to eMarketer.
Agentic checkout protocols reach live retail deployments
Major payment networks and retailers have launched agentic commerce protocols enabling AI-driven instant checkout across multiple platforms.
Grocery TV launches closed-loop measurement for in-store retail media
Grocery TV has introduced a measurement solution for its in-store retail media network that links ad impressions to verified store sales to calculate return on ad spend.
YouTube CTV ads now allow direct product purchases
Google launched Shoppable CTV, enabling viewers to browse and buy products directly within YouTube ads using data from Google Merchant Center.
TalkShopLive launches shoppable video tool for social media reels
TalkShopLive introduced TSL Shoppettes, a feature enabling users to purchase items from short-form videos on Instagram and Facebook by commenting 'SHOP' to receive direct buy links via direct messages.
Hightouch and Databricks launch AI audience platform for retail media
Hightouch and Databricks launched a self-service, AI-powered platform on January 10, 2025, enabling retail media networks to build and syndicate custom audiences across more than 50 channels.
Instacart expands smart cart ads to all brand partners
Instacart has extended its Caper Cart advertising program to all 7,000+ brand partners, enabling campaigns to run across its marketplace and in-store cart screens based on aisle location and inventory status.
Walmart acquires Vibe.co to expand self-serve CTV retail media
Walmart agreed to acquire self-serve CTV platform Vibe.co for approximately $1.4 billion to integrate its long-tail advertising engine into Walmart Connect.
Google launches Universal Cart for AI-powered checkout
Google is rolling out a Universal Cart in its AI Mode and Gemini app that connects products across retailers and supports checkout via Google Pay or retailer handoff.
AI recommendations outperform search, driving retail media infrastructure investment
McKinsey reports AI-generated product recommendations convert 4.4 times higher than traditional search, while Mirakl finds 42% of customers abandon purchases due to insufficient product information.
REVERSIBLE launches agentic affiliate platform for AI shopping
REVERSIBLE Labs has launched an API that connects AI agents and styling apps to over 700 retailers for fashion and beauty commerce.
Bambuser becomes Meta Live Video Ads partner for brand-owned shopping
Bambuser has become a Meta Live Video Ads partner, allowing brands to use livestreams as ad creative to drive traffic to their own shoppable sites without platform selling fees.
Cotswold Outdoor launches 149-screen retail media network
Cotswold Outdoor Group has deployed 149 digital displays across 23 UK stores using Broadsign’s content management system to manage in-store advertising and connect with its Zitcha retail media platform.
LG Ad Solutions Partners With Best Buy Ads for TV Inventory
LG Ad Solutions announced a partnership with Best Buy Ads on October 7 that allows U.S. marketers to purchase targeted advertising space across the LG TV ecosystem through the retail media network.
TikTok Launches In-App Checkout and AI Shopping Assistant
TikTok announced on October 5 that it is introducing an in-app checkout solution called Buy Direct and an AI-powered Shopping Assistant to facilitate agentic commerce experiences within its platform.
TikTok launches agentic AI tools and US ad network
TikTok announced new agentic AI features for lead generation and shopping, alongside the US launch of its TikTok Ad Network, during Advertising Week.
AI platforms projected to drive 1.5% of US retail ecommerce in 2026
EMARKETER projects that AI platforms will account for 1.5% of US retail ecommerce sales in 2026, representing approximately $20.57 billion in revenue.
Condé Nast Launches AI-Powered Creator Marketplace VETTE in 2026
Condé Nast is launching VETTE, an AI-powered marketplace where creators build digital storefronts under a revenue-share model with AI merchandising tools and retail-media revenue streams, in early 2026.
Jivox launches AI platform for agentic commerce media ads
Jivox has released an AI product that creates and launches commerce-media campaigns in approximately five minutes and integrates with agentic shopping agents like Perplexity's 'Buy with Pro'.
GenAI becomes default for automated programmatic bidding in 2026
EMARKETER reports that 2026 marks a shift to GenAI-driven automated bidding as the default in programmatic advertising, with targeting moving from static to real-time and creative becoming continuously auto-generated.
Walmart Connect tests ads inside agentic shopping agents
Walmart Connect has begun testing advertising formats within its Sparky shopping agent and is rolling out a beta version of the Marty advertising assistant for Sponsored Search campaigns.
Retailers integrate creator commerce into retail media ecosystems
Major retailers are using influencer-driven experiences and TikTok Shop livestreams as primary channels for new retail media activations and seasonal events.
Feedvisor launches Agentis to optimize Amazon seller profit
Feedvisor has introduced Agentis, an agentic commerce platform for Amazon sellers that coordinates advertising, pricing, inventory, and competitive intelligence to optimize for profit rather than just return on ad spend.
Walmart ties creator bonuses to sales thresholds and marketplace commissions
Walmart has integrated its Creator Program into its core sales infrastructure by introducing a tiered bonus structure that pays creators for hitting sales thresholds and expanding commissions to include third-party marketplace sellers.
Amazon launches agentic AI tool for retail media campaign creation
Amazon has introduced a beta version of an agentic AI creative partner designed to assist advertisers with audience research and the generation of final creative assets.
Upfluence launches agentic platform to automate creator marketing workflows
Upfluence has introduced an MCP-enabled agentic platform that autonomously manages creator discovery, outreach, negotiation, and payments, reducing campaign setup time from six weeks to five minutes.
Agentic AI becomes default logic layer for programmatic ad planning
Industry analysts predict that 2026 will mark the shift of agentic AI from concept to early deployment in programmatic, with buyer and publisher agents emerging through open standards like AdCP and UCP.
Retail media measurement matures with first-party data integration
Closed-loop retail media measurement is maturing on first-party data and clean rooms, with platforms enabling brands to join first-party data with exposure and conversion data at an aggregate level.
LTK launches flat-fee creator campaign tool for brands
LTK is rolling out Quick Collabs, a flat-fee, one-click creator-campaign feature to all brands and U.S. creators on its Brand Platform.
Newton Research launches agentic AI analytics within Snowflake Cortex
Newton Research has introduced agentic AI analytics agents inside Snowflake Cortex AI, allowing brands and agencies to run media mix modeling and campaign reporting without transferring data.
Google launches Universal Commerce Protocol for agentic checkout
Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard co-developed with major retailers to power new checkout features in AI Mode and the Gemini app.
Agentic media buying cuts intermediary fees by over 80% in live test
A live deployment of agentic media buying on PubMatic's Activate Platform reduced intermediary fees by over 80% and lowered CPMs, according to Digiday.
Grocers expand in-store digital screens to capture retail media spend
In-store retail media is projected to reach $1.06 billion by 2028, with 97% of retailers planning to invest in the channel to compete with online platforms.
Databricks targets agentic advertising with unified data layer
Databricks is positioning its platform as the intelligence layer for agentic advertising, integrating with Magnite, Epsilon, Acxiom, Amperity, and CTV platforms to power campaign, audience, creative, and attribution agents.
Mastercard launches commerce media platform using transaction data
Mastercard introduced Mastercard Commerce Media in October 2025, a platform that utilizes over 160 billion transaction data points to offer advertisers card-linking attribution and reported return on ad spend of up to 22x.
IAB Tech Lab releases agentic roadmap for programmatic trading
The IAB Tech Lab has released an Agentic Roadmap that extends OpenRTB with new protocols for agent-to-agent trading, coinciding with the debut of a new industry event called Programmatic AI in Las Vegas in May 2026.
The Trade Desk launches first AI agents for automated media buying
The Trade Desk has introduced its first AI agents, with Stagwell as the initial client, to facilitate automated media buying within the programmatic industry.
Amazon Ads launches agentic AI tools for planning and creative
Amazon Ads introduced agentic AI tools at unBoxed 2025 that automate campaign planning, enable natural-language data queries, and generate display and video creative.
Strategics drive 71% of 2025 ad-tech M&A activity
Strategic buyers accounted for 71% of scaled ad-tech deals in 2025, including acquisitions by T-Mobile, The Trade Desk, and Publicis.
ShopMy raises $70M to expand creator commerce infrastructure
ShopMy secured $70 million in funding at a $1.5 billion valuation to support its affiliate infrastructure connecting over 185,000 creators.
Retail media overtakes linear and connected TV in global ad spend
Retail media reached $196.7 billion in global ad spend in 2026, surpassing the combined total of linear and connected television.
Retail media ad spend projected to reach $178 billion by 2028
GroupM forecasts that global retail media advertising expenditure will grow from $136 billion in 2024 to approximately $178 billion within four years, driven by the decline of third-party cookies and increased advertiser adoption of multiple networks.
PubMatic launches agentic operating system for programmatic ad campaigns
PubMatic introduced AgenticOS on January 5, 2026, an agent-to-agent platform that uses AI to plan and optimize programmatic campaigns in real time.
Retail media shifts from ROAS to holistic marketing objectives
Retail media industry predictions indicate a strategic pivot from return on ad spend to frameworks measuring incremental growth, lifetime value, and brand equity.
Creator services dominate retail media M&A activity
A report tracking $2.77B in influencer marketing transactions from January 2025 to June 2026 found that services and representation businesses accounted for 73.8% of acquisition volume.
Looma raises $13M to expand in-store retail media network
Looma secured a $10M Series B and $3M credit facility to scale its in-store screen network across 1,100 retail locations, reaching 27 million shoppers monthly.
Amazon dominance drives demand for unified retail media management tools
Amazon controls approximately 77% of US retail media spend, while fragmentation across multiple networks creates a need for unified measurement and management layers.
US retail media ad spending projected to reach $69.3B in 2026
US retail media advertising spending is projected to reach approximately $69.3 billion in 2026, reflecting sustained double-digit year-over-year growth.
US Retail Media Spend Hits $69.33B in 2026
US retail media ad spend is forecast to reach $69.33B in 2026, with Amazon Ads and Walmart Connect accounting for $9.42B of the total increase from 2025.
Google Unifies First-Party Data Uploads Across Ads and Analytics
Google launched its Data Manager API in October 2025, providing a unified interface for uploading first-party data across Google Ads, Analytics, and DV360.
Retailers rebuild tech stacks to unify retail media channels
Retail media networks are entering a re-platforming phase as advertisers increasingly treat the channel as significant, prompting retailers to unify on-site, off-site, and in-store technology.
In-store retail media ad spend forecast to grow 33.1% in 2026
US in-store retail media advertising is projected to increase by 33.1% in 2026, despite currently accounting for less than 1% of total US retail media spend.
ShopMy raises $70M at $1.5B valuation for curated commerce
ShopMy, a shopper-marketing infrastructure company, secured a $70 million investment at a $1.5 billion valuation, reporting over $1 billion in annual sales and 200% year-over-year revenue growth.
US retail media spend projected to hit $128B by 2026
Analysts project US retail media spending will reach $128 billion in 2026, with the top three networks controlling approximately 74% of the market. Amazon Ads is estimated to account for $88.6 billion of that total.
Topsort launches self-service in-store digital ad auction
Topsort introduced a self-service format in May 2026 that integrates in-store digital screens into the same auction-based infrastructure as on-site retail media.
In-store retail media shifts to AI-optimized dynamic displays
In-store retail media is evolving into AI-optimized displays that process real-time store signals like foot traffic and basket composition to serve dynamic, personalized ads on smart shelves.
AI-driven smart shelves automate in-store advertising content
Retailers are deploying AI-powered smart shelves and digital signage that adjust advertising content based on real-time inventory, time of day, and shopper demographics.