Retail Media Network (RMN) Advertising Guide 2026: Amazon, Walmart & Beyond

Key Takeaways

• Over 200 retail media networks now operate globally
• Amazon and Walmart capture 84.2% of all retail media ad spend
• RMNs offer closed-loop attribution connecting ad views to actual purchases
• First-party data targeting provides privacy-compliant precision
• Sponsored products alone projected to exceed $38 billion in 2025

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Why Retail Media Networks Matter in 2026

I remember when retail media was just "Amazon Ads." Today, it's the fastest-growing sector in digital advertising.

The reason is simple: first-party data.

The Closed-Loop Attribution Advantage

Here's what makes RMNs special:

> "If a shopper clicks a Pampers ad on Walmart's website and later purchases that product in-store or online, Walmart can attribute that sale to the ad."

No guessing. No modeling. Actual sales data.

RMN Performance Benchmarks

Metric	RMN Average	Standard Digital

Purchase Intent	2.8x higher	Baseline
Results Quality	1.8x better	Baseline
Attribution Accuracy	95%+	60-70%
Brand Safety	99%+	Variable

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Top Retail Media Networks in 2026

Tier 1: The Giants

Amazon Advertising

• Market share: ~77% of RMN spend
• Ad formats: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, DSP
• Key advantage: Massive scale and purchase intent data
• Best for: Any e-commerce brand

Walmart Connect

• Revenue: $4.4 billion in 2024
• Used by 74% of U.S. marketers
• Key advantage: In-store + online data (4,700+ stores)
• Best for: CPG, grocery, household brands

Tier 2: Specialty Networks

Target Roundel

• Strength: High-income, loyal customer base
• Ad formats: On-site, off-site, in-store
• Best for: Premium brands, household essentials

Instacart Ads

• Strength: Grocery-specific, high purchase intent
• Unique feature: Shoppable recipes
• Best for: CPG, food & beverage brands

Kroger Precision Marketing

• Strength: Deep grocery purchase data
• Unique feature: Loyalty card integration
• Best for: CPG brands targeting families

CVS Media Exchange

• Strength: Health and wellness focus
• Unique feature: Pharmacy + purchase data
• Best for: OTC, wellness, beauty brands

Tier 3: Emerging Networks

Network	Focus	2025 Ad Revenue

Albertsons Media Collective	Grocery	$1.2B+
Best Buy Ads	Electronics	$500M+
Dollar General DG Media	Value retail	$300M+
Ulta Beauty	Beauty	$250M+
Home Depot	Home improvement	$200M+

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RMN Ad Formats Explained

Sponsored Products

The bread and butter of retail media.

Best practices:

• Bid on brand terms (protect your shelf)
• Target competitor brands (conquest)
• Use automatic targeting initially
• Optimize toward ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale)

Sponsored Brands

Brand awareness at point of purchase.

• Headline + logo + products
• Video formats available
• Drives brand searches
• Higher funnel, but valuable

Sponsored Display

Retargeting within the retailer ecosystem.

• Reach shoppers on and off the retailer site
• View-based targeting
• Purchase-based targeting
• Category targeting

Off-Site & DSP

Extend reach beyond the retailer.

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Building Your RMN Strategy

Step 1: Audit Current Performance

Before expanding to RMNs, understand your baseline:

Current retail sales by retailer

Market share by category

Existing organic visibility

Competitor ad presence

Step 2: Prioritize Networks

Not all RMNs deserve your budget. Prioritize based on:

Factor	Weight

Sales volume at retailer	40%
Category growth potential	25%
Ad format availability	20%
Data & measurement quality	15%

Step 3: Align with Trade Marketing

This is where many brands fail.

> "Retail media should not operate in a vacuum. Treat it as a core part of your omnichannel strategy."

Coordinate with:

• Trade promotions
• Shelf placement negotiations
• Joint business planning
• In-store merchandising

Step 4: Build Full-Funnel Strategies

Awareness (Off-site, DSP, Video)

• Target category shoppers
• Reach lookalike audiences
• Drive to retailer site

Consideration (Sponsored Brands, Category targeting)

• Brand + category terms
• Competitor targeting
• Product comparisons

Purchase (Sponsored Products, Retargeting)

• Brand defense
• Deal/promotion amplification
• Cart abandonment

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Key Metrics & Measurement

Primary Metrics

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

• Benchmark: 4-8x for sponsored products
• Varies significantly by category

ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sale)

• Formula: Ad Spend / Ad Revenue
• Target: Under 20% for most categories

Incremental Sales Lift

• Measures true incrementality
• Requires holdout testing

Secondary Metrics

Metric	What It Measures

Share of Voice	Ad presence vs. competitors
New-to-Brand %	Customer acquisition
CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)	Long-term value
Organic Rank Impact	Halo effect on organic

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Advanced RMN Tactics

1. The Defense-Offense Split

Allocate budget between:

• Defense (40-60%): Brand terms, top products
• Offense (40-60%): Competitor terms, category expansion

2. Dayparting Optimization

Timeframe	Strategy

Morning (6-9am)	Stock-up shopping (coffee, essentials)
Lunch (11am-1pm)	Quick purchases, mobile heavy
Evening (7-10pm)	Browsing, larger baskets
Weekend	Family shopping, bulk

3. Deal Stacking

Combine retail media with:

• Coupons/rebates
• Lightning deals
• Subscribe & Save
• Prime Day / major events

4. Search Term Mining

Download search term reports and:

• Find high-converting new keywords
• Identify negative keyword opportunities
• Discover customer language insights
• Spy on competitor strategies

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The Fragmentation Challenge

With 200+ RMNs, brands face unprecedented complexity.

:::danger Warning: RMN Fragmentation

"Platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Target operate within disparate ecosystems, each with its own tools, pricing models, and measurement frameworks."

:::

Solutions

1. Unified Reporting

Aggregate data across networks into a single dashboard.

2. Standardized KPIs

Define consistent metrics across all networks.

3. Team Specialization

Consider dedicated RMN specialists vs. generalists.

4. Agency Partners

Many brands use specialized RMN agencies for execution.

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Common RMN Mistakes

1. Treating RMN as "Just Another Channel"

RMN is tied to shelf space, inventory, and trade relationships. Integrate accordingly.

2. Chasing Every Network

Focus matters. Better to dominate 2-3 networks than spread thin across 10.

3. Ignoring Organic

Paid and organic work together. Poor organic visibility hurts paid efficiency.

4. Set-and-Forget

RMN requires constant optimization:

• Bid adjustments
• Keyword expansion/negatives
• Budget reallocation
• Creative refresh

5. Wrong Attribution Window

Different networks use different windows. Standardize your reporting methodology.

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RMN Trends for 2026

1. In-Store Retail Media

Digital screens, shelf displays, and checkout advertising connecting online and offline.

2. Shoppable CTV

> "Shoppable ads on CTV and streamers are expected to go mainstream—a major moment in reshaping how people discover, interact, and buy products."

Walmart + Roku, Amazon Prime Video ads are leading this trend.

3. AI-Powered Optimization

Automated bidding, creative optimization, and budget allocation across networks.

4. Standardization Efforts

IAB and industry groups working on measurement standards and terminology.

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The Bottom Line

Retail media networks are no longer optional for e-commerce brands. They offer:

First-party data targeting in a privacy-first world

Closed-loop attribution proving actual sales impact

Point-of-purchase advertising when intent is highest

Growing reach with 200+ networks globally

> "Retail media has become the fastest-growing sector in digital advertising. Retailers of all sizes are now monetizing their first-party data and digital storefronts."

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