Retail mediaโs easy growth phase is over. As in-store networks scale, performance TV matures, and measurement pressure intensifies, analyst Andrew Lipsman outlines the 10 trends that will define retail media in 2026 and expose which networks, brands, and strategies are built to last.
The stage is being set for 2026 to be one of the most dynamic and consequential โ but also challenging โyears in digital advertisingโs third big wave. It will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
Now that the easy money is gone, RMNs must find new avenues for growth amid organizational turf battles and mounting pressure from the C-suite. Theyโll need to balance meeting short-term revenue goals while making necessary investments to achieve long-term scale.
Meanwhile, advertisers are being asked by RMNs to up their spend and tap new budgets at the same time their management demands greater proof of marketing performance. Theyโll need to balance hitting short-term KPI targets while testing into emerging retail media channels that are valuable arbitrage opportunities for their media investment.
Retail media remains fertile ground, but buyers and sellers will have to fend off both internal and external threats to achieve their ambitious growth targets in 2026.
With this as a backdrop, here are my predictions for the top 10 trends in retail media for the year ahead.
1. IN-STORE RETAIL MEDIA will intensify as a battleground for top CPG retailers. After years of hesitation, major US retailers are finally rolling out in-store media networks โ well behind their counterparts in Europe like Tesco. Kroger plans an aggressive 2026 screen rollout, and Albertsons isnโt too far behind. Expect other leading players like Walmart and Instacart to enter the fray with more scalable offerings than they currently have. By the end of 2026, not only will in-store media networks be real and tangible in the US market, but it will quickly turn into a royal rumble for national media budgets.
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