47 Retail Media Statistics, Trends, and Data Points for 2026
This briefing compiles verified retail media advertising statistics from EMARKETER, WARC and WPP Media (GroupM), the IAB and PwC, Boston Consulting Group, and Skai, covering ad spend, growth rates, the share of digital advertising captured by retail media, platform concentration around Amazon and Walmart, return on ad spend, and the onsite versus offsite split. Retail media is now one of the fastest-growing channels in advertising, but the numbers vary widely by source because definitions of what counts as “retail media” differ, so every figure below is attributed to a publisher, a year, and a geography.
Important definitional caveat: Retail media forecasts are not directly comparable across firms. EMARKETER and WARC use different scopes (for example, whether onsite-only, onsite plus offsite, or full “commerce media” including marketplaces and connected TV is included), different geographic boundaries, and different base years. Treat cross-source comparisons as directional, not exact.
Executive Summary
- US retail media ad spending will approach $69.33 billion in 2026, up from $58.79 billion in 2025 (United States, EMARKETER, September 2025).
- Worldwide retail media ad spend reached an estimated $174.9 billion in 2025, growing 13.7% year on year, and is forecast to rise 12.4% to $196.7 billion in 2026 (global, WARC / WPP Media, November 2025).
- Retail media is projected to represent about 16% of all global ad spend in 2026 and to overtake combined linear and connected TV spend that year (global, WARC, November 2025).
- US retail media network revenue jumped 23% in 2024 to $53.7 billion (United States, IAB / PwC, April 2025).
- Amazon generated about $68 billion in advertising revenue in 2025, roughly 8% of its US gross merchandise value, while Walmart’s global ad revenue reached $6.4 billion (United States / global, AdExchanger reporting company results, February 2026).
- Offsite US retail media ad spend was forecast to grow 42.1% in 2025, almost three times the onsite growth rate (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025).
- Average retail media return on ad spend held at 6.1x for five consecutive quarters through Q1 2025 across the platforms Skai tracks (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025).
- Boston Consulting Group projected in 2021 that retail media would grow about 25% per year to roughly $100 billion and exceed 25% of total digital media spending by 2026 (global, BCG, 2021 forecast).
Key Findings
- US advertisers will spend an estimated $69.33 billion on retail media in 2026, up from $58.79 billion in 2025 (United States, EMARKETER, September 2025).
- Worldwide retail media ad spend was an estimated $174.9 billion in 2025, up 13.7% year on year (global, WARC / WPP Media, November 2025).
- Worldwide retail media ad spend is forecast to rise 12.4% to $196.7 billion in 2026 (global, WARC, November 2025).
- Retail media is projected to account for about 16% of all global advertising spend in 2026 (global, WARC, November 2025).
- US retail media network revenue grew 23% in 2024 to reach $53.7 billion (United States, IAB / PwC, April 2025).
- Total US internet advertising revenue grew 13.9% in 2025 to nearly $300 billion (United States, IAB / PwC, April 2026).
- Amazon’s advertising revenue reached about $68 billion in 2025, roughly 8% of its US gross merchandise value (United States, AdExchanger reporting Amazon results, February 2026).
- Walmart’s global advertising revenue totaled $6.4 billion in 2025, up 37% globally, with Walmart Connect US up 41% (global / United States, AdExchanger reporting Walmart results, February 2026).
- Offsite US retail media ad spending was forecast to grow 42.1% in 2025, almost three times the onsite growth rate of roughly 15% (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025).
- US omnichannel retail media ad spending was forecast to reach $61.2 billion in 2025 (United States, EMARKETER, March 2025 forecast).
- Retail-media connected TV ad spend was forecast to grow 43.1% in 2025 to $4.86 billion (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025).
- Average retail media return on ad spend held at 6.1x for the fifth consecutive quarter in Q1 2025 (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025).
- Retail media spend tracked by Skai grew 21% year on year in Q1 2025, with Walmart up 38% and Amazon up 15% (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025).
- Amazon’s demand-side platform reached 20.7% of Amazon ad spend in Q1 2025, the highest share in five quarters (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025).
- Boston Consulting Group projected retail media would exceed 25% of total digital media spending by 2026, with Amazon at about 60% of the market (global, BCG, 2021 forecast).
Market Size and Growth
Retail media has moved from a niche line item to one of the largest growth engines in digital advertising, but headline totals differ sharply because each firm defines the channel differently. The figures below are grouped by publisher so readers can see the methodological spread rather than a single blended number.
US retail media ad spending will approach $69.33 billion in 2026, up from $58.79 billion in 2025 (United States, EMARKETER, September 2025). Source: EMARKETER, “US Retail Media Ad Spending Will Near $70 Billion in 2026,” September 2025.
Worldwide retail media ad spend reached an estimated $174.9 billion in 2025, up 13.7% year on year (global, WARC / WPP Media, November 2025). Source: WARC global retail media forecast via Mediabrief, November 2025.
Worldwide retail media ad spend is forecast to rise 12.4% to $196.7 billion in 2026 (global, WARC, November 2025). Source: WARC, 2025.
US retail media network revenue grew 23% in 2024 to reach $53.7 billion (United States, IAB / PwC, April 2025). Source: IAB / PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, Full Year 2024, April 2025.
What it means: The gap between EMARKETER’s roughly $59-69 billion US figure and the IAB’s $53.7 billion 2024 US figure reflects timing (2024 actual versus 2025-2026 forecast) and scope differences, not a contradiction. The WARC global numbers and BCG’s older $100 billion projection are not comparable to the US-only figures.
Share of Digital and Total Ad Spend
Retail media’s share of advertising is rising fast enough that it is now compared directly to television. The share metrics below depend heavily on whether the denominator is digital ad spend or total ad spend.
Retail media is projected to represent about 16% of all global ad spend in 2026 (global, WARC, November 2025). Source: WARC via Mediabrief, November 2025.
Retail media is forecast to overtake combined linear and connected TV ad spend globally in 2026 (global, WARC, November 2025). Source: WARC via Mediabrief, November 2025.
Boston Consulting Group projected that retail media would account for over 25% of total digital media spending by 2026 (global, BCG, 2021 forecast). Source: BCG, “The $100 Billion Media Opportunity for Retailers,” 2021.
Total US internet advertising revenue grew 13.9% in 2025 to nearly $300 billion, the base against which US retail media’s share is measured (United States, IAB / PwC, April 2026). Source: IAB / PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, Full Year 2025, April 2026.
What it means: BCG’s 2021 “over 25% of digital media by 2026” projection is now testable; WARC’s 2025 framing of retail media as roughly 16% of total (not digital) ad spend is a different denominator and should not be read as a downgrade.
Top Platforms: Amazon, Walmart, and Concentration
Retail media is highly concentrated. Amazon dominates, Walmart is the fastest-growing challenger, and a long tail of retailer networks competes for the remainder.
Amazon’s advertising revenue reached about $68 billion in 2025, roughly 8% of its US gross merchandise value (United States, AdExchanger reporting Amazon results, February 2026). Source: AdExchanger, February 2026.
Walmart’s global advertising revenue totaled $6.4 billion in 2025, up 37% globally, with Walmart Connect US growing 41% (global / United States, AdExchanger reporting Walmart results, February 2026). Source: AdExchanger, February 2026.
Walmart’s ad revenue equaled about 1% of its $713 billion in 2025 sales, against Amazon’s roughly 8% ad-to-GMV ratio, indicating substantial monetization headroom for Walmart (global, AdExchanger, February 2026). Source: AdExchanger, February 2026.
Boston Consulting Group projected Amazon would account for about 60% of retail media, with Walmart, Target, and a few others running networks above $1 billion making up about 25% of the space (global, BCG, 2021 forecast). Source: BCG, 2021.
What it means: Walmart’s ad business grew roughly twice as fast as Amazon’s in 2025, but the absolute dollar gap remains large; Walmart’s $6.4 billion global figure also includes its VIZIO connected-TV unit acquired in late 2024, so it is not a like-for-like onsite-only comparison with Amazon.
Onsite vs Offsite and Connected TV
The newest dynamic in retail media is the shift of dollars from retailers’ owned onsite inventory to offsite placements on the open web, social, and connected TV, where retailers monetize their shopper data.
Offsite US retail media ad spending was forecast to grow 42.1% in 2025, almost three times the onsite growth rate of roughly 15% (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025). Source: EMARKETER, April 2025.
Retail-media connected TV ad spend was forecast to grow 43.1% in 2025 to reach $4.86 billion in the United States (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025). Source: EMARKETER, April 2025.
US omnichannel retail media ad spending was forecast to reach $61.2 billion in 2025 (United States, EMARKETER, March 2025 forecast). Source: EMARKETER, April 2025.
Boston Consulting Group projected offsite retail media spend growing about 35% per year with margins of 20% to 40%, versus onsite owned-channel growth of about 22% per year at margins of 70% to 90% (global, BCG, 2021 forecast). Source: BCG, 2021.
What it means: Offsite is the faster-growing but lower-margin frontier; onsite search and sponsored-product inventory remains the profit core. The high offsite growth rate is partly a small-base effect.
Performance: ROAS, CPC, and Spend Trends
Retail media’s appeal rests on measurable performance close to the point of purchase. The performance data below comes from Skai’s platform-level tracking and should be read as a sample of the advertisers and retailers Skai serves, not a market-wide census.
Average retail media return on ad spend held at 6.1x for the fifth consecutive quarter in Q1 2025 (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025). Source: Skai, Q1 2025 Retail Media Trends.
Retail media spend tracked by Skai grew 21% year on year in Q1 2025, with Walmart up 38%, Amazon up 15%, and other retail media networks up 29% (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025). Source: Skai, Q1 2025.
Average cost per click across the platforms Skai tracks was $1.06 in Q1 2025, up 1% year on year (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025). Source: Skai, Q1 2025.
Amazon’s demand-side platform reached 20.7% of Amazon ad spend in Q1 2025, the highest share in five quarters (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025). Source: Skai, Q1 2025.
What it means: A stable 6.1x ROAS alongside flat CPCs suggests the channel is maturing without obvious price inflation, but Skai’s ROAS reflects its advertiser base and platform mix, so it is not a guaranteed benchmark for any individual brand.
Original Synthesis
The following insights are derived by combining the verified public datasets above. Each states its formula, inputs, and limitations, and none should be read as a precise forecast.
1. US retail media implied year-over-year growth, 2025 to 2026
Using EMARKETER’s figures of $58.79 billion (2025) and $69.33 billion (2026), implied growth is ($69.33 – $58.79) / $58.79 = 17.9% (United States). Inputs: EMARKETER, September 2025. Limitation: both values are EMARKETER forecasts, not actuals, and rounding affects the second decimal.
2. Walmart-to-Amazon advertising revenue ratio, 2025
Dividing Amazon’s roughly $68 billion by Walmart’s $6.4 billion gives an Amazon-to-Walmart ad revenue ratio of about 10.6 to 1 in 2025 (global). Inputs: AdExchanger, February 2026. Limitation: Walmart’s figure includes VIZIO connected-TV revenue, so the ratio understates the pure onsite-search gap.
3. Monetization headroom from ad-to-sales ratios
Amazon monetizes advertising at roughly 8% of GMV versus Walmart at about 1% of $713 billion in sales; closing even half that gap to 4% would imply order-of-magnitude growth in Walmart’s ad revenue (global). Inputs: AdExchanger, February 2026. Limitation: ad-to-sales ratios are not directly transferable across retailers with different traffic, category mix, and third-party marketplace scale.
Tables
Table 1: Headline retail media ad spend by source
| Source | Geography | Year | Figure | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMARKETER | United States | 2025 | $58.79B | n/a |
| EMARKETER | United States | 2026 (f) | $69.33B | ~17.9% |
| WARC / WPP Media | Global | 2025 | $174.9B | 13.7% |
| WARC / WPP Media | Global | 2026 (f) | $196.7B | 12.4% |
| IAB / PwC | United States | 2024 | $53.7B | 23% |
Sources: EMARKETER, September 2025; WARC via Mediabrief, November 2025; IAB / PwC, April 2025. Figures use differing definitions and are not directly comparable.
Table 2: Top platform advertising revenue, 2025
| Platform | 2025 ad revenue | Growth | Ad-to-sales / GMV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Ads | ~$68B | ~22% | ~8% of GMV |
| Walmart (global, incl. VIZIO) | $6.4B | 37% global / 41% US | ~1% of sales |
Source: AdExchanger reporting company results, February 2026.
Table 3: Onsite vs offsite US growth, 2025 forecast
| Segment | 2025 growth (US) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Offsite | 42.1% | Almost 3x onsite |
| Onsite | ~15% | Profit core |
| Retail-media CTV | 43.1% to $4.86B | Fastest-growing format |
Source: EMARKETER, April 2025.
Charts to build
- US retail media ad spend, 2025 vs 2026. Data: $58.79B and $69.33B. Source: EMARKETER, September 2025. Insight: ~18% growth into 2026. Citation-worthy because it is the headline US forecast journalists quote.
- Global retail media vs TV crossover. Data: $174.9B (2025) rising to $196.7B (2026), retail media overtaking combined linear and CTV in 2026. Source: WARC, November 2025. Insight: retail media surpasses television. Citation-worthy as a milestone moment.
- Amazon vs Walmart ad revenue. Data: ~$68B vs $6.4B, 2025. Source: AdExchanger, February 2026. Insight: concentration plus Walmart’s faster growth. Citation-worthy for competitive framing.
- Onsite vs offsite growth. Data: 42.1% offsite vs ~15% onsite, US 2025. Source: EMARKETER, April 2025. Insight: the offsite shift. Citation-worthy for strategy stories.
- ROAS stability. Data: 6.1x for five straight quarters through Q1 2025. Source: Skai. Insight: maturing performance. Citation-worthy for performance-marketing coverage.
Inline chart: US retail media ad spend, 2025 vs 2026 (EMARKETER, USD billions)
Source: EMARKETER, September 2025. Bar widths are illustrative, scaled to value.
Methodology
Sources were selected for credibility and verifiability, prioritizing established market-research firms (EMARKETER, WARC / WPP Media, BCG), industry bodies with primary survey data (IAB with PwC), and platform-level trackers (Skai), plus trade reporting of company results (AdExchanger). Every statistic was checked against the publishing source via web retrieval, and figures that could not be confirmed on a named, dated source were excluded. Where figures conflicted, they are reported separately by publisher rather than blended, because retail media definitions, geographies, and base years differ. Derived insights in the Original Synthesis section use only arithmetic on the verified inputs and state their limitations. The BCG $100 billion and 25%-of-digital figures come from a 2021 forecast for 2026 and are flagged as such. Walmart’s $6.4 billion includes its VIZIO connected-TV unit, noted wherever cited. Date of last update: June 2026.
Source Quality
Tier 1 (primary / official industry bodies with primary data): IAB with PwC (Internet Advertising Revenue Report, full-year 2024 and 2025).
Tier 2 (credible market research and public-company data): EMARKETER retail media forecasts; WARC / WPP Media (GroupM) global forecasts; Boston Consulting Group; Skai platform tracking; Amazon and Walmart reported company results.
Tier 3 (reputable trade journalism and aggregation): AdExchanger; Mediabrief (relaying WARC data).
Most Quotable Statistics
- “US retail media ad spending will near $70 billion in 2026, reaching $69.33 billion” (EMARKETER, September 2025).
- “Worldwide retail media will hit $196.7 billion in 2026 and overtake combined linear and connected TV” (WARC, November 2025).
- “US retail media network revenue grew 23% in 2024 to $53.7 billion” (IAB / PwC, April 2025).
- “Offsite retail media ad spend will grow 42.1% in 2025, almost three times as fast as onsite” (EMARKETER, April 2025).
- “Average retail media ROAS held at 6.1x for five straight quarters” (Skai, Q1 2025).
Data Limitations
Retail media definitions vary widely by source, so totals are not directly comparable; some headline forecasts (EMARKETER 2026, WARC 2026, BCG 2026) are projections, not actuals; BCG’s figures originate from a 2021 forecast and may not reflect current conditions; Walmart’s $6.4 billion includes acquired connected-TV revenue; Skai’s ROAS and CPC reflect its advertiser and platform sample rather than the whole market; several EMARKETER and WARC datasets sit behind paywalls, so figures here rely on the publishers’ own public summaries and reputable secondary reporting. Treat all cross-source comparisons as directional.
Recommended Dataset Fields
For a downloadable CSV, include: publisher; report title; publication date; geography; metric name; metric value; unit; year of data; year type (actual or forecast); definition or scope note; source URL.
Press Summary
Retail media has become one of advertising’s defining growth stories, but the numbers depend heavily on who is counting. In the United States, EMARKETER projects retail media ad spend approaching $69.33 billion in 2026, up from $58.79 billion in 2025. Globally, WARC and WPP Media estimate the channel at $174.9 billion in 2025, rising 12.4% to $196.7 billion in 2026, the year it is forecast to overtake combined linear and connected television. The IAB and PwC report US retail media network revenue grew 23% in 2024 to $53.7 billion. Amazon remains dominant at roughly $68 billion in 2025 ad revenue, while Walmart’s $6.4 billion, up 37%, is growing about twice as fast off a smaller base. Offsite and connected-TV inventory is the fastest-growing frontier, up more than 40% in 2025, while average return on ad spend held steady at 6.1x. The central caveat: retail media definitions differ by source, so figures are not directly comparable.
Suggested Headlines
- US Retail Media Ad Spend Nears $70 Billion in 2026, EMARKETER Forecasts
- Retail Media to Overtake TV Globally in 2026 at $196.7 Billion, Says WARC
- Amazon Still Owns Retail Media, but Walmart Is Closing the Gap Twice as Fast
- Offsite Retail Media Is Growing Three Times Faster Than Onsite
- Why Retail Media Statistics Never Quite Match: A Definitions Problem
FAQ
How big is US retail media ad spend?
US retail media ad spending will approach $69.33 billion in 2026, up from $58.79 billion in 2025 (United States, EMARKETER, September 2025).
How big is global retail media ad spend?
Worldwide retail media ad spend was an estimated $174.9 billion in 2025, rising 12.4% to $196.7 billion in 2026 (global, WARC / WPP Media, November 2025).
What share of advertising is retail media?
Retail media is projected to be about 16% of all global ad spend in 2026 and to overtake combined linear and connected TV that year (global, WARC, November 2025).
How fast is retail media growing?
Global retail media grew 13.7% in 2025; US retail media network revenue grew 23% in 2024 to $53.7 billion (global and United States, WARC November 2025 and IAB / PwC April 2025).
Who is the largest retail media platform?
Amazon, with about $68 billion in 2025 advertising revenue, roughly 8% of its US gross merchandise value (United States, AdExchanger, February 2026).
How big is Walmart’s retail media business?
Walmart’s global advertising revenue reached $6.4 billion in 2025, up 37% globally and 41% for Walmart Connect in the US (global / United States, AdExchanger, February 2026).
What is a typical retail media ROAS?
Average retail media return on ad spend held at 6.1x for five consecutive quarters through Q1 2025 across the platforms Skai tracks (multi-platform, Skai, Q1 2025).
Is offsite or onsite retail media growing faster?
Offsite US retail media ad spend was forecast to grow 42.1% in 2025, almost three times the onsite rate of roughly 15% (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025).
How big is retail-media connected TV?
Retail-media connected TV ad spend was forecast to grow 43.1% in 2025 to $4.86 billion in the US (United States, EMARKETER, April 2025).
Why do retail media statistics differ so much between sources?
Because firms define retail media differently, covering different geographies, base years, and whether offsite, connected TV, and marketplace revenue are included, so totals like EMARKETER’s US figure and WARC’s global figure are not directly comparable (EMARKETER and WARC, 2025).
For more research-driven analysis, see CO Consulting. If you want help interpreting retail media data for a specific category or retailer, you can book a consultation.