How Retail Media Networks Are Maturing in 2025
The explosive growth of retail media networks continues unabated, with over 200 networks now operating globally as retailers of all sizes stake their claim in this lucrative advertising channel. From grocery chains to home improvement stores, retailers are transforming their digital properties and first-party data into powerful advertising platforms that connect brands with high-intent shoppers.
This proliferation is driven by unprecedented advertiser demand, with retail media emerging as one of the fastest-growing channels in digital advertising — outpacing even connected TV and streaming platforms. Brands are increasingly drawn to retail media's unique combination of closed-loop measurement, first-party data targeting, and proximity to the point of purchase, leading to demonstrated strong return on ad spend across both online and in-store sales.
As the industry moves further into 2025, retailers are focusing on several key trends that will shape the next phase of retail media evolution. Operational efficiency, seamless self-serve capabilities, and a return to foundational principles are emerging as critical priorities as retail media networks mature and seek to create sustainable, scalable business models.
Simplifying the Business of Retail Media
Retail media is highly nuanced and complex relative to other forms of media. In 2025, we'll see a simplification of the model focused on making it easier and more appealing for advertisers to buy and for retailers to operate. We simply can't keep throwing resources at inefficiencies in the model. This will include workflow automation — i.e., the flow of information between tools and teams — and greater connectivity of systems bridged by unifying technologies. Retail media planning and operations will move from spreadsheets to workflow management.
The Year of Self-Serve
We're seeing a more holistic effort to introduce self-serve buying capabilities into retail media networks. The self-serve model has often required advertisers to log into multiple tools to plan, activate and measure their campaigns. In 2025, we'll see retailers that have solved technology and team fragmentation by bringing unified self-serve buying capabilities to market, similar to The Home Depot's efforts this year. By reducing barriers to entry and maximizing efficiency, self-serve will drive the next phase of retail media growth.
Refocusing on the Fundamentals
The past few years have seen astronomical growth in retail media, with everyone trying to take a piece of the pie. Over the last few months of 2024 and into the new year, we've seen a refocusing on the fundamentals, including reducing buying friction for advertisers and simplifying operations and workflow. The stories around innovation in this space will be met with honest conversations about "the how," and retailers will work to create a strong foundation for growth.
As retail media networks enter this next phase of maturity, the focus is shifting from rapid expansion to thoughtful optimization. Success in 2025 will be defined not by which retailers can build the biggest network, but by which can build the most efficient one — delivering value to advertisers through streamlined operations, intuitive self-serve platforms, and a rock-solid foundation for future innovation. The winners will be those that can simplify the complex while maintaining the unique value proposition that has made retail media such a compelling channel for advertisers.
Drew Cashmore is head of strategy at retail media tech company Vantage.
Drew is a retail media strategist and thought leader with a background in building, commercializing and scaling new business models in the retail sector across the globe. Heading up strategy for Vantage - the platform that powers self-serve and managed-service for The Home Depot among other retailers - Drew is helping to architect the next generation of unified retail media technologies.
