Criteo vs RTB House

Criteo SSP Recognized by Frost & Sullivan for Commerce Media Innovation

Criteo's SSP has been recognized by Frost & Sullivan for innovation in commerce media, as announced in a new press release dated October 5, 2026.

OpenAI's Path to $25B Ad Revenue: Five Key Hurdles

OpenAI's advertising business, launched seven months ago, is reportedly achieving a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate, with projections of $25 billion in ad revenue by end of this year and $100 billion by 2030. However, advertisers cite significant barriers to scaling spend beyond test budgets. Key challenges include inadequate measurement and attribution, rigid contract terms causing data and liability concerns, insufficient inventory, and the need to expand the advertiser base to include SMBs via integrations like Shopify. To support this growth, OpenAI is partnering with ad tech firms like Criteo and Kargo to broaden reach. Infrastructure development is also critical to meet demand. Industry observers note that OpenAI must address these issues to compete with established platforms like Google and Meta, especially given rising AI safety and privacy concerns.

• OpenAI's ad business has reached a $1 billion annualized revenue run rate seven months after launch.
• OpenAI projects $25 billion in ad revenue by end of this year and $100 billion by 2030.
• Advertisers report insufficient inventory to spend committed budgets.

Pomerantz Probes Criteo Over Securities Fraud Claims

Pomerantz LLP has launched an investigation into Criteo S.A. on behalf of investors, focusing on potential securities fraud or unlawful business practices by the company and certain officers. The probe follows Criteo's Q2 2026 earnings report on August 5, 2026, which revealed an 11% year-over-year revenue decline, a 49% drop in net income, and a CFO change. The stock plummeted 23.88% on the news. Pomerantz encourages affected investors to contact the firm for potential class action involvement.

• Pomerantz LLP is investigating Criteo S.A. for possible securities fraud.
• Criteo's Q2 2026 revenue declined 11% year-over-year.
• Criteo's net income dropped 49% versus the same period.

Shoppers burned by bad AI recommendations, survey finds

A SmartCustomer survey of nearly 1,200 US consumers reveals that while 89% don't fully trust AI recommendations, 76% have used AI to make purchases in the past year, and a third made regrettable purchases based on AI advice. Electronics, apparel, and footwear dominate these poor choices. The survey also indicates that 98% believe AI companies hold responsibility for validating sources and legitimacy, and 53% suspect companies of manipulating AI recommendations with false information. Additional findings show gender and generational divides in AI shopping adoption, with men shopping via AI more than women, and Gen Z being more hesitant. Other surveys by YouGov, RTB House, and Gartner corroborate trust issues and consumer preference for human oversight in AI-assisted commerce.

• 76% of consumers have used AI to make purchases in the past year, despite 89% lacking full trust in AI recommendations.
• A third of survey respondents (33%) made a regrettable purchase based on an AI recommendation, with electronics, apparel, and footwear accounting for most bad purchases.
• 98% of respondents believe AI companies should take at least some responsibility for validating the sources of a recommendation and confirming company legitimacy.

How does Agentic AI impact the holiday path to purchase?

New RTB House research, Who’s Buying? Consumer Trust in the Age of Agentic AI, shows that artificial intelligence tools are reshaping Black Friday consumer behavior, turning rapid impulse buying into a longer, AI-guided evaluation period.

Attribution Remains Difficult: First Visit Rarely Leads to Purchase

A new European Shopping Trends Report by RTB House reveals that only 27% of European consumers make a purchase on their first website visit. Half require two to three visits, and 19% need four to five visits. The study, conducted by Censuswide with 4,500 respondents across nine countries, shows that 81% compare multiple brands before buying and 75% visit more than one retailer website. Reasons for abandoning initial visits include price comparison (28%), reading reviews (20%), and seeking promotions (17%). Additionally, 22% of shoppers research online but purchase in physical stores, complicating attribution. AI-based product discovery is emerging, with 21% using services like ChatGPT or Gemini. RTB House argues for longer-term retargeting, while acknowledging that the study measures behavior, not causal effects of retargeting.

• Only 27% of European consumers purchase on their first website visit.
• 81% of respondents consider more than one brand before making a purchase.
• 22% of shoppers research online but complete purchases in physical stores.