Observed Signal · Aug 10, 2026 · Market Research · Source: Adzine · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Commerce Media Faces Scaling Test in Germany
Koddi’s Alexander Steenbakkers-Noffke argues that Commerce Media is broader than Retail Media and is rapidly growing across transactional environments beyond classic retail, including travel portals, quick-commerce and delivery apps. He cites a February 2025 BVDW Working Group definition that positions Retail Media as a subset of Commerce Media. Koddi and partners have run multiple studies: a Forrester Consulting survey of nearly 800 senior commerce-media network decision-makers finds Germany has strategic foundations but lags on execution; other research with The Human Instinct shows US marketers use AI agents far more (70%) than German counterparts (32%). Steenbakkers-Noffke highlights missing standards, the value of server-side transactional signals (not personal data), and the need to train organisations for Agentic AI as central obstacles to scaling Commerce Media in Germany.
Industry research and vendor commentary highlight a clear growth opportunity and structural challenges (standards, execution, AI adoption) for Commerce Media in Germany; relevant to advertisers, publishers, and network operators but not a major platform policy change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- BVDW Working Group (Retail Media Ecosystem) defined Commerce Media in February 2025 as advertising placements on commercial platforms where transactional processes occur, with Retail Media as a subset.
- Koddi traces its origins to the travel sector and positions Commerce Media as applicable across transactional platforms, not only classic retailers.
- Koddi and Forrester Consulting surveyed nearly 800 senior decision-makers at commerce-media-network operators to assess the German market.
- Koddi and The Human Instinct US study found 73% of US advertisers expect Retail Media share of total ad budgets to rise and 93% expect budget shifts toward Retail Media once buying via a DSP is possible.
- A March–April 2026 study with The Human Instinct found 70% of US respondents already use AI agents for analysis/automation versus 32% in Germany; over 40% of German network operators in Koddi’s research are actively expanding Commerce-Media activities.
Connected Companies & Entities
9 Entities mapped“At Koddi, this can also be illustrated by our own history: we come from exactly one of those 'other categories' — the travel sector with its...”
“The BVDW Working Group Retail Media Ecosystem summarized it in February 2025: 'Commerce Media describes advertising placements on commercial...”
“For example, we surveyed nearly 800 senior decision-makers at commerce-media-network operators with Forrester Consulting....”
“This shows itself, for example, in the quick-commerce sector with players like Wolt, Delivery Hero, Flink or Just Eat Takeaway....”
“This shows itself, for example, in the quick-commerce sector with players like Wolt, Delivery Hero, Flink or Just Eat Takeaway....”
“This shows itself, for example, in the quick-commerce sector with players like Wolt, Delivery Hero, Flink or Just Eat Takeaway....”
“This shows itself, for example, in the quick-commerce sector with players like Wolt, Delivery Hero, Flink or Just Eat Takeaway....”
“Another interesting example is the beauty sector, for example with Douglas or Flaconi....”
“Another interesting example is the beauty sector, for example with Douglas or Flaconi....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Koddi/Forrester: German Commerce Media lags in execution
A Koddi and Forrester Consulting study of 788 commerce‑media network operators (153 from Germany) finds the German market strategically expanding but behind on execution. Forty‑one percent of German respondents are expanding or modernizing commerce‑media activities and 19% plan to launch within two years. Major capability gaps persist: only 14% can run seamless full‑funnel campaigns across onsite, offsite and in‑store channels, relatively few use centralized activation, and automation and AI‑driven real‑time targeting remain limited. Eighty‑five percent prioritize using first‑party data to improve targeting and personalization, yet just 12% use AI for real‑time targeting. Koddi recommends investments in ad servers, first‑party data, measurement, and cross‑channel technology integration to scale; Germany is well positioned strategically but trails U.S. peers on operational automation and targeting.
Retail Media Tech Ready; Market Must Deliver
In a MEEDIA interview Daniel Siegmund (One Tech Group) and David von Hilchen (StackAdapt) say retail media infrastructure in Germany is largely in place but the market now needs to supply measurement, data and smarter campaigns to unlock growth. They claim ~95% of in-store screens in Germany are programmatically bookable via One Tech Group's SSP1 and argue the next stage requires reliable proof of advertising effectiveness, better first‑party data, dynamic creatives and the use of AI agents to aid media planning and campaign optimization. They also expect auction-based buying to grow, see space for independent omnichannel DSPs alongside large platform players, and call for collaborative proof‑of‑concept testing by retailers, tech vendors and advertisers.
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