Observed Signal · Sep 11, 2026 · Market Research · Source: Adzine · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
OWM Survey: Measurement Gaps Hinder Retail Media Budget Growth
A member survey by OWM (Organisation Werbungtreibende im Markenverband) reveals that while 88% of German advertisers consider retail media important or very important, budget growth is hindered by a lack of transparency in pricing and data usage, unclear ROAS measurement, and inconsistent technical specifications among retail media providers. The survey indicates that in 2025, half of the companies allocate less than 5% of their media budget to retail media, but this is expected to drop to 17% by 2030. Challenges include varying metrics such as plays, impressions, and contacts, especially for in-store retail media. The OWM advocates for standardized measurement and transparency, having published a Code of Conduct for the retail media market.
Highlights key barriers to retail media growth (measurement transparency) from advertiser perspective, relevant to AdTech industry.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 88% of OWM member companies rate retail media as important or very important.
- In 2025, 50% of surveyed companies invest less than 5% of their media budget in retail media; by 2030, this is expected to fall to 17%.
- Retail media ad spend in Europe grew by 16.7% in 2025 to €13.3 billion, exceeding 10% of digital ad spend (IAB Europe).
- OWM members cite lack of transparency, inconsistent ROAS measurement, and different technical specs as barriers to higher investment.
- The OWM has published a Code of Conduct to promote standards and transparency in retail media.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“According to IAB Europe, retail media ad spend in Europe grew by 16.7% in 2025 to €13.3 billion....”
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Retail Media Silos and Measurement Hamper Growth
Executives at an ADWEEK House panel held at the Possible conference in Miami discussed persistent challenges slowing retail media growth despite forecasts of nearly $70 billion in spend this year (per Emarketer). Panelists—representing retailers, commerce media networks, brands and adtech firms—said Amazon and Walmart capture the majority of retail media dollars with operating models that are difficult for most retailers to replicate. That concentration, combined with issues around profitability, measurement, collaboration and lack of standardization, has contributed to slow or uneven expansion of many retail media networks and repeated network “resets.” The discussion highlighted the need for better measurement and cross-industry alignment to unlock broader retail media profitability and scale.
Retail Media Success Hinges on Transparency and Collaboration
The article argues that transparency is a key determinant of success in Retail Media in 2025. Global Retail Media spend is forecast at 166 billion USD, and worldwide ad spend in Retail Media grew from 67 billion USD in 2020 to 140 billion USD in 2024, accounting for about one-fifth of digital advertising. Germany contributed about 2.73 billion to the spend last year. RMNs are fragmenting the market as retailers evolve into media companies and e-commerce platforms expand their ad infrastructure. Advertisers leverage first-party retailer data to deliver purchase-contextual ads, avoiding third-party data, but this fragmentation makes consistent measurement and cross-channel reporting difficult. The piece calls for standardized cross-channel metrics, unified reporting of impressions, clicks, conversions, and sales, and emphasizes brand suitability—particularly for off-site placements, which show higher risk and lower engagement than on-site. It also notes rising self-service RMN platforms and the need for industry collaboration to implement common transparency tools.
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