Observed Signal · Sep 16, 2026 · Insight / Analysis · Source: Adzine · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Retail Media Expands Beyond Retailer Websites to Off-Site Channels
Retail media is evolving from a focus on on-site advertising to a more integrated approach that includes off-site channels. In Europe, the share of buyers allocating over 41% of their digital retail media budget to off-site increased from 30% in 2024 to 46% in 2025, according to IAB. On-site ads capture high-intent users near the point of purchase, while off-site extends retail audiences into the broader digital ecosystem using first-party data activation across display, video, and CTV. This approach builds brand awareness and consideration earlier in the customer journey. Shoppable ads with dynamic product feeds enhance engagement, and incrementality measurement helps assess true campaign impact. A holistic omnichannel strategy connects online and offline touchpoints, leveraging retailer data to unify the journey from discovery to purchase.
Provides relevant strategic insight on retail media expansion to off-site channels, a growing trend for advertisers and publishers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- IAB: European buyers allocating >41% of retail media budget to off-site rose from 30% (2024) to 46% (2025).
- Off-site retail media uses retailer first-party data to target audiences across display, video, CTV, and DOOH.
- Shoppable ads integrate real-time product data from retailer catalogs to drive engagement off-site.
- Incrementality and brand lift studies are recommended to measure cross-channel retail media effectiveness.
- Retail media is advancing toward a unified omnichannel model linking online and physical retail.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Retail media networks shift focus back to onsite ads
A new survey of 61 US retail media network (RMN) leaders by eMarketer and Bain & Company reveals a strategic retreat from offsite formats like social, CTV, and influencers back to onsite product advertising. The survey, conducted in July, found that the top three growth formats for the next year are all onsite: search and sponsored product ads (43%), native AI ads (39%), and display/banner ads (36%). This shift is driven by higher profit margins (70-80% onsite vs. 40% offsite), greater control, and fewer third parties involved. Offsite expansion, including social and in-store, has proven difficult to sell, with social retail media spending under 2% of total US retail media spend. However, the strategy carries risks, as AI assistants could bypass retailer-owned purchase journeys, threatening the sponsored listings that dominate onsite revenue. Only a few well-resourced networks like Best Buy are pursuing big offsite bets.
4 Holiday Shoppers to Decode for Smarter Media Planning
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