Observed Signal · Feb 24, 2026 · Industry Analysis · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Unlocking Retail Media's Future with Full-Funnel Measurement
Harvey Ma of Sam’s Club Member Access Platform argues that retail media’s next growth phase requires shifting measurement from siloed, last‑click and channel‑specific views to holistic, full‑funnel and longitudinal approaches. As in‑store retail media spending is projected to exceed $1 billion by 2029, confidence in current measurement lags due to disconnected reporting across onsite, offsite, in‑store and CTV channels. The piece calls for privacy‑safe, aggregated first‑party signals—especially membership and loyalty data—plus unified definitions and methodologies. It recommends combining multi‑touch attribution, media mix modeling, incrementality testing and closed‑loop transaction insights to track discovery, consideration, trial, repeat purchase and lifetime value over time, and to evaluate outcomes beyond short‑term ROAS.
Argues a practical measurement shift that affects how retailers, brands and measurement vendors validate retail media ROI and allocate growing retail media budgets; touches first‑party data, privacy and cross‑channel attribution which are key operational priorities in AdTech.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Article author: Harvey Ma, VP & GM of Sam’s Club Member Access Platform.
- In‑store retail media ad spend is projected to surpass $1 billion by 2029 (as stated in the article).
- Current measurement practices rely on last‑click attribution and siloed reporting across onsite, offsite, in‑store and CTV, creating blind spots.
- The article advocates using aggregated, anonymized first‑party signals (e.g., membership/loyalty data) and longitudinal measurement to connect online and offline transactions while meeting privacy requirements.
- Recommended measurement toolkit includes multi‑touch attribution, media mix modeling, incrementality/lift tests and closed‑loop transaction‑based insights to evaluate full‑funnel outcomes beyond short‑term ROAS.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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