Marketers are reassessing retail media advertising investment strategies for 2026, according to a pair of industry research reports. The coverage describes how brands evaluate where their budgets go, how they measure performance, and which retail media networks may warrant more spending as the sector changes.
The reports say retail media is moving beyond its earlier role as mainly a lower-funnel channel focused on sponsored product listings. Instead, marketers are expanding retail media programs to include off-site media placements, streaming formats, and broader full-funnel marketing efforts. This shift reflects an effort to use retail media to support more stages of the customer journey rather than focusing only on end-of-path transactions.
Across the outlets, the emphasis is on the evolving capabilities of retail media networks and the corresponding changes in marketer priorities. While specific campaign results or quantitative rankings are not included in the provided excerpts, both sources align that measurement, channel mix, and network selection are central themes heading into 2026, with examples cited from retail and advertising ecosystem participants.
