What is retail media and what is a retail media network?
How retailers turned their shopper data into an advertising business, how a retail media network works, and what it means for publishers competing for the same budgets.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readRetail media is advertising sold by retailers, on their own sites and apps and increasingly on other sites, using data about what their customers buy. A retail media network is the retailer’s organization and technology for selling it.
How a retail media network works
The retailer collects shopper data
Logins, loyalty programs and purchase history show what each customer buys.
Brands buy ads
Usually the brands sold in the store, who want to reach shoppers close to purchase.
Ads run on and off site
Sponsored products on the retailer’s own site, and audiences used on other sites and channels.
Results are measured in sales
The retailer can connect ad exposure with purchases, which is its strongest selling point.
Well-known retail media networks
Amazon Ads and Walmart Connect are the best known. Grocery chains, pharmacies and marketplaces in many countries now run their own networks.
What retail media means for publishers
| Retail media | News publishers | |
|---|---|---|
| Strongest data | What people buy | What people read and care about |
| Strongest moment | Close to purchase | Earlier, when people form opinions |
| Proof offered | Sales | Reach, attention and site visits |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Retail media competes for the same brand budgets. It also shows what advertisers now expect: first-party data, defined audiences and measured results. Publishers who offer the same have a strong case, because they reach people earlier and in a trusted environment. Some also partner with retailers, so shopper audiences can run on news sites.
More ad sales with data at Stampen Media, using Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
Retail media is the advertising. The retail media network is the retailer’s setup for selling it: the team, the data and the technology.
Retailers have first-party purchase data and can show sales results, which advertisers value as third-party cookies disappear.
Yes. Retailers need reach outside their own sites, and publishers can offer inventory and audiences for their offsite campaigns.
No. Smaller chains and marketplaces also launch networks, often with technology partners.
Related terms
Data you collect directly from your own readers.
Choosing channels, audiences and budget for a campaign.
Ads in printed newspapers and on news sites.
The software advertisers use to buy impressions.
Plan, report and validate campaigns on your own audience data, and win back direct deals.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
