Retail media networks: 11 bold moves to win advertisers

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• Event takeaways: what advertisers heard about retail media today
• Orange Apron Media: how The Home Depot maps the full project lifecycle
• Albertsons Media Collective: storytelling inside the grocery trip
• DoorDash Ads: behavioral patterns across on-demand orders
• PayPal Ads: payments data as a cross-merchant view
• Macy’s Media Network: creating demand ahead of the sale
• Chase Media Solutions: transaction-led audience targeting
• Dick’s Media: tapping youth sports as a marketing channel
• Instacart: a shared retail media layer for grocers
• Chewy Ads: subscription-first pet audiences
• Walgreens Advertising Group: unifying media and merchandising
• H-E-B Retail Media: regional dominance and granular local insights

Hundreds of ad buyers, agency leads and brand marketers converged in New York last week as a new wave of retail media networks pitched why they deserve marketing dollars. The event put advertisers face to face with commerce-focused ad teams from grocers, retailers, fintechs and delivery platforms — all racing to prove their value in a crowded market.

Event takeaways: what advertisers heard about retail media today

The showcase highlighted a few recurring ideas across pitches. Speakers leaned into measurement, cross-channel reach and using first-party signals to predict shopper behavior. Several ad teams also emphasized they can move beyond last-click tactics to shape demand earlier in the customer journey.

• Measurement and incrementality were top priorities. Networks promised clearer proof that ad spend drives new sales.
• Signal aggregation — combining browsing, purchase and transactional data — was positioned as the path to better targeting.
• Upper-funnel creativity got attention, with new video and in-store screen formats aiming to influence shoppers before they search.

Orange Apron Media: how The Home Depot maps the full project lifecycle

The Home Depot’s ad arm focused on its unique view of home-improvement journeys, from planning to checkout and post-purchase service. Executives highlighted relationships with both DIY customers and trade professionals.

• Ad placements are tied to moments like renovations and new-home projects.
• Brands advertised alongside The Home Depot reported big uplifts in trust, recall and purchase intent, according to the company.
• Orange Apron blends onsite behavior, video engagement and chatbot interactions to track intent.

Its pitch: reach consumers in real-life renovation moments, not just at the point of purchase.

Albertsons Media Collective: storytelling inside the grocery trip

Albertsons described a shift from transactional ads to content formats that enhance shopping. The company showcased campaigns that mix short-form entertainment with commerce touchpoints.

• One campaign used episodic-style content on digital and in-store screens to drive engagement.
• Placement next to those videos outperformed typical benchmarks, the team said.
• Brand partnerships also included live events and integrated campaigns that boosted sales for participating products.

Albertsons positioned its media arm as a content distribution platform embedded in the grocery experience.

DoorDash Ads: behavioral patterns across on-demand orders

DoorDash explained how billions of orders show shoppers’ changing needs across days and occasions. The company is packaging those signals for advertisers.

• Advertisers can access insights such as category spikes by weekday or hour.
• Examples cited include higher orders for certain food types on specific days.
• DoorDash is also expanding into upper-funnel video and display to influence consumers earlier.

The argument: understanding when and why people order unlocks precise moments for brands to engage.

PayPal Ads: payments data as a cross-merchant view

PayPal’s ad business touted visibility across multiple merchants and platforms, including Venmo. The company offers ads on its apps and web properties as well as programmatic and connected-TV placements.

• PayPal highlighted new off-site ads that include a checkout button to speed transactions.
• Its strength is the breadth of transactional signals spanning many retailers.
• That cross-merchant lens is presented as complementary to retailer-specific media.

PayPal’s pitch: broader purchase signals let marketers find shoppers beyond a single store’s footprint.

Macy’s Media Network: creating demand ahead of the sale

Macy’s framed itself as a place where people discover new brands during major life moments. The network pitched opportunities to influence shoppers before they start searching for products.

• Macy’s emphasized discovery and inspiration to shape choice.
• The network markets inventory and formats designed to surface new brands early in the path to purchase.

Key message: not just capture demand, but help build it.

Chase Media Solutions: transaction-led audience targeting

JPMorgan Chase described how aggregated debit and credit activity feeds audience signals for advertisers. The bank framed its transactional dataset as a lens into everyday life and changing priorities.

• Chase shared that its network processes trillions in card sales annually.
• That data supports personalized targeting and insights on shifting consumer habits.

Chase’s position: payment data reveals behavior patterns advertisers can activate against.

Dick’s Media: tapping youth sports as a marketing channel

Dick’s Sporting Goods emphasized a deep connection to youth sports through stores, e-commerce and its GameChanger streaming platform. The retailer argued this audience has broad appeal to many categories.

• Research cited shows a majority of parents have kids in youth sports.
• Most of those parents say sports influence their buying decisions.
• Opportunities exist for QSRs, CPGs and automakers, not just sporting brands.

The retailer sells access to fandom, identity and routine behaviors tied to youth athletics.

Instacart: a shared retail media layer for grocers

Instacart positioned itself as retail technology that connects apps, web, connected TV and in-store screens. The company also offers tools for grocers that lack the resources to build their own ad stacks.

• Instacart’s platform powers grocery marketplaces and third-party e-commerce solutions.
• Its Carrot Ads product enables retail media for partners at scale.
• Instacart promotes a cooperative ecosystem over fragmented, store-by-store networks.

The claim: retail media is becoming table stakes for competitive retail technology.

Chewy Ads: subscription-first pet audiences

Chewy’s ad team leaned on the company’s deep penetration among pet owners and its subscription business model. Executives described pet buyers as highly engaged and lifetime customers.

• Most Chewy purchases come through automatic subscriptions.
• Subscriptions create predictable cohorts that advertisers can target and grow.
• Pet ownership changes household behaviors and media consumption.

Chewy’s edge: persistent, loyal customers and recurring purchase patterns.

Walgreens Advertising Group: unifying media and merchandising

Walgreens discussed reorganizing its media approach to close gaps between merchandising, marketing and digital teams. The retailer aims to deliver more coherent recommendations and campaign outcomes.

• The company announced a rollout of digital screens across more than a thousand stores.
• Walgreens said tighter internal alignment improved ROI for clients.
• It emphasized being present in moments that matter for health and convenience.

Focus: better connectivity across teams to meet media objectives.

H-E-B Retail Media: regional dominance and granular local insights

Texas grocer H-E-B highlighted its scale in fast-growing markets and the value of hyperlocal reach. The company said it serves millions of households each week across a large store base.

• H-E-B is investing in planning and forecasting tools for advertisers.
• The network pitched deep knowledge of local shopping patterns as a competitive advantage.

H-E-B’s promise: access to growth markets with precise, market-specific intelligence.