Retail Media Hits $200bn, but ad Clutter and Slowing Growth Threaten the Next Phase

WARC: Retail media ad market to top $200 billion as growth slows

Several models of Vizio smart TVs at a Walmart Supercenter in West Sacramento, California. (Photo by Matthew Keys for The Desk) Global retail media advertising investment is expected to surpass $200 billion this year, though growth in the category is beginning to slow as the market matures and retailers face pressure to protect the shopper experience, according to a new report released this week by WARC Media. Worldwide retail media ad spending …

Retail media hits $200bn, but ad clutter and slowing growth threaten the next phase

New Delhi: Global retail media advertising is expected to cross the $200 billion mark this year, but the market is entering a more difficult phase as growth slows and retailers push harder on monetisation. According to WARC Media's The Future of Commerce Media 2026 report, worldwide retail media investment is forecast to reach $200.4 billion in 2026 and rise 11.5% to $223.4 billion in 2027. By 2027, retail media is expected to account for 15.2% …

Global retail ad market to hit $200bn milestone this year as growth momentum slows

19 August 2026 – The global retail media market continues to grow and evolve, with ad investment projected to surpass $200bn this year and reach $223bn by 2027, per WARC Media. However, growth is slowing towards single digits, and there are dangers of ‘enshittifying’ the shopper experience, which in turn may have a negative impact on campaign effectiveness, as retail media networks look to meet ambitious targets.  Alex Brownsell, Head of Content…

Global Retail Ad Market Growth Slows, But Not U.S.

The global retail media market’s ad investment projections are forecast to surpass $200 billion in 2026 and reach $223.4 billion by 2027. However, newly released data from WARC Media show growth is slowing and heading into the single digits. The U.S. appears to be exempt from this worldwide review of ad activity trends. Please Login to view this content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Slowing retail media growth fuels 'enshittification' fears - DecisionMarketing

The global retail media market may be continuing to grow and evolve, with ad investment projected to reach $223bn by 2027, but brands are being warned of the dangers of “enshittifying” the shopper experience by piling on too many advertising spots, as networks look to meet ambitious targets. So says WARC’s “Future of Commerce Media 2026” report, which reveals that, once you take industry leader Amazon out of the equation, growth is slowing towar…