— RESEARCH
Insights for Loyalty Ecosystems
Industry research from BCG, EMARKETER, and leading analysts on the growth of commerce media networks — and why non-retail enterprises with first-party loyalty data are best positioned to capture the next wave.
The Economics of an Airline Flight
McKinsey breaks down the precise revenue and cost drivers of a hypothetical London-to-New York flight on a Boeing 787. Total revenue: $174,000 ($160K tickets + $6.6K ancillaries + $7K cargo). Total cost: $153,000. Operating profit: $21,000 (12%). But the average airline industry margin is only 3-6%. Ancillary revenue ($30/passenger) remains a small fraction of the economics, highlighting the massive untapped opportunity for commerce media monetization across the journey.
Key Data Points
Total flight revenue $174K: $160K tickets, $6.6K ancillaries ($30/passenger), $7K cargo
Ancillaries average just $30 per passenger on a $400-$3,000 ticket, a fraction of the revenue opportunity
Fuel ($51K) and airport charges ($35K) are the largest cost drivers, squeezing margins to 3-6% industry average
FAQ on Commerce Media: How to Capitalize on Growth Beyond Retail
EMARKETER outlines how the real expansion opportunity lies in non-retail commerce media networks. The report identifies four evaluation criteria for emerging CMNs: data differentiation, journey touchpoints, audience overlap, and measurement capabilities. Only 13% of non-retail commerce media networks qualify as operationally mature.
Key Data Points
US retail media spend will reach $71B in 2026, but 89% of growth goes to Amazon and Walmart
Only 13% of non-retail CMNs have reached operational maturity
Travel networks offer 3.5 hours of attention per traveler per trip
Commerce Media Trends to Watch in 2026
EMARKETER forecasts that 2026 will be a year of organizational evolution for commerce media, with retailers restructuring internally and financial media networks pushing deeper into shoppable experiences. Agentic AI is emerging as a new monetization surface that could erode the value of traditional sponsored search.
Key Data Points
Sponsored search drives 60%+ of retail media spend but faces disruption from AI agents
In-store digital media represents less than 1% of retail media spend despite 85% of grocery visits happening in stores
Financial media networks have expansive cross-merchant purchase history but lack browsing environments
All Commerce Media Playbook: How Networks Across Industries Can Advance
Forrester Consulting's cross-industry analysis (commissioned by Koddi) benchmarks commerce media maturity across seven verticals including retail, travel, financial services, and automotive. The study finds that while 42% of respondents self-report as advanced, only 13% meet Forrester's criteria for true 'trailblazer' status. Travel and hospitality networks show just 8% trailblazer classification. Only 12% of networks can seamlessly activate and measure campaigns across on-site, off-site, and in-store environments.
Key Data Points
Only 13% of commerce media networks qualify as 'trailblazers' across strategy, technology, measurement, and operations
Travel and hospitality networks show just 8% trailblazer classification — the lowest of all verticals
Only 12% of networks can seamlessly activate and measure across on-site, off-site, and in-store
Retail Media Ad Spending Forecast and Trends H2 2025
EMARKETER forecasts US retail media spending will reach $69B in 2026, with Amazon and Walmart capturing 89% of incremental dollars. The report highlights the growing bifurcation between dominant platforms and smaller networks, reinforcing the opportunity for differentiated non-retail commerce media.
Key Data Points
US retail media spending will grow from $58.8B in 2025 to $69.3B in 2026
Amazon and Walmart will capture 89% of incremental retail media spending
17.2% CAGR through 2028 for the overall retail media category
Amadeus Confirms: The Travel Industry Needs a Commerce Experience Layer
A landmark Amadeus study of 9,500 travelers across seven global markets reveals predictable commerce moments throughout every journey. 90% of air travelers experience anxiety during their trip, 81% of family travelers follow predictable airport rituals, and Gen AI usage for travel planning surged 64% YoY. The gap between operational infrastructure and commerce monetization has never been clearer. Amadeus orchestrates operations. SmartCXP™ orchestrates commerce.
Key Data Points
90% of air travelers experience anxiety during their trip, creating commerce intervention moments
81% of family travelers follow predictable airport rituals (36% always eat at the same restaurant, 23% always grab a pre-flight drink)
Gen AI usage for travel planning surged 64% YoY, from 11% to 18%, but 25% received outdated information
Commerce Media Is Rewriting the Rules of Customer Connection
BCG surveyed 200 buyers of retail and commerce media and found that 86% say commerce media powered by first-party data drives higher performance than other forms of digital marketing. The article introduces a four-quadrant framework for evaluating commerce media networks and outlines how non-retail companies can build successful CMNs by driving value through first-party data, enabling scale through self-service tools, and proving results with closed-loop measurement.
Key Insights
86% of advertisers say 1P-data-powered commerce media outperforms other digital marketing
Walmart now derives almost a third of enterprise profit from its commerce media business
94% of advertisers are interested in media network alliances and lifestyle partnerships
Non-retail companies need to identify unique journey moments and customer signals to differentiate
The Evolution of Commerce Media: Navigating a New Era in Advertising
McKinsey surveyed 150 advertisers and spoke with nearly 100 companies to map the commerce media landscape. The report projects the US commerce media market will exceed $100 billion by 2027, representing more than 20% of advertising budgets. Commerce media networks are expanding beyond retail into travel, financial services, and healthcare, with 55% of advertisers planning to increase CMN budgets in the next 12 months.
Key Data Points
US commerce media projected to exceed $100B by 2027, more than 20% of ad budgets
Commerce media CAGR of 21%+ from 2023-2027, outpacing display, CTV, and search
55% of advertisers plan to increase CMN budgets; nearly half plan increases in travel, last-mile, and finance networks
Commerce Media at an Inflection Point: How to Win with a Full-Stack Approach
McKinsey identifies five operational priorities that separate winning commerce media networks from the rest. The challenge for most networks is not knowing what to do, but how to execute — requiring new skills and roles, deeper data and technology integration, and tighter coordination across commercial, product, and analytics teams. Leading CMNs are redesigning how they plan, build, sell, and measure media rather than layering point solutions onto legacy models.
Key Data Points
Be explicit about where to win: benchmark against buyer alternatives and concentrate investment on a few differentiated strengths
Industrialize measurement: integrate incrementality and performance measurement into a single system — trust, not data volume, drives durable spend
Make omnichannel real: define audiences once and activate across on-site, off-site, upper-funnel, and in-store channels with holistic reporting