— 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.
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