— 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.
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 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