👋 Hello media misfits!

While you were busy pretending you understood CTV attribution models and pretending not to notice your CPCs quietly doubling, the retailers pulled a fast one.

Retail Media Networks are no longer “the next big thing.” They are the thing. And if you’re not in bed with a DSP by now, you’re basically still swiping coupons in 2020.

Let’s unpack the state of the programmatic retail media world—2025-style. Warning: it’s no longer just Amazon’s party (but yes, Jeff’s still DJ’ing).

Retailers used to care about footfall and flyers. Now they care about full-funnel attribution and UID2 integrations.

In 2025, DSP access is the new currency. And the smarter retailers? They’re not hoarding their data—they’re weaponising it. Think Tesco with a Trade Desk tan. Kroger rubbing shoulders with Yahoo. Walgreens with a wagID so big it’s practically GDPR-proof.

Let’s start with the big guns…

Amazon still sits on its iron throne, guarding sixty-point-six-billion-dollars in ad revenue like Gollum with a DSP login. But it’s not exactly known for playing nice. Unless you’re happy to pay for everything and own nothing.

Walmart Connect, on the other hand, has entered its polyamorous omnichannel era—hooking up with TikTok, Meta, and Roku to deliver performance across screens. And they’re growing faster than your AI team’s salary demands—twenty-seven-percent YOY, allegedly.

Then there’s Target Roundel, which built its own DSP because why not, and lets brands tap into Clubcard-like data with no access fees. How generous. How suspiciously confident.

Kroger Precision Marketing is basically the US version of Tesco Media, but with slightly more evangelical press releases. You can activate audiences via The Trade Desk, get six-point-five-times ROAS through Yahoo, and track offline sales like it’s Minority Report for frozen pizzas.

Even Instacart has gone full ad-tech overlord. Its Carrot Ads API now serves 5,500+ brands and powers campaigns for over 220 banners. Latest partner? Uber. Because of course it is.

Meijer, Ahold Delhaize, and Albertsons aren’t content playing second fiddle. They’ve gone full DSP-native too—using tools like Placements.io and launching in-store networks with clean-room precision.

Albertsons even integrated TransUnion TruAudience. Because when you’re selling celery, you obviously need multi-touch attribution models and probabilistic identity graphs. Naturally.

Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s have upgraded from selling fridges to selling data about people who want fridges.

CVS Media Exchange gave The Trade Desk exclusivity. 6,900 stores. Eighty-five-percent US reach. In-store programmatic audio. Because why settle for shampoo when you can sell sound-based conversion metrics?

Walgreens built wagDSP, has 15,000 publisher connections, and teamed up with Epsilon. Privacy-safe targeting, but make it mass scale.

Wayfair? It’s pumping ads via Moloco and Stackline. Over 4,000 home brands now get to snoop on your throw pillow preferences and retarget your entire family.

Tesco Media, via dunnhumby, has UID2 swagger and 22 million Clubcard holders ready to be digitally monetised. The Trade Desk can now sniff that data through extended partnerships.

Sainsbury’s Nectar360 is launching Pollen, an AI-powered retail media platform that sounds like a wellness startup but is actually a full-funnel performance monster.

Across the channel, Carrefour, Ahold Delhaize, and bol.com are all knee-deep in DSP deals, self-serve platforms, and media measurement madness. Turns out, European GDPR headaches don’t stop the programmatic party—they just make it more polite.

Majid Al Futtaim (Carrefour UAE) is deploying Advertima AI for real-time in-store insights. Middle East retail media is no longer a desert.

Zepto in India has quietly inked a deal with The Trade Desk. Expect the subcontinent to go from chaos to campaign-ready in under 18 months.

The Trade Desk is everyone’s favourite dance partner. UID2, CTV integration, and retail audience scale. It’s practically writing the retail media playbook.

Yahoo DSP and Yahoo ConnectID are powering everything from Kroger to Lowe’s. Because nothing says modern innovation like a company born in 1994.

Google DV360 and Microsoft/Xandr are lurking, but still trying to work out how to make retail media sexy.

And then there’s Koddi, StackAdapt, and Vibenomics quietly enabling the long tail—letting even mid-market retailers pretend they’re Amazon for the day.

So, media buyers, ask yourself this:

Are you building your next campaign inside a pixel-perfect omnichannel funnel powered by authenticated identity resolution?

Or are you still asking for impressions by postcode?

Because retail media isn’t just having a moment. It’s having a takeover. And if you’re not already shopping DSP-first… the shelf might just collapse under someone else’s spend.

Add to basket? Yes. But only if there’s a DSP involved.

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Until next time!