The “2025 State of Retail Media” report, released by marketing technology firm Skai, examines how brands and agencies are adapting to retail media’s transformation from an emerging channel to a cornerstone of consumer goods marketing.
Now in its fourth year, the research provides insights into how marketing leaders are taking on challenges around measurement, integration, and optimization as retail media matures. The study draws from surveys of marketing professionals across consumer goods organizations and agencies conducted in December 2024.
The findings reveal that 92% of consumer goods organizations now rank retail media as their most important marketing channel, with social advertising following closely at 91% importance.
According to Skai, this represents a major shift from previous years’ focus on growth and experimentation to increased scrutiny and optimization of retail media investments.
Source: Skai
Maturity Levels Show Room for Growth
Despite widespread adoption, only 25% of organizations report achieving full-funnel maturity in their retail media programs.
The research shows that 53% of organizations classify themselves as “above average” in retail media maturity, while 17% identify as “extremely sophisticated.” More than 60% of leaders say their organizations are proficient in measuring incrementality for retail media, marking a significant increase from the previous year.
Consumer goods organizations currently engage with an average of six retail media networks, with expectations to increase to 11 networks by the end of 2026. Category differences emerge, with food & beverage companies averaging eight networks compared to five networks among other categories.
Skai suggests this expansion highlights the growing complexity of retail media management and integration.
Budget Allocation and Performance
Organizations demonstrate varying levels of retail media investment, with 63% allocating 11-35% of their marketing budgets to retail media, while 20% commit more than 51% of their budgets to the channel.
The study reveals that organizations allocating more of their budget to retail media are significantly more likely to view the channel as “extremely important” – 73% versus 50% for those allocating less.
The research indicates that 82% of organizations report retail media has met (57%) or exceeded (25%) their KPI goals for the year. However, data shows increasing pressure to demonstrate incremental value and ROI, particularly among organizations with smaller budgets, who report the greatest ROI dissatisfaction.
Source: Skai
Implementation Challenges and Technology Adoption
The study identifies several key obstacles facing organizations as they mature their retail media programs:
58% report budget limitations as their primary challenge
49% struggle with accurate attribution
46% face fragmented data systems
42% encounter technical challenges and integration hurdles
37% lack standardization across platforms
In terms of technology adoption, nearly two-thirds of organizations now use data clean rooms, up significantly from the previous year. Additionally, 42% report being highly mature in their use of AI within retail media programs, though adoption rates vary widely across different organizations.
Future Outlook and Strategic Priorities
For 2025, organizations indicate plans to increase investments across several retail media tactics:
77% plan to increase on-site search ad spending
71% intend to expand social commerce investments
69% expect to increase retailer DSP advertising
68% aim to boost search engine shopping ads
62% plan to increase on-site display advertising
The research shows that 61% of leaders emphasize the value of full-funnel approaches in ensuring consistent messaging, while 59% note its effectiveness in influencing consumers at every stage of the customer journey. Despite its potential, budget constraints and lack of integration with other digital channels remain significant barriers to adoption.
Organizational Readiness and Industry Variation
Consumer goods organizations report varying levels of sophistication in their retail media programs, with 42% indicating they are in years 1-2 of their retail media network development, while 18% report 5-7 years of experience. Consumer electronics companies demonstrate higher maturity levels, with 61% reporting advanced retail media capabilities compared to 21% in other categories.
The study encompasses responses from marketing professionals across multiple sectors, including food & beverage (40%), consumer electronics (23%), health & beauty (16%), household products (14%), apparel (10%), and other categories. Survey participants represent various organizational levels, with 37% in senior management, 40% at director level, and 19% in manager positions.
The research reveals that senior leaders and directors indicate greater perceived importance for traditional print channels than managers, suggesting varying perspectives on channel value across organizational hierarchies.
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
The “2025 State of Retail Media” report, released by marketing technology firm Skai, examines how brands and agencies are adapting to retail media’s transformation from an emerging channel to a cornerstone of consumer goods marketing.
Now in its fourth year, the research provides insights into how marketing leaders are taking on challenges around measurement, integration, and optimization as retail media matures. The study draws from surveys of marketing professionals across consumer goods organizations and agencies conducted in December 2024.
The findings reveal that 92% of consumer goods organizations now rank retail media as their most important marketing channel, with social advertising following closely at 91% importance.
According to Skai, this represents a major shift from previous years’ focus on growth and experimentation to increased scrutiny and optimization of retail media investments.
Source: Skai
Maturity Levels Show Room for Growth
Despite widespread adoption, only 25% of organizations report achieving full-funnel maturity in their retail media programs.
The research shows that 53% of organizations classify themselves as “above average” in retail media maturity, while 17% identify as “extremely sophisticated.” More than 60% of leaders say their organizations are proficient in measuring incrementality for retail media, marking a significant increase from the previous year.
Consumer goods organizations currently engage with an average of six retail media networks, with expectations to increase to 11 networks by the end of 2026. Category differences emerge, with food & beverage companies averaging eight networks compared to five networks among other categories.
Skai suggests this expansion highlights the growing complexity of retail media management and integration.
Budget Allocation and Performance
Organizations demonstrate varying levels of retail media investment, with 63% allocating 11-35% of their marketing budgets to retail media, while 20% commit more than 51% of their budgets to the channel.
The study reveals that organizations allocating more of their budget to retail media are significantly more likely to view the channel as “extremely important” – 73% versus 50% for those allocating less.
The research indicates that 82% of organizations report retail media has met (57%) or exceeded (25%) their KPI goals for the year. However, data shows increasing pressure to demonstrate incremental value and ROI, particularly among organizations with smaller budgets, who report the greatest ROI dissatisfaction.
Source: Skai
Implementation Challenges and Technology Adoption
The study identifies several key obstacles facing organizations as they mature their retail media programs:
In terms of technology adoption, nearly two-thirds of organizations now use data clean rooms, up significantly from the previous year. Additionally, 42% report being highly mature in their use of AI within retail media programs, though adoption rates vary widely across different organizations.
Future Outlook and Strategic Priorities
For 2025, organizations indicate plans to increase investments across several retail media tactics:
The research shows that 61% of leaders emphasize the value of full-funnel approaches in ensuring consistent messaging, while 59% note its effectiveness in influencing consumers at every stage of the customer journey. Despite its potential, budget constraints and lack of integration with other digital channels remain significant barriers to adoption.
Organizational Readiness and Industry Variation
Consumer goods organizations report varying levels of sophistication in their retail media programs, with 42% indicating they are in years 1-2 of their retail media network development, while 18% report 5-7 years of experience. Consumer electronics companies demonstrate higher maturity levels, with 61% reporting advanced retail media capabilities compared to 21% in other categories.
The study encompasses responses from marketing professionals across multiple sectors, including food & beverage (40%), consumer electronics (23%), health & beauty (16%), household products (14%), apparel (10%), and other categories. Survey participants represent various organizational levels, with 37% in senior management, 40% at director level, and 19% in manager positions.
The research reveals that senior leaders and directors indicate greater perceived importance for traditional print channels than managers, suggesting varying perspectives on channel value across organizational hierarchies.
Get the full report here.