Marketers Shift Focus to Full-Funnel Retail Media Marketing

Marketers are shifting their focus in retail media marketing as they increasingly invest across various Retail Media Networks (RMNs). According to Modern Retail's 2026 guide, RMNs are evolving beyond sponsored product listings and becoming key players in full-funnel marketing. This change is driven by the growing demand for data-driven advertising solutions that can close the loop with point-of-sale data.

In a survey of 125 marketers, Amazon and Walmart Connect remained the most-used RMNs for the fourth consecutive year. However, Target's Roundel saw significant growth in marketer investments, with a doubling of marketing budgets in 2026 compared to 2025. This growth is attributed to Target's focus on data-driven advertising and its ability to attract advertisers despite other areas of the business facing challenges.

Marketers are also aligning their key performance indicators (KPIs) with each RMN's role, recognizing that not every platform serves the same purpose. While sales remains the top success metric for most RMNs, engagement has shifted from a focus on Best Buy Ads and eBay Ads in 2025 to being only a priority metric for Amazon in 2026.