Seven in Ten Companies Plan to Increase Retail Media Budgets, But Scale and Measurement Remain Key Barriers

TransUnion Research Reveals Growing Investment and Challenges in Retail Media Networks

TransUnion announced newly commissioned research by The Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI), the 2025 Annual Trends Study, highlighting continued growth in retail media investment alongside persistent challenges in optimizing these platforms. The study reveals that 70% of companies plan to increase their retail media budgets in 2025. However, persistent challenges such as scale, targeting, and measurement remain key obstacles to broader growth across the retail industry.

“Retail media is undeniably reshaping the way brands connect with shoppers, but proving its value isn’t always straightforward,” said Mark Rose, senior director, market strategy for TransUnion’s retail business. “Brands face challenges with targeting and measurement consistency across retailers, as well as comparing ROI across retail media and other digital media channels. The key is solving these challenges with the development of aligned best practices to broaden participation in retail media growth industry-wide.”

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Brands are optimistic on the future of retail media
Eighty percent (80%) of marketers recognize the value of retail media, saying it is as effective or more effective than other digital channels. Whereas annual trade budgets have traditionally formed the basis for retail media budgets, the survey found that 70% of retail media spending was incremental to those annual budgets.

Accordingly, respondents reported that retail media spending was less likely to come from trade budgets (decreasing from 26% of retail media spending in 2024 to 20% in 2024) and increasingly from media budgets (increase from 74% of retail media spending in 2023 to 80% in 2024).

Identifying room for improvement
However, gaps in measurement and ROI attribution across retailers remain critical barriers. The study identifies key priorities for marketers to address these issues, including:

• 88% seek proof of sales lift and ROI from campaigns
• 45% prioritize comparable cross-retailer measurement and attribution
• 42% call for standardized metrics and definitions
• 39% emphasize the need for offline and online attribution

The research found significant differences in retail media networks across the industry. On average, brands were 3.4x more likely to rate the largest national retailer platforms as Excellent or Very Good in capabilities related to scale, targeting, and measurement.

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“As retailers adopt industry standards they will see improved ratings,” added Rose. “However, retailers beyond the largest national platforms will also need to simplify and streamline how brands can partner with them for large-reach national campaigns.”

Areas in Which Retailers are Rated as Having Very Good or Excellent Capabilities

According to the report, brands currently work with an average of eight retail media networks, with nearly half (49%) engaging with no more than five networks. National retailer platforms lead in adoption, reflecting their competitive advantage in targeting, traffic-driving, and measurement capabilities.

“Retail media can reshape how brands connect with consumers, but we must address its challenges head-on to ensure its actual growth meets projections, and in a way that enables broad participation across the retail industry,” Rose concluded. “Focus on scale, targeting, and measurement is key to unlocking its full potential for everyone involved.”