Measurement in the Mirror: $45B Retail Media Blind Spot

Neil Robinson

May 21, 2025

< 1 min read

Did you know there’s a $45B measurement blind spot in Retail Media?

Here’s what’s getting missed:

Only 12% of RMNs link ad performance to inventory and supply chain

73% of advertisers want closed-loop attribution – but siloed data makes true ROI impossible

Nearly 45% of CPG budgets go to CTV & OOH, yet RMNs struggle to prove impact

We explore 3 strategies to shift from vanity metrics:

Problem: Only 12% of RMNs link ads to inventory/supply chain (Gartner, 2024)

Solution:

Governance: Don’t let your Retail Media Capability operate in a Silo

Invest in Predictive Demand AI: Target slashed out-of-stocks 18% by syncing ads + stock data.

Tech Interoperability. CLV Over ROAS: Home Depot grew Pro renewals 20% via lifetime value tracking.

Enablers: Joint CFO/COO KPIs + Smash Internal Silos + Data Layering (internally/externally).

Problem: 73% of advertisers demand closed-loop attribution, but siloed data blocks true ROI insights (IAB, 2023).

Solution:

Centralised Data: Kroger drove 20% higher ROI by unifying 95% of shopper data (AWS).

Connect Data + Clean Rooms: Retailers using clean rooms win 3x more budgets (Bain & Co).

AI Attribution: Dunnhumby’s models weigh in-store vs. digital impact.

Enablers: Data Cloud, MuleSoft, Einstein AI + IAB standards to unify metrics

Problem: 45% of CPG budgets flow to CTV/OOH, but RMNs can’t prove impact (Nielsen, 2024).

Solution:

Unified Dashboards: Let advertisers plug in their own MMM tools (McKinsey).

Portable Audiences: Albertsons boosted offsite ROAS 34% with hashed buyer segments.

Enablers: Tableau Next for Self-Serve AI-powered Analytics, Business Intelligence and Blockchain Audits

“Retailers that connect ads to inventory, supplier sync, and CLV retain 30 – 50% more advertisers. (Forrester)

Still tracking clicks? It’s time to orchestrate profit.