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U trade media boom was alive and well in 2024, reshaping how retailers, financial institutions, airlines and travel companies were drawn to the possibility of turning their vast amounts of first-party consumer data into advertising revenue.
It is expected to continue in 2025, analysts told ADWEEK. But growth will be at a slower pace than the last two years. Amazon and Walmart are expected continue their dominance in the space, scooping up an estimated 84% of all media sales advertising expenses, according to Emarketer. That will leave the rest of the retailers scrambling for a minimal amount of advertising dollars, potentially pushing out some of the less sophisticated players.
ADWEEK asked industry experts and analysts to predict what major changes will define business media in 2025.
In-store sales media is starting to come out
Connected digital screens, experiential marketing in retail stores, and better measurement for things like product sampling and activation are all on the table in 2025, according to independent retail media analyst Andrew Lipsman.
“This is the year that the physical store establishes itself as the next big media channel,” Lipsman said.
Worry about what in-store advertising It could be that the customer experience has hindered progress in this area until now, he noted, but this is beginning to change.
“I’m starting to see a real shift in the way retailers think,” Lipsman said. “They’re starting to embrace it now and realize they don’t need to hesitate the way they’ve been.”
He also predicts that the in-store experience will increasingly incorporate creator content, noting that there is significant opportunity in using hyper-local creators—think local college football stars or performers—in interactive in-store activations with brands.
Sputters off site, clean rooms proliferate
It has long been understood among industry players that one of the biggest revenue opportunities associated with building a retail media business is using first-party customer data to sell to the public on the open web. .
