Retail Media Report Card: Europe by Publicis Media UK and Mars United Commerce

In such a fragmented ecosystem to navigate with the right companion is a must Mars United Commerce and Publicis Commerce together made this report to be updated with ongoing retail media partners as they evolve and accelerate its expansion in our market Interesting for Retail Media pros! REETMO MEDIA Salvatore Cospito Rubén Molina Ortego

The latest installment of the Retail Media Report Card for Europe has dropped! As ever this edition is filled with rich insights on what is a constantly changing landscape. Credit to the combined Publicis Commerce and Mars United team for pulling this together with Amo Aujla-Tse, Chizaram Whitney Egbuziem & Jenny Wong leading the charge!

Retail media in Europe has evolved in less than a decade from an experimental advertising channel into a core commercial lever embedded into joint business planning, distribution negotiations, and media transformation agendas for many brands. But keeping up with the constant changes and updates remains a challenge. That's where Publicis Commerce comes in. Produced as a collaborative effort between Publicis Media UK and Mars United Commerce, the latest edition of the Retail Media Report Card: Europe provides a valuable resource to help brands evaluate the landscape of potential retail media partners. Among the features of the 1H 2026 edition: 📝 Analysis of 21 retail media networks that span cross-European platforms and significant players in seven key markets: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey. ⚖️ Evaluation of 104 capabilities across five key performance areas that are essential for effective planning, execution, and measurement. 🔁 Roundup of the key additions that networks made to their capabilities and offerings since the last Report Card in fall 2025. Download the report here: https://lnkd.in/eXfwthgc #RetailMediaReportCard #Europe #retailmedia

Today’s coverage for The Future of Retail Media Week, brings together perspectives from across the industry on how retail media is evolving.   From the increasing focus on sales velocity and performance metrics, to the trends expected to shape FMCG and CPG marketing in the years ahead. It also explores the role of independent planning in an increasingly complex media landscape, and whether smaller players can continue to compete as the sector matures.   Featuring insights from leaders at {Capture}, SMG, Epsilon, T&P, dentsu UK&I and Project5 Media, the discussion reflects the broader changes taking place across advertising, commerce and retail media.   But one idea continues to percolate throughout: retail media is changing rapidly, and the industry is being pushed to keep pace from measurement and planning to strategy and execution.   Read the full articles here: https://lnkd.in/e_uES9T7 Victoria Peopall Neilson Hall Helen Johnson Sam Drake #retailmedia #mediaindustry #marketing

Some interesting thoughts here including insightful contributions from Victoria Peopall, reminding us all retail media is based on relationships and shouldn't just be transactional.

Retail media is no longer just for the biggest brands. We’re seeing more growth and SME clients move into the space because the barriers are coming down with faster activation, simpler execution and clearer measurement are making retail media far more accessible. The real shift? Precision over scale. Brands can now reach high-intent audiences and prove impact without needing massive budgets. Great perspective from Victoria Peopall on where the market is heading 👇 #RetailMedia #CommerceMedia #GrowthMarketing #SME #DigitalAdvertising

Great to share some thoughts on where retail media is headed - especially the opportunities that are there, not just for the big players, but for those smaller just getting started!

Retail media continues to grow through being more accessible and more effective, particularly for smaller players, argues Victoria Peopall in The Media Leader UK’s Retail Media Week in Focus: https://lnkd.in/eEEDUgk5 Vic highlights how retail media allows brands of any size to use budgets more efficiently by focusing on high‑intent audiences rather than scale alone. She also points to the next phase of growth coming from existing propositions becoming more sophisticated, with faster set‑up, easier execution and clearer metrics easing what was previously a heavy lift. The shift is less about new formats and more about making retail media simpler to use and prove. #RetailMedia #CommerceMedia

At Retail MediaX 2026, we ran a live poll with brands and retailers to understand where retail media really is today and where it’s heading. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e8P8W4B8 Key takeaways from the live poll: - Measurement remains the biggest barrier to retail media growth, well ahead of any other challenge. - Retail media networks are still seen as largely undifferentiated, increasing pressure to compete on data, access and sophistication. - Confidence in effectiveness is low, driven by inconsistent and incomplete measurement approaches. - Onsite still dominates, but CTV and in‑store are rapidly rising in importance. - Offsite display is undervalued, despite its role in driving scale and acquisition. The poll followed a fireside chat with the fantastic Kaitlin Craig from John Lewis Partnership, in conversation with Esme Robinson, our Global Product Solutions Director and all‑round retail media whizz. You can learn practical lessons from John Lewis’ five‑year transformation journey on our blog. #RetailMedia #MarketingStrategy

Retail media investment decisions rarely sit with one team. According to Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the media team has the most influence, but even then, only 58% are considered key decision makers. Shopper marketing, brand, e-commerce, and sales all have meaningful roles too. What this means in practice: retail media budgets are fragmented across org structures that weren't designed with this channel in mind. No one team has a clear mandate. And that makes it harder to move quickly, test new formats, or commit to in-store at the scale that actually moves the needle. The brands making the most progress on in-store retail media have found ways to align these teams around shared goals. The org chart is still being written, but the brands getting ahead aren't waiting for it to be finished.