How customers see Retail Media? The buying decission process

Marketers, rightly so, focus on the technical side of advertising—campaign setup, strategy, and performance.

But in the constant push to optimize ROAS, explore new channels, and fine-tune existing ones, one question keeps coming back: What value are we delivering to the user?

Because in 2025, advertising should always provide value, helping consumers make better, faster, more confident purchase decisions.

How does Retail Media support this shift? Read on to find out 👇

Retail Media in the context of changing consumer needs?

The transformation of shoppers' needs reflects processes in Retail Media. In just a few years, it has gone from a purely performance-driven tool into a strategic channel that directly influences the customer’s purchase decision.

Today, consumers engaging with Retail Media don’t just see ads. They encounter full-funnel brand and product experiences, supported by personalized product recommendations tailored to their current needs and intent.

Do you need a clearer definition of Retail Media? Check out our dedicated article to learn more.

Retail Media as the "Trojan horse of marketing"?

Colin Lewis, a Retail Media expert and the editor of InternetRetailing, very directly calls these channels the „Trojan horse of marketing.”

According to him, Retail Media is not just another advertising channel — it’s a powerful tool for transformation that allows brands to get closer to the customer. It does so by leveraging context and delivering real value through the advertising message.

Precise user targeting and full use of first-party data make this shift even more effective:

• Retailers (read more about Retail Media from the retailer’s perspective), as the owners of the advertising space, gain tools to monetize traffic better while respecting user privacy.
• Advertisers can use real-time data to better understand their audience and deliver highly relevant offers in the right place at the right moment.

Data security in Retail Media Networks starts with clean rooms. Watch our webinar created in partnership with Amazon Web Services, the clean room technology provider behind Retail Media Ninja, to learn more about how this solution supports data privacy in Retail Media.

The retailer's role as a medium

Between the moment a purchase need arises and the final transaction, there's a complex (and highly non-linear) process of evaluation, research, and comparison. The more expensive the product, the more intricate this mid-funnel stage becomes.

Price comparison engines, buying guides, social media, and branded content are all key players in supporting shoppers during this research phase. These formats are most often associated with Commerce Media.

But, in 2025, consumers are increasingly expecting product suggestions to appear directly within the shopping platform itself without the need to search or dig through endless content online.

To meet this expectation, retailers must deliver value beyond showcasing products. Simply put, they need to become a medium for product and brand discovery.

Taking on the role of a curator in the shopping journey opens up new opportunities to monetize user curiosity and the need to explore.

As noted by Progressive Grocer, this approach helps build a trust-based, authentic relationship with consumers, rather than one focused solely on promotions.

And it does not come at the cost of performance. For example, expanding shelf edge media to include contextual information can increase sales by several or even dozens of percentage points. Online Retail Media brings these mechanisms into the digital environment.

The buying decision as a process: full-funnel support

For the consumer, making a purchase isn't a one-time action. It's a process made up of several stages — inspiration, consideration and conversion. As buyer expectations evolve, Retail Media grows to meet user needs at every step:

• Inspiration: personalized banners and recommendation carousels on the homepage help introduce relevant products and brands tailored to individual preferences.
• Consideration: sponsored listings and retargeting campaigns bring back products left in the cart or showcase similar alternatives, supporting the evaluation phase.
• Conversion: last-minute deals, coupons and user reviews placed directly on product pages help finalize the purchase with confidence.

According to eMarketer, up to 60% of Retail Media budgets today go toward search-related ads — placements targeting users who are actively looking for products.

Taki sposób inwestycji wymaga jednak solidnej sieci Retail Media, w której dane są bezpieczne, zrozumiałe, a także możliwe jest bardzo elastyczne podejście do formatów reklam.

Retail Media as part of Commerce Media

Retail platforms have long moved beyond being just online stores hosted on websites. Today, retailers are offering solutions that form an essential part of the broader Commerce Media ecosystem.

The convergence of these two sectors drives mutual growth and sparks strategic evolution. Commerce Media learns how to make use of safer data practices, while Retail Media benefits from omnichannel strategies and full-funnel thinking.

According to eMarketer, 58% of brands and 51% of agencies plan to leverage Retail Media beyond traditional retail — in industries like financial services and travel. While ecommerce might seem like the most obvious use case for Retail Media, its potential applications go far beyond.

What's next? The future of Retail Media

The future of Retail Media lies in its integration with emerging formats and channels that will further enrich the shopping experience:

• Even better alignment between advertiser offerings and user needs through the use of artificial intelligence and more advanced real-time reporting
• More campaign optimization options across channels and formats
• Connected TV (CTV): Retail Media on television will help close the marketing funnel and reach highly targeted audiences with data-driven messaging
• Interactive formats: augmented reality (AR), 360° video, and shoppable videos will engage and educate users in new ways
• Dynamic personalization: real-time ad adjustments based on user behavior and shopping intent will improve relevance and usefulness of messaging

Summary: Retail Media as support for the purchasing decision

Retail Media is not just a direct sales channel. In an era where branding and performance budgets are blending, it serves as a tool that meets both seemingly opposing needs of marketers.

For the user, Retail Media means better support in their purchasing decision, while for the brand, it offers a new, important channel to reach buyers. In a world where customer experience determines success, it is a driving force behind building loyalty, trust, and competitive advantage.

Retail Media that works for you

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