Have you heard of Retail Media Networks (RMNs)?
If you’ve run Facebook Ads or Google Ads, you know the drill. You target based on interests, demographics, or search keywords, and hope your message lands in front of the right people at the right time. But there’s a fast-growing ad channel that could rival them both in precision and ROI: Retail Media Networks.
What is a Retail Media Network?
An RMN is when a retailer, like Amazon, Walmart, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, or Currys, turns its own platform into an advertising network, selling targeted ad space inside its own ecosystem.
This is powerful because it uses first-party data, data collected directly from customers’ purchases, browsing habits, and engagement with the retailer’s platforms. Instead of guessing who might be interested, RMNs know exactly:
What people buy
How often they buy it
In what context they make those purchases
Globally, Amazon Ads uses this model to let brands target shoppers based on real purchase behaviour across Amazon.com, Prime Video, Twitch, and Alexa devices. Walmart Connect offers ads across Walmart.com, in-store displays, and partner sites.
Here in the UK, RMNs are already thriving:
Tesco Media & Insight uses Clubcard data to power in-store, online, and off-site ads.
Sainsbury’s Nectar360 runs “branded shops” online.
Co-op created the UK’s first convenience RMN with gamified promotions.
Currys offers in-store and digital targeting across all 297 UK & Ireland outlets.
Morrisons runs in-store digital screens and app ads.
Asda’s LS Eleven Media Services uses loyalty card data for omnichannel campaigns.
Bottom-Funnel vs Full-Funnel RMNs
RMNs have traditionally been seen as bottom-funnel marketing tools, meaning they target customers right before a purchase decision, giving them that final nudge to buy. For example:
You add coffee to your Tesco online cart, and you see an ad for a branded coffee machine.
You’re checking out on Amazon and see a “customers also bought” promotion.
Bottom-funnel activity is powerful because it’s purchase-intent rich – the customer is already in shopping mode.
But here’s where things get interesting: RMNs are now evolving into full-funnel marketing ecosystems. This means brands can use them not just to convert customers who are ready to buy, but also to:
Build awareness (top of funnel) – introducing your brand to relevant audiences
Create engagement (middle of funnel) – nurturing interest through content and offers
Drive conversions (bottom of funnel) – closing the sale at the right moment
In other words, RMNs are no longer just “buy now” channels; they’re becoming platforms where you can guide a customer journey from curiosity to commitment without them ever leaving the retailer’s ecosystem.
RMNs are projected to surpass $200 billion in ad spend by 2026, closing in on Facebook’s $135B and Google’s $237B in 2024. That’s staggering growth for a channel that many SMEs haven’t even considered yet.
But What About smaller Businesses?
Here’s the challenge: most large retailers only sell this ad space to their current suppliers, the brands already on their shelves. That’s fine if you’re a multinational FMCG, but what about smaller B2C and B2B businesses who don’t have products in Tesco or Walmart?
Here’s where the opportunity lies. Platforms like Amazon, Etsy, and niche marketplaces function as RMNs, and they’re open to any seller willing to invest, even on a modest budget.
Examples:
A wellness coach could target people buying meditation cushions on Amazon.
A stationery brand could reach buyers of planners and journals on Etsy.
A B2B SaaS company could run ads to business book buyers or office equipment shoppers.
This is retail media democratised, smaller reach than a Tesco or Walmart, of course, but still laser-targeted, intent-rich, and available on budgets as low as £50–£500 for testing.
Think of it like this…
If Google Ads is like fishing in the ocean, hoping the right fish swim past your bait, RMNs are like fishing in a well-stocked pond where you already know exactly what fish are there, and you’ve brought the perfect bait to make them bite.
For SMEs and entrepreneurs, that could mean spending £100 – £500 on hyper-targeted ads that convert far better than the same spend on less targeted platforms.
the authority Engine Parallel
While most people think of RMNs as the playground of retail giants, in many ways, this is exactly what I’m building with The Authority Engine™.
Members join from just £15/month to access expert-led sessions on building authority, marketing smarter, and growing their business. But as the platform develops, members will also get distribution to my growing network through my website and email marketing. Soon, with the launch of a sponsorship level, their brands will be displayed everywhere inside that ecosystem, website, events, resources, reaching a highly engaged, highly relevant audience.
It’s the same principle as retail media, just applied at a different scale:
Audience trust – I’ve built the relationship with my audience, so your brand gets to tap into it.
Targeted reach – You’re in front of people already interested in business growth and marketing.
Full-funnel opportunity – Build awareness, drive engagement, and generate leads all in one place.
And just like retail media for smaller retailers, you don’t need a multi-million-pound budget to play. You just need the right audience, the right message, and a platform that’s designed to connect the two.
Whether it’s Amazon or Etsy, Tesco or Co-op, Walmart or The Authority Engine™, the future of marketing is about owning the audience and renting out access to it.
The question is: will you be the brand buying the space, or the platform selling it?
