ANA demands retail media measurement standards to fix fragmented reporting

The push for retail media measurement standards addresses a critical power imbalance where retailers control both the first-party data and the digital shelf space. As retail media becomes a top-tier digital advertising channel, the lack of standardized methodologies prevents brands from accurately comparing ROI across platforms like Walmart Connect and Instacart. This fragmentation effectively acts as a 'tax' on marketers who must navigate opaque, self-reported metrics to maintain retail relationships. The broader streaming and digital ecosystem must now reconcile the loss of neutral measurement vendors due to four platforms capture 85% of programmatic ad spend as market consolidates. Watch for whether major retail networks voluntarily adopt the 14-day attribution window or resist sharing the underlying logic of their proprietary data sets.

The push for unified measurement comes as retail media networks face mounting scrutiny from advertisers who demand accountability comparable to other digital channels. At an NRF panel moderated by EMARKETER principal analyst Max Willens, executives from Costco, Best Buy, and Nordstrom acknowledged that retail media networks are now being judged on execution quality, not just revenue momentum. US retail media ad spending expanded by over $10 billion in 2025 to $60.32 billion, and advertisers are benchmarking retail media directly against paid search, social, and CTV for measurement clarity and speed. Best Buy Ads president Lisa Valentino noted the company leaned into self-serve tools to match how media is increasingly bought elsewhere.

The business case for standardization is underscored by stark discrepancies in how networks report performance. A white paper released by Albertsons Media Collective in partnership with Ovative Group and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management found that reported iROAS could vary by 6.5 times on average, while 83% of campaigns could switch from positive to negative based solely on measurement methodology. NIQ research from June 2026 found that 67% of CMOs plan to increase retail media investment in 2026, yet only 53% believe their retail media networks provide adequate measurement and attribution to support reliable incrementality measurement. That gap between spending intent and measurement confidence is precisely what the ANA's call for MRC accreditation aims to close.

Major networks are already responding to measurement pressure with new capabilities, particularly around streaming and offsite activation. Walmart Connect expanded its connected TV advertising in June by opening up Vizio inventory through Yahoo's demand-side platform via Magnite, following the end of its four-year exclusivity deal with The Trade Desk. Kroger Precision Marketing began offering YouTube advertising integration via Display & Video 360 in March, with Albertsons following in April. LiveRamp, which provides the identity infrastructure behind Kroger and Albertsons' YouTube integrations, described the shift as retail media moving from isolated retailer inventory to a broader commerce media model where first-party data powers measurable outcomes across more channels. EMARKETER projects US retail media ad spending will , making the absence of standardized measurement an increasingly expensive problem for brands. As these networks expand, as retailers seek to maintain control over their proprietary data. The industry is also seeing to help monetize physical shopping spaces.