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Channel
Retail media benchmarks
Amazon, Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Instacart, Kroger Precision Marketing, plus 30+ smaller retailer networks. The fastest-growing channel by share.
Share of digital ad spend: ~16% of US digital ad spend (2026)
Channel snapshot
Amazon dominates (~80% of retail-media spend). CPCs $0.40–4.50 depending on category competitiveness. Avg ROAS 3.2–5.5x.
How to operate this channel
Operator playbook
- TACoS (total ACoS), not ACoS, is the real metric.
- Defend branded keywords aggressively — competitors will conquesting if you don't.
- Use AMC (Amazon Marketing Cloud) for incrementality and path analysis.
- Optimize listings (A+ Content, images, reviews) before scaling spend — CVR is gated.
- Treat Prime Video Ads as upper-funnel for Amazon ecosystem.
Platforms in this channel
How to read these benchmarks
Read Retail media against your own account, not as a target to copy. a result inside the range usually means the constraint is elsewhere - offer, landing experience, or measurement - while a result well outside it points straight at targeting, creative, or bid strategy. Compare like with like - same funnel stage, same objective, same season - because a top-of-funnel number judged against a bottom-of-funnel benchmark will always mislead.
How to use this page. Find the funnel stage you are buying, read the range, and calculate the gap to your live numbers. Model the revenue impact of closing that gap with the break-even ROAS and CAC payback calculators, then pressure-test the plan against the full 2026 benchmarks compendium.
Sourcing. Ranges are RGM's 2026 synthesis of platform-reported figures and aggregated account data, expressed as medians and typical spreads rather than single points. They move with season, auction pressure, and creative quality, so re-check them each quarter.