As retail media matures in Australia and New Zealand, brands and retailers are moving well beyond static banner ads and into a new era defined by video, commerce intelligence, and measurable outcomes.
According to Guillaume Dupont, Head of Retail Media Monetisation at Criteo ANZ, the market is rapidly evolving into a richer, smarter, and more accountable ecosystem — one that’s reshaping how brands connect with shoppers and how retailers grow their businesses.
From static ads to shoppable storytelling
“The market has matured beyond static banners; retailers are leaning into richer experiences that inspire while people shop,” said Dupont.
“We’re seeing strong momentum around onsite video and shoppable formats — from video embedded on product pages to interactive carousels and shoppable media that connects awareness directly to conversion.”
That momentum is backed by strong advertiser demand. The IAB Australia Retail Media State of the Nation 2025 report found that seven in 10 advertisers have increased their retail media investment in the past year, and more than three-quarters now work with three or more retail networks.
Also recently, Criteo launched its Onsite Video solution globally, giving retailers a way to blend brand storytelling and conversion while providing advertisers with measurable results.
Early results showed a 5.6 times increase in new-to-brand customers when video ran alongside sponsored products, and a 280 per cent surge in click-through rates for one US retailer.
“This is the kind of innovation setting the tone for where retail media is headed in ANZ,” Dupont said. “Richer, smarter, and more accountable.”
The rise of commerce intelligence
Beyond formats, commerce intelligence is becoming a major growth driver. By tapping into purchase and SKU-level insights, retailers can demonstrate the true value of their media offerings and give brands transparency on performance.
“For agencies and brands, that means measuring campaigns on business outcomes, not just media metrics, and proving incrementality,” said Dupont. “This shift towards intelligence will take retail media from being a media add-on to becoming a core business growth lever.”
Preparing for a cookieless world
While Google’s delay of third-party cookie deprecation offers temporary relief, Dupont said retailers shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture: “The direction is clear — privacy-first and first-party data-led.”
Retailers already possess powerful, consented data through loyalty and transaction programs, giving them a natural advantage.
“The priority now is to make first-party data the backbone of retail media,” he explained. “Loyalty interactions, purchase signals, browsing behaviour and onsite activity can all fuel precise, privacy-safe targeting and measurement.”
He added that strengthening the value exchange is critical, noting that 93 per cent of Australians say they are willing to share data if they receive tangible benefits in return. Retailers should also invest in closed-loop attribution, tying media exposure to both in-store and online sales.
“Those that embed first-party data into every stage of targeting and measurement won’t just be prepared for a cookieless world — they’ll offer brands the transparency and accountability they’re demanding today,” Dupont said.
Building resilience through measurement and alignment
Economic uncertainty has prompted retailers to focus on resilience, and Dupont believes the most future-ready retail media strategies share three traits: always-on, omnichannel, and accountable.
“Always-on matters because beauty and FMCG paths to purchase can stretch weeks. Omnichannel matters because consumers are fluid between search, social, retail sites, and stores. And accountability means prioritising incrementality — proving media drives new sales rather than capturing ones that would have happened anyway,” he said.
To future-proof their operations, Dupont advises retailers to focus on high-margin formats like sponsored listings and shoppable video, track internal revenue sources to avoid cannibalisation, and ensure strong cross-functional alignment.
“Retail media teams need the right education, communication, and collaboration to embed media as a sustainable growth driver,” he said.
Learning from local leaders
Criteo’s partnerships with retailers like David Jones and Endeavour Group illustrate how retail media innovation can evolve strategically. Through David Jones Amplify, brands can run sponsored products tied directly to SKU-level sales — a model that has since expanded to include onsite display and offsite activation through CMAX.
“Our studies show that shoppers exposed to both onsite and offsite retail media are five times more likely to convert,” Dupont noted. “That’s the value of connecting channels.”
For other retailers, he recommends a gradual approach.
“Lead with SKU-level outcomes, introduce innovations step by step, and ensure each capability solves a real problem,” he said. “Success isn’t just about adding formats; it’s about packaging measurement, incrementality, and commerce intelligence into the offer.”
Redefining the shopper experience
As retail media becomes a natural part of the shopping journey, consumers are increasingly receptive to personalised experiences — provided they enhance rather than interrupt.
“It’s about being useful, not busy,” Dupont explained. “Personalisation works when it feels like a helpful recommendation, not an interruption. Sponsored product ads in relevant search results enhance the journey, while intrusive or repetitive ads create friction.”
He said shoppers reward relevance but expect consistency — the same price, offer, and creative logic across every touchpoint. Retailers can use commerce intelligence to deliver fewer, smarter messages, cap ad frequency, and test interactive formats such as AR try-ons that consumers actively choose to engage with.
“Retail media is now part of the customer experience, not just a monetisation lever,” he added. “Done well, it adds trust and convenience. Done poorly, it disrupts the journey.”
The defining trend: Video commerce
Looking ahead, Dupont believes video commerce will be the defining retail media trend over the next 12 to 18 months.
“In Australia, online video ad spend grew 21.9 per cent year-on-year to $5 billion in FY2025, representing 29 per cent of all internet ad spend,” he said.
“When you combine that appetite with retail media’s closed-loop measurement, shoppable video and CTV are poised to become table stakes.”
Retailers that embrace video and interactive formats backed by commerce data, Dupont added, will capture more brand budgets and create richer shopper experiences.
“For ANZ, this will be the tipping point that takes retail media from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a core business growth driver.”