<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are rapidly maturing in the grocery industry, with 38% of retailers and 71% of suppliers now actively using them, according to </em><em>The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2025</em><em>. </em><br /></p><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/retail-media-1200-x-600-stages-234-revised-promo-copy.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=cc466f5c_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" alt="Retail media network wheel of stages" class="-align-right" sf-size="100" /><p>By: Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI</p><p>Grocery shoppers are budgeting smarter. Food retailers are innovating harder. Suppliers are spotlighting new products. Together, the industry is conditioning for a growth mindset.<br /></p><p>That momentum is clear in <a href="https://www.fmi.org/store/product/the-food-retailing-industry-speaks-2025-digital"><em>The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2025</em>,</a> FMI’s signature research. And nowhere is that mindset more evident than in the rise of retail media networks (RMNs).<br /></p><p>Once considered an emerging tool for the digital elite, RMNs have moved firmly into the mainstream. According to our 2025 <em>Speaks</em> research, 38% of food retailers are now using RMNs, and 71% of suppliers are actively investing in them as part of their media strategies.<br /></p><p>The shift is more than tactical — it’s cultural. One in four retailers using RMNs now consider them “very effective,” and 25% of all retailers predict RMNs will mature and gain broader adoption in the coming year. This tells us RMNs are quickly becoming a core business driver.<br /></p><p>Still, there’s room to grow. Our research also shows that many retailers are looking for stronger ROI measurement, better cross-functional coordination and deeper integration with loyalty and personalization platforms. It’s about adopting and using these tools for tangible activations and outcomes that drive customer engagement, operational efficiency and measurable business impact.</p><p>Meanwhile, suppliers are charging ahead. Their use of RMNs now rivals or exceeds channels like Instagram and YouTube, demonstrating that retail media is becoming the primary way CPGs tell their story at the point of decision.<br /></p><p>To help the industry close the gap, FMI recently launched the <a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/retail-media"><em>Master Retail Media</em></a> webinar series, in partnership with Inmar Intelligence. In our first session, <a href="https://educate.fmi.org/courses/107150"><em>Laying the Foundation for a Successful Network</em></a>, Bobby Watts, senior vice president of retail media at Ahold Delhaize, pointed to in-store media as “the next big opportunity,” while cautioning against turning stores into aggressive ad environments. The <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/MasterRetailMedia,1">recording, 30-page implementation guide, and glossary</a> are available now. <br /></p><p>Up next: <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/MeetingFormPublic/view?id=D8B23000000002"><em>Master Retail Media, Stages 2–4: Activating Retail Media at Every Touchpoint</em></a>, on <strong>Wednesday, July 30, at 2 p.m. ET</strong>, where we’ll dive into activating RMNs across programmatic, retailer websites, influencer content and social commerce.</p><p>Retail media is no longer an experiment — it’s essential. Let’s master it together.</p><p><a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/meeting/MeetingFormPublic/view?id=D8B23000000002" class="button">Register for Webinar</a> </p>
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