Not too long ago, retail media was simply an experiment, a new way to connect brands with shoppers at the moment of purchase. But in just a few years, it has evolved into one of the most powerful forces in marketing. By 2025, it’s no longer the side act; it’s the world’s fastest-growing media channel, and India is quickly catching up.
As marketers chase sharper ROI and greater accountability, retail media has become the bridge between visibility and conversion. Powered by rich first-party data and closed-loop insights, it allows brands to finally link storytelling with measurable sales, something traditional digital channels could only hint at.
For many industry leaders, this isn’t just another addition to the media mix; it’s a fundamental shift in how that mix itself is imagined and executed.
Rethinking the Media Mix
Retail media’s rapid rise is pushing marketers to reconsider how each channel influences the consumer purchase cycle.
Aatika Ansari, Category Head – Ballantine’s (Pernod Ricard), believes this evolution calls for a sharper and more integrated approach.
“The whole point of activating a media mix is the ability to influence a consumer purchase cycle in whichever way possible. Hence, when a medium starts growing faster, it indicates an ability to influence a larger group of consumers. Hence, we need to rethink the role of each medium in the mix and look at a larger role retail media can play. It can be looked upon as an always-on component, that leverages rich first-party data for precise targeting, with a measurable impact at the point of sale. However, this is to be used in tandem with an omni-channel mix which drives long-term demand generation.”
Mainstream and Measurable
What was once experimental has now become essential. Retail media is reshaping how brands plan, measure, and optimise campaigns, especially for consumer-facing categories.
Chirag Jagwani, Head of eCommerce – Fixderma, says retail media’s influence is already visible across the marketing landscape.
“Retail media has become the bridge between visibility and actual purchase behavior. For eCommerce-led brands, this means rethinking the media mix around platforms that offer both data depth and buying intent. It’s no longer about splitting budgets between awareness and performance — it’s about creating a connected loop where every rupee spent drives measurable action. The future mix will favor channels that bring the brand story closer to the moment of conversion.”
Where curiosity meets conversion
Retail media is redefining how people make choices, blending storytelling with shoppable intent and turning interest into instant action.
Megha Marwah, Vice President – Strategy, White Rivers Media, says Retail media is quietly changing how people make choices. It’s where curiosity turns into action.
Picture this: you’re looking for shampoo online, and the brand that shows up doesn’t just show you a product, it shows you a short video about how it’s sulphate-free and safe for coloured hair. You watch it, relate to it, and add it to your cart, all within seconds.
That’s retail media doing what television and performance ads could never do together: influence and convert, at the same time.
Retailers know when people buy baby food, how often, and even what else lands in that cart. Imagine using that insight to build creative that says, “Naptime essentials, everything your little one needs.”
When brands work with retailers, the story gets richer. Think of a beverage brand partnering with a quick-commerce app to launch “Friday Night Bundles” — a campaign that feels cultural, not commercial.
For marketers, this means one thing: the media mix must move closer to the moment of decision, where context truly drives choice.
Retail media goes mainstream
What began as an experimental channel has now become essential to every brand’s digital playbook. For marketers focused on performance and measurable outcomes, retail media is the most direct bridge between awareness and purchase.
Dr. Kushal Sanghvi, Director – Komerz, says, “Retail media has pretty much changed the digital landscape over the last few years. Today, almost every media or reach plan, especially for FMCG and other consumer-facing brands, already includes e-commerce media as a key part of the mix. The percentage of spend varies by category — whether it’s shampoo, soap, biscuits, or candy, but it’s definitely happening at scale. Even in India, platforms like Zepto have crossed ₹1,000 crore in advertising revenue in 2024 alone, driven largely by homegrown brands.
Long story short, retail media is already mainstream and will only grow further. It’s something marketers simply can’t avoid anymore, especially since it aligns so closely with performance marketing goals. You can compare every creative with every possible outcome in real time, optimise, and measure impact instantly. Just like search or social media became indispensable to any marketing campaign, retail media has reached that same point; it’s hygiene now for every brand plan.”
As concluded, retail media is not just another advertising channel, it’s the new meeting point of storytelling and sales. It brings together data, creativity, and context to influence consumers right at the moment of decision. For marketers, it marks a shift from fragmented campaigns to connected journeys, where every interaction can drive both emotion and conversion.
