What is retail media measurement?
Retail media measurement evaluates what spend on a retailer's own sites, apps, and networks achieved, from sponsored product listings to display placements: more product views, more purchases, and more share of the category.
Retailers report results for the ads bought on their networks. The harder part is context. A sales lift looks very different if the whole category grew faster, and a flat month can be a win if competitors lost ground.
How is retail media measured?
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Return on ad spend (ROAS) | Attributed sales relative to spend on the retailer's network |
| Product views and clicks | Whether ads are driving consideration |
| Conversion rate | Purchases divided by product views |
| New-to-brand sales | How much of the result came from new customers |
| Share of category | Whether the brand gained or lost ground against competitors |
| Incrementality | Sales that wouldn't have happened without the ads |
What is an example of retail media measurement?
A strong ROAS in a slipping position
A brand's sponsored listings on one retailer report a healthy ROAS, so the team plans to increase spend there.
Looking across retailers, it sees the category is growing much faster on a second retailer, where a competitor is quickly gaining share. The brand rebalances retail media toward the retailer where demand and competition are moving.
Retailer reporting vs. cross-retailer market view
| Retailer ad reporting | Cross-retailer market view | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One retailer, your own campaigns | The category across many retailers |
| Competitor view | Limited or none | Share of category by brand |
| Comparability | Each retailer defines metrics its own way | The same base metrics everywhere |
| Best for | Optimizing campaigns on that retailer | Deciding where to invest next |
Why does retail media measurement matter?
Retail media puts ads close to the moment of purchase, and many brands now spread budgets across several retailers. Without consistent measurement, each retailer grades its own homework, and spend follows last year's split instead of where demand is moving.
- Fair comparisons. Consistent metrics let retailers be compared on equal terms.
- Context for results. Category movement shows whether growth is real or just a rising market.
- Competitor awareness. Share shifts reveal who is gaining, and where.
How does Alli do this?
Alli by PMG's Commerce Insights is ecommerce market intelligence that gives retail media decisions category context. It tracks purchases, product views, and organic search clicks across nine major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Home Depot, using the same base metrics on every retailer.
Teams see share of category by brand and retailer, week over week, so retail media spend can go where share is moving and the choice can be explained with market evidence. It sits inside Alli, next to planning, media, and brand data.
Explore Alli Commerce InsightsRetail media measurement FAQ
What is retail media?
Retail media is advertising that retailers sell on their own websites, apps, and media networks, like sponsored product listings and on-site display ads. Brands buy it to reach shoppers close to the moment of purchase.
What metrics matter most for retail media?
ROAS, product views, conversion rate, new-to-brand sales, and share of category. Incrementality testing shows how much of the result the ads actually caused.
Why is retail media hard to compare across retailers?
Each retailer reports results with its own definitions and attribution rules. A cross-retailer view built on the same base metrics makes comparisons fairer.
How does share of category help retail media decisions?
It shows whether a brand is gaining or losing ground against competitors on each retailer, so spend can go where share is moving.
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