The 2026 Commerce Media Investment Index
A new study from GrowthLoop and Ascend2 Research reveals that activation speed and audience options have become decisive factors in where advertisers place retail and commerce media budgets.
The 2026 Commerce Media Investment Index showed that 86% of advertisers would reduce spend or leave a media network if their audience fulfillment is too slow, and 85% would pay a premium for same-day fulfillment. Meanwhile, nearly all respondents said access to more audience segments would motivate them to increase spend with a media network.
What's more, nearly a third of brand advertisers said they have reduced, paused, or left a media network because of difficulty proving ROI to leadership.
The research, based on responses from nearly 300 senior advertisers across the United States and Canada, provides a view into the retail media network (RMN) and commerce media network (CMN) experience from the advertiser side. It reveals how media networks can:
Remove campaign friction
Strengthen advertiser relationships
Earn a greater share of growing media budgets
