IAB Europe’s Latest Retail Media Report Reveals Growing Gap Between Buyer Expectations and Measurement Capabilities

71% of European buyers have partnered with retailers for over a year, as new research reveals gaps in measurement capabilities and growing investment in AI-powered Retail Media.

3rd November 2026, Brussels, Belgium – IAB Europe, the leading European-level industry association for the digital advertising industry, has today released the third edition of its Attitudes to Retail Media Report, revealing how Retail Media is becoming an established part of advertisers' strategies, while highlighting persistent challenges around measurement, data availability and standardisation.

The findings reveal a market moving beyond initial experimentation towards longer-term partnerships, with 71% of European buyers having partnered with retailers for over a year, up from 51% in 2024. Yet only 12% consider their Retail Media strategies fully sophisticated, while 61% identify a lack of measurement and reporting as a leading barrier to further investment. 

The latest study draws on insights from 150 buy-side and sell-side respondents, including advertisers, agencies, retailers and Retail Media Networks (RMNs). For the first time, the research also includes a meaningful sample from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), offering early insights into Retail Media development across the two regions.

Developed by IAB Europe's Retail & Commerce Media Committee, the report features quantitative analysis by Caras Consulting, complemented by independent qualitative research conducted by Ascentinel, with LuckyCart and Mirakl Ads supporting the qualitative research as sponsors.

On the findings, Marie-Clare Puffett, Senior Director, Industry Development & Marketing at IAB Europe, said: "This year's findings show just how firmly Retail Media is becoming embedded in advertising strategies, but there's still work to do to build buyer confidence. Through our Commerce Media Measurement Standards and Retail Media Certification Programme, we're helping the industry address these challenges and deliver greater consistency, transparency and accountability."

Key Findings from the 2026 Report

• Retail Media partnerships are deepening, but maturity still lags: 71% of European buyers have partnered with retailers for over a year, up from 51% in 2024. Yet only 12% of buyers consider their Retail Media strategies fully sophisticated.
• Measurement remains the biggest barrier to investment: 61% of European buyers cite a lack of measurement and reporting, while concerns around data availability have jumped from 31% to 58% in just one year.
• Buyers are looking beyond ROAS: ROAS was selected as a desired measurement metric by 49% of European buyers, down from 89% in 2025, with buyers now prioritising unified online and offline reporting (66%), new-to-brand/category measurement (63%) and incrementality (57%).
• The measurement gap between buyers and sellers persists: 58% of buyers want multi-touch attribution, but only 31% of sellers offer it. Encouragingly, 63% of sellers plan to enhance their measurement capabilities in the next 12 months.
• AI is becoming a major investment priority: 68% of sellers plan to develop AI-powered campaign management and optimisation capabilities in the next 12 months, while 50% plan to develop capabilities for agentic commerce and conversational AI discovery.

Jason Wescott, Global Head of Commerce Solutions at WPP Media and Chair of IAB Europe's Retail & Commerce Media Committee, added: "Our report shows partnerships are deepening, but sophistication is lagging. Buyers are outgrowing ROAS - they want incrementality and unified proof of performance. With AI’s foot firmly in the door, retailers who crack advanced measurement stand to win the lion's share of budgets."

Addressing Industry Needs

The opportunities ahead for Retail and Commerce Media are significant, but realising them requires industry-wide action. IAB Europe is helping turn ambition into action by developing common measurement standards, independently verifying compliance with industry measurement standards through its Retail Media Certification Programme, and bringing industry leaders together to tackle shared challenges and advance opportunities in areas such as in-store media, Travel Media and AI-driven commerce. Together, these efforts are helping build the foundations for sustained growth across the ecosystem.

The full 2026 Attitudes to Retail Media Report is available to download here.

To explore IAB Europe's wider Retail & Commerce Media work, visit the Retail Media Hub.