Shaping the Future of Commerce Media: Why Standards Matter, and How You Can Help Define Them

In this blog post, our Retail Media Consultant, Yara Daher, explores why standards are essential to the future of Commerce Media and shares how you can get involved in shaping the next iteration of our Commerce Media Measurement Standards.

In just a few years, Retail and Commerce Media has become one of the fastest-growing channels in digital advertising. With billions in ad spend flowing through retailer networks, marketplaces, and quick commerce platforms, the opportunity for brands and retailers is undeniable. But with rapid growth comes an equally urgent need: clear, consistent, and widely adopted standards.

Without a shared framework, fragmentation can quickly limit progress. Buyers face inconsistent metrics, measurement methodologies vary from one partner to another, and reporting complexity makes it harder to compare performance or prove ROI. For the ecosystem to mature, trust and transparency must be built on standardisation.

That’s why, at IAB Europe, we launched our first Retail Media Measurement Standards in April 2024. Developed through our Retail & Commerce Media Committee with key input from our Retailer Council, these standards provide a framework for consistent metrics to compare Retail Media investment. 

Now, building on initial industry feedback, we’ve released our Commerce Media Measurement Standards (including Retail) V2 for public comment. This updated version reflects the rapid growth of the space and the increasing sophistication of advertiser expectations.

Why Standards Are Critical to Commerce Media Growth

• Driving Confidence and Investment
  Standards give advertisers confidence in what they’re buying. When metrics are comparable across retailers and commerce platforms, investment decisions become clearer, budgets scale faster, and the entire ecosystem grows.

• Enabling Operational Efficiency
  Without standards, every campaign requires custom definitions, reports, and processes. A shared framework reduces duplication, simplifies reporting, and helps agencies and brands scale commerce media programmes with ease.

• Building Trust Across the Value Chain
  Standards create accountability. When retailers, ad tech, and brands work from the same measurement definitions, they foster trust and collaboration.

• Encouraging Innovation
  Standardisation doesn’t stifle innovation; it enables it. With a solid measurement foundation, partners can focus their resources on building new formats, richer insights, and more impactful campaigns.
  

What’s New in V2

• Expanded scope: Moving beyond Retail Media to include quick commerce, with future editions planned for travel and finance.

• Clear definitions: Detailed explanations for media metrics, attribution, insights, and adjustments specific to commerce. Plus additions for net and gross sales. 

• Simplified measurement reporting: Enabling brands and agencies to compare performance across retailers.

These updates strengthen online retail media measurement (on and off-site) and complement our In-Store Retail Media guidance, recognising the rise of omnichannel strategies.

Help Us Finalise the Latest Standards

Our updated Commerce Media Measurement Standards V2 are now open for public comment, and we want your input. To ensure these standards truly reflect the realities of the market, we’re calling on brands, agencies, retailers, ad tech partners, measurement providers, and publishers to share feedback and shape the final version.

• View the Updated Commerce Media Measurement Standards V2 Draft
• Send feedback to retailmediastandards [at] iabeurope.eu
• Read our press release here

We request specific suggestions to the  “Insights” section 3.1 and 3.2. We detail New to Brand and New Category and suggest lookback windows based on categories. We understand those categories are broad and open to interpretation. As such, we would like feedback on whether to keep them as is, change them and how, or move them to a guidance section. 

The deadline to provide your input is Friday, 14th November 2025.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and building a trusted, transparent, and scalable foundation that will define the next chapter of Commerce Media with you.