Retail media networks have quietly become one of the most strategically significant advertising channels in Australia and New Zealand. What started as sponsored product placements on supermarket websites has evolved into a sophisticated, data-rich ecosystem that now spans in-store screens, programmatic DOOH, off-site display, and connected TV. For brands that understand how to navigate it, retail media offers something genuinely rare: closed-loop measurement that connects advertising exposure directly to a purchase. For those still treating it as a niche line item, the competitive gap is widening fast.
The ANZ Retail Media Landscape Is Maturing Rapidly
The fourth edition of the Mars United Commerce ANZ Retail Media Report Card, released in early 2025, painted a clear picture: the industry is on the cusp of maturity. Established networks — Cartology (Woolworths), Coles 360, Market Media, and Amazon Ads — are investing heavily in more sophisticated tooling, including self-service campaign platforms, real-time analytics dashboards, and richer creative formats. At the same time, a wave of new entrants is expanding the landscape: Uber Advertising, Adore Beauty Media, Petbarn's PetAds, Australia Post's screen network, and most recently Bunnings' Hammer Media have all launched dedicated retail media offerings.
This proliferation matters because it signals category-wide commitment. Retailers are no longer dipping their toes in — they are investing in media infrastructure as a core revenue stream. For brands, this means the number of high-quality environments where transaction-backed targeting is available is growing quickly. ANZ is catching up to the UK and US markets faster than many expected.
What Makes Retail Media Data Genuinely Different
The appeal of retail media networks is not simply reach — it is the quality of the underlying data. Purchase data from a loyalty programme is one of the richest signals available to a marketer. It tells you what a customer actually bought, how often, at what price point, and whether they switched brands. This is qualitatively different from behavioural data inferred from website browsing or social engagement.
Cameron Porter, Commerce Planning Director for ANZ at Mars United Commerce, put it well: "Targeting is where we've seen the biggest leap. The ability to understand shopper behaviour — what they're buying, when, and how often — is powering stronger, more timely messaging across a broader mix of touchpoints." For FMCG brands in particular, the ability to target lapsed buyers of your own category, or conquest buyers of a competitor SKU, is a capability that simply did not exist at this scale five years ago.
Purchase-based targeting: reach buyers by category, brand frequency, basket size, and recency
Loyalty-linked measurement: directly attribute campaign exposure to in-store and online basket data
Lapsed buyer re-engagement: identify and reach shoppers who used to buy your product but switched
Conquest targeting: serve ads to buyers of competitor products within the same category
Seasonal and occasion-based planning: align messaging to shopping patterns, not just demographic segments
Where Retail Media and Programmatic DOOH Intersect
The most exciting frontier in retail media right now is the extension of shopper data beyond the retailer's own digital properties. Retailers are increasingly partnering with programmatic DOOH platforms to activate their first-party audience data across out-of-home inventory — reaching the same verified shoppers on digital billboards, transit screens, and street furniture as they move through their day.
This off-site activation model is transformative for FMCG brands. Consider a campaign brief for a new coffee product targeting frequent hot-beverage buyers: previously, a media planner might use demographic proxies and contextual placements. With retail media data extended to programmatic DOOH, that same campaign can activate against a verified segment of people who purchase coffee at least twice a month — reaching them on digital screens near cafés, commuter routes, and shopping precincts. The result is a far tighter alignment between ad exposure and purchase intent.
"Retail media data is the missing link between outdoor exposure and sales outcomes. When you can activate verified purchase segments across programmatic DOOH inventory, you stop guessing about who saw your ad and start connecting it to real basket behaviour." — Eric Fan, CEO, Lumos
The Measurement Gap: What Still Needs to Catch Up
For all its promise, retail media measurement in ANZ is still maturing. Most networks offer strong on-site measurement — return on ad spend within the retailer's own digital ecosystem — but off-site attribution remains patchy. When campaign activation extends to DOOH, social, or programmatic display, connecting those impressions back to verified in-store sales requires data-sharing agreements, clean rooms, and measurement frameworks that many brands and networks are still building.
The IAB Australia Retail Media State of the Nation 2025 report, drawn from senior advertising decision-makers across retailers, agencies, and brands, confirmed that measurement standardisation remains one of the top challenges for the industry. Networks are investing in advanced test-and-learn programs, but consistent cross-network metrics — particularly for off-site and DOOH channels — have yet to emerge as an industry standard. Brands that build measurement fluency now, before standards solidify, will be in a stronger position to demonstrate ROI and secure budget.
How Brands Should Approach Retail Media in Their 2026 Media Mix
For brands new to retail media in ANZ, the temptation is to test with a single network and optimise within that walled garden. A more strategic approach is to think across the funnel. Use retail media data for its strengths — precise audience segmentation based on verified purchase behaviour — and then extend that same audience across channels, including programmatic DOOH, to build the reach and frequency needed to shift purchase intent at scale.
Start with your own shoppers: use loyalty data to re-engage lapsed buyers before prospecting for new ones
Don't limit activation to on-site: the real scale of retail media comes when you extend data off-platform
Pair with programmatic DOOH: screens near retail precincts are ideal for reach extension using shopper segments
Build a measurement framework before you launch: agree on attribution methodology with your network partner upfront
Test across multiple networks: Cartology and Coles 360 have different shopper bases — test both before consolidating spend
Connect your FMCG creative to the data: tailor messaging to the audience segment, not just the product
Retail media networks in ANZ have reached a tipping point. The data infrastructure is maturing, the inventory is expanding, and the measurement tools — while still evolving — are more capable than ever. For FMCG and retail brands, the opportunity is to get ahead of the curve before retail media spend becomes as competitive and expensive as paid search. The brands investing in fluency now will be the ones with the data and the playbooks to win when the market fully matures.
Lumos works with brands and agencies to activate retail media audience data across programmatic DOOH inventory in Australia and New Zealand. If you're exploring how to extend your retail media strategy beyond the walled garden, we'd love to show you what's possible. Visit spotlumos.com or get in touch with our team to start the conversation.
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