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Retail media ad spending in Canada is projected to grow 19.7% in 2025 to reach C$3.7 billion and account for 20% of all digital ad spending, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast.
And while that level of growth will slow a bit over the next few years (especially now that global trade trends are impacting the economy), total spending is expected to surpass C$6.0 billion by 2028.
Retail media has quickly become one of the most influential forces in Canadian advertising.
As consumer shopping behaviour shifts and e-commerce sales grow, leading retailers such as Loblaw Companies Ltd., Walmart, and Canadian Tire are doubling down on retail media networks (RMNs) to offer brands direct access to shoppers across their owned ecosystems — from websites and apps to in-store screens and self-checkout displays. Increasingly, they’re also expanding off-platform opportunities through social media and other third parties that still leverage their proprietary first-party shopper data.
What sets retail media apart is its precision. Retailers leverage the rich, first-party data to target shoppers in high-intent moments, bringing brands closer to the point of purchase than ever before. These environments offer advertisers high-impact placements in trusted retail spaces — while giving retailers a meaningful new revenue stream and enhanced brand partnerships.
The Next Challenge: Accountability and Measurement
While the promise of retail media is clear, performance measurement is still trying to catch up. Canada’s market is fragmented, with varying standards and inconsistent reporting practices across RMNs. This creates challenges for brands trying to measure return on investment and optimize across multiple platforms.
To address this, IAB Canada has prioritized the development of standardized measurement frameworks — encouraging transparency and consistency across the board. Key metrics like conversion, ROAS, new-to-brand shoppers, and incremental sales lift are essential for proving the true value of retail media and earning ongoing investment from brands.
Mars United Commerce has been at the forefront of retail media innovation, helping our clients navigate this increasingly complex ecosystem with clarity and confidence. We uniquely combine local Canadian expertise with a global scale that was significantly enhanced last fall through our integration with Publicis Groupe.
This combination enables us to offer holistic, data-driven solutions that connect media, commerce, and shopper strategy in ways that are measurable and outcome-focused.
As the Canadian retail media space continues to expand, collaboration amongst brands, agencies, and retailers is more critical than ever. We work closely with leading RMNs to ensure our clients are not only present — but winning — in these environments.
To help the industry at large gain a better understanding of the opportunities available, and to encourage the development of evaluation standards that might ultimately improve both the collaborative process and overall network effectiveness, Mars United publicly shares this Retail Media Report Card on a regular basis.
Retail media in Canada is no longer optional — it’s essential. But its success hinges on having the right strategy, tools, and partners in place. Mars United is proud to be leading the way in helping brands unlock the full potential of retail media as it continues to evolve.
New Features This Edition
Each edition of the Retail Media Report Card is updated to keep pace with the ongoing enhancements made by these platforms, to evaluate additional platforms, and to modify our analysis as needed to continue reflecting best practices across the industry.
In our first report for 2025, we initiate coverage of three additional platforms: Best Buy Ads, DoorDash Ads, and Uber Advertising. We’ve also added several more Media Opportunities to our evaluation criteria to reflect the ongoing expansion into off-platform and in-store locations.
These updates reflect the speed with which the Canadian retail media marketplace is growing in both size and sophistication as networks strive to meet the needs (and sometimes demands) of their brand partners.
We hope you enjoy the third edition of Mars United’s Retail Media Report Card Canada.
To download the Report Card, fill out the form below.
