Retail enters the direct dispute for the advertising budget of brands

The advance of retail media in 2026 reflects the response of digital retail to the pressure for media efficiency, measurement of results and use of proprietary data.Only in 2025, the demand for retail media solutions at Dafiti grew 70% vs 2024, a move that accompanies the consolidation of the model as a strategic monetization front and the direct dispute over the advertising budget historically concentrated on open platforms.

With greater demand for performance, advertisers have been prioritizing channels capable of combining qualified audience, consumption context and proximity to conversion. In this scenario, retail occupies a strategic position by gathering proprietary data obtained directly from the relationship with the consumer, as well as purchase intention and direct measurement of results along the journey.

For 2026, the company expects the model to increase the representativeness in service revenue for brands within the ecosystem, reflecting the reallocation of advertising investment to proprietary retail environments, focusing on measurement, media efficiency and proximity to conversion.

Growth is underpinned by formats such as onsite ads, sponsored search and recommendation systems, which enable more accurate impact along the consumer journey and greater proximity to conversion, reinforcing the role of retail as a proprietary media environment.

“Na Dafiti, retail media campaigns activated in formats such as onsite, sponsored search and recommendation recorded average gains of more than 1000% ROAS in efficiency in relation to open digital media. It is the combination of proprietary data, consumption context and direct measurement of conversion that has led brands to reallocate budget for retail environments”, says Rodrigo Leite, CGO of Dafiti.

With the reorganization of the advertising market and greater pressure for return on investment, retail media is expected to consolidate in 2026 as one of the main vectors of reallocation of funds, efficiency in media and audience monetization in Brazilian digital retail.