UK Retail Media Ad Spend Hits £2bn With 32% Growth in First Half of 2026
· 1h ago · Originally reported by InternetRetailing
UK retail media ad spending reached £2 billion in the first half of 2026, reflecting a 32% year-over-year increase. The figures underscore the rapid expansion of retailer-owned advertising platforms in the British market.
Why it matters
Retail media is becoming one of the fastest-growing areas in digital advertising, giving retailers a powerful new revenue stream while shifting ad budgets away from traditional channels like search and social.
Explain it like I’m new here
It's like supermarkets and online shops building their own mini-TV networks on their shelves and websites, then charging brands to advertise there — and that business just doubled in size.
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