India's Retail Media Networks Shift Focus from Discounts to Fulfillment for Enhanced Growth – Monday, November 24, 2025

India's retail media networks (RMNs) are shifting away from traditional discount-driven tactics toward a stronger emphasis on fulfillment to fuel growth. This strategic realignment aims to elevate the customer experience by creating a smoother, more efficient shopping journey that drives sales and loyalty.

Who should care: VPs of retail, store operations leaders, eCommerce directors, customer experience teams, and retail technology decision-makers.

What happened?

India's RMNs are undergoing a notable transformation in their approach to engaging consumers. Historically, these networks have relied heavily on discounting as the primary lever to attract shoppers. However, this model is evolving as RMNs increasingly prioritize fulfillment as a central pillar of their growth strategies. By focusing on fulfillment, RMNs aim to enhance the overall shopping experience, ensuring that customers receive their purchases quickly, reliably, and with minimal friction. This shift is not merely operational but strategic, reflecting a desire to add value beyond price incentives. Improved fulfillment capabilities enable RMNs to streamline the purchasing process, reduce delivery times, and increase reliability, all of which contribute to higher customer satisfaction. In turn, this creates richer advertising opportunities, as brands can connect with consumers at moments when they are more engaged and receptive. The move also supports building long-term customer loyalty by addressing pain points that discounts alone cannot solve. This evolution aligns with a broader industry recognition that the quality of the shopping experience is a critical differentiator in today’s competitive retail landscape. By integrating fulfillment into their core strategies, RMNs position themselves to offer a more comprehensive value proposition to retailers, advertisers, and consumers alike. This approach not only drives incremental sales but also strengthens relationships across the retail ecosystem, setting the stage for sustainable growth.

Why now?

The timing of this strategic pivot coincides with a growing industry-wide emphasis on customer experience as a key competitive advantage. Over the past 18 months, retailers and RMNs have increasingly acknowledged that discounting alone is insufficient to retain consumer interest and loyalty. As eCommerce continues to expand rapidly, fulfillment has emerged as a critical component of the overall shopping journey. Consumer expectations for fast, reliable delivery and seamless service have intensified, fueled by the convenience standards set by leading online platforms. RMNs in India are responding to these heightened expectations by adapting their strategies to focus on fulfillment capabilities. This shift is essential for RMNs to maintain relevance and effectiveness in a market where consumers prioritize convenience and reliability over price discounts.

So what?

The move by Indian RMNs to prioritize fulfillment over discounting marks a maturation of retail media strategies, reflecting a deeper understanding of evolving consumer preferences. Convenience, speed, and service quality have become paramount in shaping purchasing decisions, and RMNs that align with these priorities are better positioned to succeed. By emphasizing fulfillment, RMNs can create advertising opportunities that resonate more authentically with consumers, fostering engagement and driving sales in a way that discounting alone cannot achieve. This strategic evolution is likely to generate greater value for all stakeholders—retailers, advertisers, and consumers—by aligning with the broader industry trend toward customer-centric retailing.

What this means for you:

• For VPs of retail: Integrate fulfillment-focused strategies into your RMN partnerships to enhance customer satisfaction and build long-term loyalty.
• For eCommerce directors: Assess and upgrade your fulfillment capabilities to meet rising consumer expectations and support RMN-driven initiatives.
• For customer experience teams: Prioritize creating a seamless shopping journey that leverages RMN strategies to increase engagement and boost sales.

Quick Hits

• Impact / Risk: The shift toward fulfillment-centric strategies could reshape competitive dynamics by emphasizing customer experience over price competition.
• Operational Implication: Retailers may need to invest in fulfillment infrastructure and processes to align with RMN strategies and meet evolving consumer demands.
• Action This Week: Review current RMN partnerships to identify opportunities for integrating fulfillment strategies; brief your team on the critical role of fulfillment in customer experience; evaluate fulfillment workflows for potential enhancements.