Walgreens and Carrefour Forge New Partnerships as Retail Media Networks Surge Through 2032 – Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are rapidly gaining traction as Walgreens and Carrefour announce new partnerships aimed at enhancing their advertising capabilities. Market forecasts project significant growth in the RMN sector from 2025 to 2032, underscoring its expanding influence within retail strategies.

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

What happened?

Walgreens is broadening its retail media offerings through a strategic partnership with Rokt, a company specializing in e-commerce technology. This collaboration is designed to strengthen Walgreens' ability to deliver more personalized and impactful advertising to its customers by leveraging advanced data analytics and targeted ad placements. Concurrently, JCDecaux, a global leader in outdoor advertising, is joining forces with Carrefour, Carmila, and Unlimitail to launch a new retail media initiative. This partnership aims to combine Carrefour’s extensive customer base with JCDecaux’s advertising expertise to create highly targeted advertising opportunities across multiple channels. These moves reflect a broader industry trend where retailers increasingly recognize RMNs not only as a valuable revenue stream but also as a critical tool for deepening customer engagement. Market projections indicate that the RMN sector will experience substantial growth between 2025 and 2032, fueled by strategic collaborations and the integration of loyalty data to enhance the value of ad inventory. Together, these developments signal a shift toward more data-driven, customer-centric advertising models within retail environments.

Why now?

The timing of these expansions is driven by the accelerating recognition of RMNs as a vital element of contemporary retail strategies. Over the past 18 months, retailers have increasingly prioritized leveraging customer data to boost advertising effectiveness. This shift has prompted more partnerships between retailers and adtech firms, as well as collaborations among retailers themselves, to broaden RMN capabilities. The growing emphasis on personalization and revenue diversification in a highly competitive retail landscape makes RMNs an especially attractive avenue. As retailers seek to differentiate themselves and deepen customer relationships, RMNs offer a scalable solution that aligns advertising with shopper behavior and preferences.

So what?

The expansion of RMNs marks a strategic pivot for retailers aiming to capitalize on their customer data and market reach. By partnering with technology providers and other retail players, businesses can enhance their advertising precision and deliver more relevant, personalized marketing messages. This approach not only drives stronger customer engagement but also unlocks new revenue streams beyond traditional sales channels. As RMNs continue to mature, they are poised to become a core component of retail operations, fundamentally reshaping how retailers approach marketing, customer interaction, and monetization of their data assets.

What this means for you:

• For VPs of retail: Assess potential RMN partnerships to boost advertising capabilities and diversify revenue sources.
• For eCommerce directors: Harness customer data to develop more personalized and effective advertising experiences.
• For customer experience teams: Integrate RMN strategies to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction across channels.

Quick Hits

• Impact / Risk: The rise of RMNs may disrupt traditional advertising models, requiring a reassessment of existing marketing strategies.
• Operational Implication: Retailers will likely need to invest in technology and forge strategic partnerships to fully capitalize on RMN opportunities.
• Action This Week: Review current advertising approaches for RMN integration and evaluate potential collaborations with adtech providers.