Walmart Expands Retail Media Network to Compete with Tech Giants on Advertising Revenue – Monday, January 5, 2026

Walmart is intensifying its efforts in the retail media network (RMN) space, positioning itself as a direct competitor to established tech giants in advertising. This strategic push underscores the increasing value of first-party customer data in enhancing advertising precision and driving new revenue streams.

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

What happened?

Walmart has announced a significant expansion of its retail media network, signaling a deliberate move to capture a larger portion of the advertising market traditionally dominated by tech giants such as Google and Facebook. Central to this strategy is Walmart’s ability to leverage its vast reservoir of first-party customer data, enabling the delivery of more personalized, targeted, and effective advertising solutions. This expansion reflects a broader industry trend where retailers increasingly recognize their customer data as a critical competitive asset in the advertising ecosystem. By enhancing its RMN capabilities, Walmart aims to provide marketers with more reliable metrics and actionable insights, improving their understanding of consumer behavior and enabling more precise audience engagement. This development is not isolated; other major retailers are also investing heavily in building robust retail media networks to capitalize on their unique data assets. Collectively, these moves represent a fundamental shift in the advertising landscape, with traditional retailers emerging as formidable players challenging the dominance of established digital advertising platforms. This initiative also aligns with Walmart’s broader digital transformation goals, integrating its physical and online retail channels to create a seamless advertising platform that reaches consumers across multiple touchpoints. The expanded RMN is expected to unlock new monetization opportunities for Walmart while offering advertisers a compelling alternative to the conventional digital advertising giants.

Why now?

The timing of Walmart’s RMN expansion is closely tied to the advertising industry’s pivot toward privacy-centric strategies and the diminishing role of third-party cookies. Over the past 18 months, regulatory changes and growing consumer privacy concerns have accelerated the shift away from third-party data reliance. This environment has created a pressing need for advertisers to adopt first-party data-driven approaches that respect privacy while maintaining targeting effectiveness. Retailers like Walmart, with direct access to rich, consented customer data, are uniquely positioned to fill this gap. As consumer behaviors evolve and demand more personalized experiences, the ability to deliver targeted, privacy-compliant advertising has become a critical differentiator. Walmart’s investment in its retail media network reflects this urgency, aiming to meet advertiser demand for trustworthy, data-driven solutions in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

So what?

Walmart’s expansion of its retail media network marks a pivotal shift in the advertising ecosystem, signaling that retailers are no longer just sales channels but influential media platforms in their own right. This evolution opens up significant revenue opportunities for retailers by monetizing their customer data and retail footprint. For advertisers, it means access to richer, first-party insights that can drive more effective and measurable campaigns. As competition intensifies, retailers must prioritize strengthening their data infrastructure and analytics capabilities to differentiate their offerings and capture advertiser interest. The rise of retail media networks challenges traditional advertising models, compelling tech giants to adapt as retailers leverage their unique customer relationships and data assets. For businesses operating in retail and advertising, this development underscores the importance of integrating data strategy with customer experience and technology investments. Embracing retail media networks can enhance customer engagement, improve targeting precision, and unlock new revenue streams, ultimately reshaping how brands connect with consumers.

What this means for you:

• For VPs of retail: Prioritize investment in advanced data analytics to strengthen your retail media capabilities and drive incremental revenue growth.
• For eCommerce directors: Utilize first-party data to craft personalized advertising experiences that resonate deeply with your target customers.
• For customer experience teams: Build and maintain customer trust by ensuring data privacy compliance while leveraging insights to enhance engagement.

Quick Hits

• Impact / Risk: Retail media network expansion threatens to disrupt traditional advertising models, challenging the dominance of tech giants.
• Operational Implication: Retailers must upgrade data management and analytics capabilities to compete effectively in the evolving advertising landscape.
• Action This Week: Evaluate your current data analytics strategy and explore partnerships with ad tech providers to bolster your retail media offerings.