Retail Media Networks Expand Reach Beyond Amazon, Targeting B2B Sectors for Revenue Growth – Monday, January 19, 2026

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are extending their influence well beyond Amazon, increasingly targeting B2B sectors and enabling retailers to diversify their revenue streams. This shift represents a significant evolution in advertising strategies and underscores the rising importance of RMNs within the retail ecosystem.

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

What happened?

Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are undergoing rapid transformation, expanding their reach beyond Amazon’s established dominance to penetrate B2B markets. This evolution is reshaping advertising within retail by opening new revenue channels for retailers. Historically, RMNs focused primarily on consumer-facing platforms, but the current trend sees these networks increasingly adopted by B2B companies, broadening their scope and influence. This shift is largely driven by retailers’ strategic imperative to diversify income sources, moving beyond reliance on product sales to embrace advertising as a significant revenue contributor. As a result, RMNs are becoming central to retail advertising strategies, offering highly targeted opportunities that many businesses had yet to fully exploit. This development highlights RMNs as a vital asset for retailers, enabling them to monetize digital properties more effectively and engage with a wider array of advertisers beyond traditional consumer goods sectors.

Why now?

Several factors have converged over the past 6 to 18 months to accelerate this expansion. The increasing digitalization of retail, combined with fluctuating market conditions, has intensified the need for alternative revenue streams. As eCommerce continues to grow, retailers face mounting pressure to innovate and remain competitive. Traditional advertising channels are becoming saturated and less effective, prompting retailers to explore RMNs as a fresh, targeted approach—especially within the B2B sector, which is now recognizing the untapped potential of these networks to boost visibility and engagement. This timing reflects a broader shift in how businesses approach advertising and revenue generation in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

So what?

The expansion of RMNs carries significant implications for the retail industry. Strategically, it enables retailers to reposition themselves not merely as product sellers but as influential advertising platforms, fundamentally altering competitive dynamics. Operationally, this shift demands that retailers adapt their business models to integrate advertising as a core revenue stream. Doing so requires investments in technology and specialized expertise to effectively manage and optimize RMNs. Retailers that successfully navigate this transition can unlock new revenue opportunities while enhancing customer engagement through more personalized advertising experiences.

What this means for you:

• For VPs of retail: Investigate partnerships with B2B sectors to capitalize on RMNs for revenue growth.
• For eCommerce directors: Incorporate RMNs into your digital strategy to expand advertising capabilities and reach.
• For customer experience teams: Prioritize optimizing RMN interactions to boost customer engagement and satisfaction.

Quick Hits

• Impact / Risk: RMNs’ expansion into B2B sectors could disrupt traditional advertising models, presenting both new opportunities and challenges for retailers.
• Operational Implication: Retailers must invest in technology and expertise to effectively manage RMNs as a strategic revenue channel.
• Action This Week: Review current advertising strategies for RMN integration potential; brief executive teams on RMN opportunities and risks; assess technology requirements for effective RMN management.