B2 News Marketing & Advertising · May 18, 2026

The new rules of retail include buying into retail media networks

Brand leaders say investing in retail media networks is now essential to winning shelf space.

Reading level

Switch if this feels too hard or too easy.

The American retail landscape is shifting fast, and brand leaders are scrambling to keep up. Thousands of brick-and-mortar drugstores have closed, luxury department stores are consolidating, and off-price channels like TJ Maxx are quietly winning. These changes are set against an environment where many consumers are trading down to navigate inflation or seeking more convenient options online — yet, ironically, younger shoppers still prefer browsing in person.

This tension was front and center at a recent digital Town Hall hosted by industry publications Glossy and Modern Retail. Executives, investors, and consultants gathered to share challenges and best practices around expanding retail distribution. One key takeaway? Retailers now expect brands to actively invest in retail media networks — the paid advertising systems built directly into platforms like Walmart and Target — or risk losing valuable shelf space.

Brand leaders shared anecdotes around entering Target and Walmart, including one hair-care brand that successfully transitioned from DTC to Ulta Beauty darling, before pushing into mass retail. The numbers behind Walmart and Target alone are staggering: an estimated 90% of Americans live within 10 minutes of a Walmart, and 75% live within 10 minutes of a Target.

The event also highlighted the evolving role of sales associates and the surprising comeback of lower-cost department store brands. As one editor put it, the old rules of retail are out the door — and brands that fail to adapt may find themselves locked out of the stores where their customers actually shop.

Read original ↗ Print / PDF

Get more from every article

Highlight any word or phrase for an explanation or translation, save vocabulary, and bookmark articles.

Sign up free Log in

📚 Key vocabulary

retail media network (noun)
A paid advertising system operated by a retailer that allows brands to promote their products on that retailer's website, app, or in-store screens
"Our marketing team allocated a significant budget to Walmart's retail media network to boost our product visibility during the holiday season."
consolidate (verb)
To combine several companies or things into one larger, stronger unit
"Several mid-sized fashion retailers are consolidating to reduce costs and compete with larger chains."
distribution (noun)
The process of making products available across different retail channels or locations
"Expanding retail distribution into Europe was the brand's top priority for the coming year."
DTC (noun)
Short for 'direct-to-consumer' — a business model where a brand sells its products directly to customers, usually online, without going through a retailer
"The skincare startup began as a DTC brand before eventually securing a deal with a major pharmacy chain."
trade down (phrase)
To switch to buying cheaper products or brands, usually because of financial pressure
"As living costs increased, many loyal customers began trading down from premium brands to store-own alternatives."

✨ Useful phrases for this topic

"out the door"
Use this phrase to say that old rules, methods, or ideas are no longer relevant or being used.
"Since the merger, the old approval process is out the door — everything moves much faster now."
"expanding retail distribution"
Use this phrase when discussing a brand's strategy to make its products available in more stores or sales channels.
"The board approved a €2 million investment focused on expanding retail distribution across Southeast Asia."
"best practices"
Use this phrase to refer to the most effective or professional methods that are widely accepted in an industry.
"The conference was a great opportunity to exchange best practices on customer retention with peers from other markets."

Advanced sentence structures

Patterns from this article you can use in meetings, emails, and everyday English

Structure 1

In context

These changes are set against an environment where many consumers are trading down to navigate inflation or seeking more convenient options online.

The skeleton

Frame: [This/These + noun] is/are set against [a/an + environment/context/backdrop + where + subject + verb phrase].

What it does: Describes the wider situation or conditions that surround a particular trend or event.

Quick swap: "These layoffs are set against an environment where many workers are retraining to navigate automation or seeking remote opportunities abroad."

More examples

  • "The merger talks are set against a backdrop where investor confidence has fallen sharply and credit has become harder to secure."
  • "These policy changes are set against an environment where public trust in institutions is at a historic low."
  • "The team's strong results are set against a context where most competitors have struggled to maintain their market share."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. an environment · these store closures · where shoppers · are set against · have moved increasingly online
  2. a backdrop · the new regulations · where fuel costs · are set against · have risen steeply
Show answers
  • "These store closures are set against an environment where shoppers have moved increasingly online."
  • "The new regulations are set against a backdrop where fuel costs have risen steeply."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • Changes happening in the retail or shopping industry
  • A new policy or rule at your workplace
  • A trend in education, health, or technology

One possible answer: "These hiring freezes are set against an environment where graduates are competing for a shrinking number of entry-level positions."

Structure 2

In context

Brand leaders shared anecdotes around entering Target and Walmart, including one hair-care brand that successfully transitioned from DTC to Ulta Beauty darling.

The skeleton

Frame: including [one/a + noun phrase + that + past-tense verb phrase + from [starting point] to [end point]]

What it does: Introduces a specific example to support or illustrate a broader statement, showing a completed change or journey.

Quick swap: "Several employees were promoted last year, including one junior analyst who successfully moved from an entry-level role to department head."

More examples

  • "Many small businesses have adapted to the digital economy, including one local bookshop that successfully shifted from walk-in sales to a subscription model."
  • "The programme has helped dozens of athletes recover from injury, including one runner who successfully returned from a stress fracture to win a national title."
  • "Several apps have grown their user base significantly this year, including one budgeting tool that expanded from a niche student audience to millions of working adults."

Easy exercise

Arrange the words and add the missing structural elements to build a correct sentence.

  1. one fashion label · brands discussed at the event · that pivoted · including · from wholesale to direct-to-consumer sales
  2. one regional supplier · several companies mentioned in the report · that grew · including · from a single warehouse to a national distribution network
Show answers
  • "Brands discussed at the event included one fashion label that pivoted from wholesale to direct-to-consumer sales."
  • "Several companies mentioned in the report included one regional supplier that grew from a single warehouse to a national distribution network."

Open exercise

Write your own sentence using this structure. You can write about anything — here are some ideas if you need them:

  • Companies or brands changing their business strategy
  • Colleagues or professionals who have changed roles or industries
  • Cities, schools, or organisations that have transformed in recent years

One possible answer: "Many restaurants have reinvented themselves post-pandemic, including one family-run café that successfully transitioned from dine-in only to a thriving meal-kit delivery service."

💬 Discussion questions

1

If you were launching a new consumer brand today, would you sell directly to customers online first, or try to get into a big retailer immediately — and why?

2

Retail media networks mean brands must pay retailers just to be seen by shoppers in their own stores. Is that a smart business model, or does it unfairly favour large brands with bigger budgets?

3

How does the shift in consumer shopping behaviour — trading down, buying online, preferring convenience — affect the industry or sector you work in?

What to Read Next

More lessons in Marketing & Advertising

B2 Leadership & Management

Being 'Always Available' Can Damage Productivity

Always being available feels professional, but it quietly destroys focus, health, and real productivity.
B2 Leadership & Management

Are You Having Too Many One-on-Ones ?

One-on-one meetings help managers but can fragment organizations when overused at the executive level.
B2 Finance & Economics

What is the Circular Economy ?

The circular economy replaces 'make, use, throw away' with a system where materials stay in use as long as possible.