CES 2026 made one thing clear: retail media is no longer a niche tactic. The show spotlighted broad RMN rollouts, tighter CTV-retailer integrations, and a surge in agentic AI tools aimed at automating commercial workflows. Below are the points retail media leaders should act on this quarter.
The Expanding Footprint of Retail Media
Major retailers showcased deeper ad product stacks and new partnerships with DSPs, measurement firms and commerce platforms. Several announcements focused on cross-channel attribution and on turning first party purchase signals into real-time bidding audiences. The message was simple: RMNs are moving from catalog-level promotions to full-funnel programmatic buys that link impressions to transactions.
CTV’s Enhanced Role in Retail Advertising
CES revealed renewed momentum for connected TV as a retail touchpoint. Vendors demonstrated shoppable TV formats that push product cards and in-app checkout flows, plus improved identity stitching between TV households and shopper graphs. For brands, this means CTV can now feed retail demand paths rather than sit outside the conversion funnel. Measurement advances shown at the show make CTV a more viable channel for ROAS-focused buys.
Agentic AI: The Next Frontier for Retail Media
Agentic AI describes autonomous agents that plan, execute and iterate on tasks with minimal human input. At CES, exhibitors applied these agents to campaign setup, dynamic creative generation based on SKU-level signals, and automated budget allocation across RMNs and CTV. Early results promise faster optimization and scale, but vendors also emphasized human-in-the-loop controls for brand safety and policy compliance.
Key Takeaways for Retail Media Professionals
- Prioritize first party data activation: map shopper signals into identity graphs and make them available to CTV and RMN partners for targeted buys.
- Pilot shoppable CTV with measurement guardrails: run short tests that tie CTV exposure to in-store or online conversion metrics.
- Test agentic AI in low-risk workflows: start with creative variations and bidding automation while keeping humans responsible for strategy and oversight.
CES 2026 emphasized practical integration over hype. Teams that move on identity, measurement, and cautious AI adoption will be best positioned for the next wave of retail media returns.
