86% of Advertisers Threaten to Cut Retail Media Spend Over Slow Data
NEW YORK – September 30, 2026 -- Eighty-six percent of advertisers say slow audience fulfillment could cause them to cut spending or abandon a retail media network partner, according to GrowthLoop's 2026 Commerce Media Investment Index. The study, conducted with Ascend2, surveyed nearly 300 U.S. and Canadian marketing professionals involved in retail media network (RMN) or commerce media network (CMN) advertising decisions.
Advertisers will pay more for faster data delivery
Eighty-five percent of respondents say they would pay a premium for same-day audience fulfillment, while 92% would increase spend with faster activation. Ninety-four percent said they would likely spend more with partners offering self-service audience-building tools. Advertisers reporting the strongest ROI are five times more likely than others to receive custom audiences the same day.