Retail media budgets are growing, but advertisers are losing patience with slow audience delivery and measurement delays

According to a new survey from GrowthLoop and Ascend2, 85% of advertisers intend to increase spending on retail and commerce media networks in 2026, yet 86% say they would reduce or exit partnerships if audience fulfillment is slow. Half of advertisers wait four days or longer for custom audience segments, with only 11% receiving them same-day; 92% would raise spending with faster delivery, and 85% would pay a premium for same-day fulfillment. The study also found measurement lags—nearly half wait over a week for post-campaign performance data—are breaking the feedback loop needed to optimize future campaigns, with 32% reducing investment due to difficulty proving ROI.