In today’s episode I dig into a surprising and quietly powerful engine of growth for retail media networks: long-tail advertisers. While major CPG brands continue to cap their RMN partnerships at around six networks, retailers are pouring investment into Amazon and Walmart-level capabilities, hoping to win those national budgets. But the ceiling isn’t moving… so where’s the growth coming from?

New data from Pentaleap's 2025 Sponsored Products Benchmark Report shows exactly where the action is. Retailers who are activating their long-tail ecosystems — smaller brands and third-party sellers — are seeing significant increases in impressions, revenue, and advertiser participation. I break down the numbers, the retailers leading the charge, and why the ability to scale thousands of smaller advertisers may be the single biggest opportunity for RMNs going into 2026.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:40] – Why major CPG brands are capping their retail media network relationships

[02:00] – The operational challenges that limit RMN expansion for large advertisers

[03:00] – How long-tail advertisers are emerging as a critical growth driver for RMNs

[03:26] – Examples of retailers seeing momentum from activating smaller brands and sellers

[04:19] – The role of third-party marketplaces in expanding advertiser participation

[05:42] – Why RMNs need new infrastructure to effectively support thousands of long-tail advertisers

Links & Resources

Why Long-Tail Advertisers Are Becoming Retail Media’s Biggest Growth Engine

Retail Media Breakfast Club

Why Long-Tail Advertisers Are Becoming Retail Media’s Biggest Growth Engine