Winterberry Group, Chicory and Mars United Commerce research reveals contextual commerce is filling retail media gaps for brands
Winterberry Group, with the support of Chicory and Mars United Commerce, released a new report revealing nearly 70% of marketers are already using contextual commerce and increasingly see it as a critical way to complement retail media network (RMN) strategies.
“Limited inventory and rising costs are forcing marketers to rethink their marketing mix, and I believe it’s why contextual commerce is emerging as the next big bet. It complements RMNs, extends brand reach, and connects with consumers in a moment when they’re most likely to purchase.”
The report, Demystifying Contextual Commerce: From Online to In-Store, explores how brands are embedding shoppable experiences into lifestyle content, social platforms, and apps to connect with consumers in high-intent moments outside the traditional retail ecosystem.
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The release follows Winterberry Group’s February report, which forecasted that US spending on connected commerce—a broad category encompassing various online and offline commerce touchpoints—would exceed $112 billion in 2025. This new research narrows the focus to contextual commerce, a rapidly growing segment within that broader category, with spending expected to exceed $1 billion by 2026. As brands face growing competition for RMN inventory, contextual commerce is emerging as a vital way to extend connected commerce investments and engage consumers earlier in their journey.
Unlike traditional e-commerce, where consumers must actively search for products, contextual commerce allows transactions to happen within the content people are already engaging with, such as recipes and editorial, to influencer videos and shopping lists. As RMNs mature and inventory tightens, marketers seek privacy-safe, scalable ways to drive reach, relevance, and return.
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Key findings from the report:
Contextual commerce is growing: over 69% of marketers surveyed are already using contextual commerce as part of their connected commerce efforts
RMN dependency prompts diversification: Brands are turning to contextual commerce to complement and, in some cases, offset heavy reliance on RMNs.
AI and real-time relevance accelerate adoption: Contextual commerce leverages machine learning and real-time signals to surface hyper-personalized product recommendations without relying on third-party cookies.
Measurement misalignment: Fragmentation across platforms and a lack of unified standards continue to create attribution blind spots, reinforcing the need for industry-wide collaboration on metrics and responsible AI practices
“Retail media demand is outpacing supply and brands are feeling the squeeze,” said Yuni Baker-Saito, co-founder and CEO. “Limited inventory and rising costs are forcing marketers to rethink their marketing mix, and I believe it’s why contextual commerce is emerging as the next big bet. It complements RMNs, extends brand reach, and connects with consumers in a moment when they’re most likely to purchase.”
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