A new era of retail advertising
Retail media has rapidly become one of the fastest-growing segments in digital advertising. For CPG brands, Retail Media Networks (RMNs) offer direct access to consumers at the point of purchase, opening up new opportunities for visibility, conversion, and brand-building.
But navigating this landscape is becoming increasingly complex. As investment in RMNs grows, so do the challenges: fragmented platforms, limited visibility beyond walled gardens, and rising pressure to drive real performance.
To succeed, CPG brands need more than impressions and CTRs; they need behavioral intelligence that connects the dots across the broader digital journey, and that starts with better data.
That’s where clickstream data comes in. In this post, we explore how clickstream data helps CPG marketers make smarter decisions across the RMN landscape – boosting profitability, increasing precision, and minimizing waste.
The rise of retail media networks
Retailers have moved fast to turn their platforms into full-funnel ad ecosystems. Amazon Ads remains the category leader, with Walmart Connect, Target’s Roundel, Kroger Precision Marketing, Instacart Ads, and others following suit – backed by major investments and M&A activity.
CPG spend on RMNs has surged as brands seek to reach consumers closer to the point of purchase. And the definition of “point of purchase” is expanding, from in-store to in-app, browser to connected TV, and even into smart home integrations.
This omnichannel expansion makes RMNs a powerful vehicle for CPGs to reach consumers where decisions are made. But it also makes strategic planning and measurement harder.
Retailers are doubling down on their ad businesses. Amazon continues to expand Sponsored Products and DSP capabilities. Walmart acquired Volt Systems and continues to build out Connect. Target, Kroger, Instacart, and others are rapidly growing their own ecosystems.
The stakes get higher during peak shopping seasons. As Black Friday, the holidays, and year-end campaigns approach, many CPG teams may look to increase their spend across RMNs in a bid to stay top-of-mind with consumers.
This explosion of RMNs is creating new opportunities for CPGs – but also complexity. Brands must now decide not only how much to spend, but where, when, and on what kind of media. With overlapping offers and limited visibility as to the “why” of outcomes, it’s harder than ever to know what’s working.
The CPG challenge: spending strategically
As RMNs proliferate, CPG marketers are asking sharper questions:
- How much investment is enough, and where does it become wasteful?
- Which networks actually align with our category, brand goals, or retail priorities?
- Which ad units (e.g. display vs. search vs. shoppable video) are best for driving trial vs. repeat purchase?
- Where are we overlooking valuable audiences or new markets?
Answering these questions isn’t easy – especially within walled gardens, where campaign reporting is often siloed, and attribution remains murky.
To spend smarter, CPGs need an external signal: a way to understand consumer behavior before, during, and after exposure.
Why clickstream data changes the game
Clickstream data offers a unique advantage: a high-resolution view of what real users do online across platforms, retailers, and the entire web.
Unlike RMN-native metrics like impressions or CTRs, clickstream captures what people actually search, view, compare, and buy, across all platforms while browsing online. It brings visibility into the broader context of a shopper’s journey.
For CPG brands, this means the ability to:
- Detect real purchase intent across retailers, marketplaces, and moments
- Understand satisfaction signals (Do users return? Switch? Drop off?)
- Build a clearer view of customer profiles (what else are they doing online? What kind of content do they consume, and where?)
- Spot new market trends before they’re visible in sales data
- Map recency and frequency of engagement before conversions
- Evaluate platform loyalty vs. cross-channel leakage
This external lens helps brands make better decisions about where and how to activate retail media.
Applying clickstream insights to retail ad strategy
Clickstream data can be applied across the retail media planning cycle:
- Selecting the right RMNs: Understand where your audience actually shops and where similar products are being discovered.
- Choosing ad units by funnel stage: Align tactics to intent – e.g. search for high-intent, display for awareness, shoppable video for engagement.
- Balancing in-store vs. out-of-store exposure: Use behavior data to align messaging cadence with actual decision points.
- Campaign planning by trend trajectory: Use longitudinal clickstream data to identify seasonal spikes, new interest clusters, or emerging formats.
By grounding media plans in actual behavior rather than assumptions, CPG teams can avoid misfires and focus on high-yield strategies.
Spend to profitability: what success looks like
Profitability in retail media isn’t just about placement – it’s about precision.
With clickstream data, brands can:
- Benchmark performance across platforms, avoiding overinvestment in underperforming channels
- Identify the best offer strategies based on signals of consumer interest and timing
- Align promotions to real-world behavior, rather than internal cycles or retailer calendars
- Strengthen retailer partnerships with data-backed insights that improve category performance
- Assess which audience cohorts actually convert and know how to best approach them
This shift – from visibility to impact – sets the foundation for sustained growth in a highly competitive space.
Conclusion: Make every dollar count
Retail media networks are reshaping how CPG brands connect with consumers – but they’re also creating new complexity. Without visibility into the broader digital journey, brands risk spending more while learning less.
Clickstream data closes the gap.
It offers the behavioral intelligence needed to navigate RMNs with clarity, sharpening strategies, boosting ROI, and driving smarter decisions across the board.
In an increasingly crowded media landscape, that edge is essential.
