How agentic AI is resetting retail media success metrics
Retail media is emerging as a meaningful growth channel for Canadian grocery retailers and CPG brands. As these networks develop, the basis of advantage is shifting. Agentic artificial intelligence—AI systems that independently evaluate options and make decisions on behalf of users—is changing how shopping decisions are made, moving retail media success away from exposure and toward measurable influence on outcomes.
Canadian retail media ad spending is expected to reach approximately $6 billion by 2028. As budgets expand, expectations are rising. Grocery brands are moving beyond experimentation and demanding precision, accountability and clear commercial impact across both digital and in-store environments.
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Artificial intelligence is already embedded in the shopping journey. Kantar’s Canadian ShopperScape research shows 49% of Canadian shoppers use AI at some point in the journey. Adoption is strongest among young millennials who rely on AI during the shopping trip rather than only during planning. Decision-making is, therefore, shifting closer to the point of purchase, where retail media must demonstrate impact.
As agentic AI becomes more embedded across retail experiences, the traditional path to purchase is being restructured. Manual search and comparison are being replaced by preference setting, with AI-powered shopping assistants executing decisions. These systems scan product information, evaluate options, factor in price and promotions, and dynamically select products. As these systems start to curate choices for the consumer, success hinges on algorithmic inclusion. Retail media effectiveness is being redefined accordingly. Visibility is moot if a product fails to meet the AI’s criteria. Influence is shifting from persuasion to eligibility in the age of AI.
Brands that perform well in these systems provide structured, complete and consistent product data that allows retailer platforms to accurately interpret, compare and prioritize them at the point of decision.
Structured product data sits at the centre of this shift. Metadata—defined as the detailed attributes describing a product including brand name, pack size, ingredients, allergens, pricing, claims, availability and promotional eligibility—becomes a primary input into decision systems. Gaps or inconsistencies reduce confidence and can remove products from consideration entirely. For CPGs, disciplined product data management directly affects eligibility, visibility and performance.
Retail media networks are evolving in response. Impression-based selling is giving way to real-time value assessment. Pre-planned promotions are being replaced by real-time offers at the point of purchase. Decision systems assess basket composition, loyalty status, price sensitivity and inventory before selecting products. Retailers that enable dynamic promotions and personalized incentives are better aligned with how decisions now occur.
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Measurement frameworks are also changing. As agents take on a greater role in product selection, traditional metrics such as cost per thousand impressions (CPMs) and click-through rates lose relevance. Performance is increasingly defined by decision outcomes, including whether a product was considered, selected or deprioritized.
Omnichannel consistency remains essential. Kantar analysis shows that omnichannel retail media delivers stronger reach, addressability and real-time measurement than single-channel approaches. Misalignment in pricing, promotions or product information reduces system confidence and limits performance. Retail media success measurement is, therefore, being reset with several implications for brands:
- Product data quality determines whether a brand is eligible for selection, not just how it performs once activated.
- Promotions need to operate in real time or risk being ignored.
- CPMs and click-through rates stop being success metrics as selection, conversion and decision influence take precedence.
- Inconsistent pricing, claims or availability across channels and retailers directly reduce ranking and selection by AI-driven systems.
For Canadian grocers, the shift creates an opportunity to design retail media networks around measurable outcomes rather than exposure. For CPG brands, success now relies on influencing decisions within systems rather than driving impressions.
