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Retail Media in NZ: The Next Phase of Growth for Brands, Agencies and Retailers Report

Written by Colin Lewis | Oct 27, 2026, 9:00:01 PM

 

Retail media is one of the fastest-growing digital advertising channels worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. But how mature is our market, and what will it take to capture the next wave of growth? IAB New Zealand’s new report, Retail Media in NZ: The Next Phase of Growth for Brands, Agencies and Retailers, sets out to answer those questions. The report was commissioned by the IAB New Zealand Commerce Media Working Group in partnership with Market Media, and written by Colin Lewis. Colin is one of retail media’s leading global practitioners and has worked with international brands and retail media networks across Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand - and extensively with the IAB U.S., Europe and Ireland. This is the first report of its kind for IAB New Zealand and is available for anyone to download, plus you can watch the webinar that launched the report, on-demand below.

 


Retail media is one of the biggest growth stories in digital advertising worldwide. Aotearoa's networks have built offers that match or beat those in much bigger markets, so why aren’t brand budgets keeping pace? IAB New Zealand’s new report, Retail Media in NZ: The Next Phase of Growth for Brands, Agencies and Retailers, sets out where our market stands and what needs to happen next.

 

What’s inside:

  • Why retail media in New Zealand grew differently from the U.S. and UK, and why that hasn’t held it back

  • Why our size is an advantage, not a limitation

  • The first-party data opportunity most of the market hasn’t tapped yet

  • What’s stopping brands from investing more

  • Six priorities for the next phase of growth, with specific actions for retailers, brands, agencies and the wider industry

 

For the launch webinar, Colin joined us from Amsterdam with industry experts Blaine Hudson (Head of Product & Data, Market Media) and Kelly Stratton (eCommerce Manager, Lactalis NZ) to unpack the report’s strategic takeaways.

 

We have vastly bigger audiences than some traditional media publishers yet only the most progressive agencies are putting us on plan.”

- Blaine Hudson, Market Media.

 

Whether you plan media, manage a brand or run a retail media network, the report sets out what you can do now. The full report is available for IAB New Zealand members and non-members to download below.

 

 

Thank you to Colin Lewis, Market Media, and all the industry experts who contributed, and the members of the IAB New Zealand Commerce Media Working Group.

 

Report Contributors:

Natalie Ainslie-Cole, Head of Content Marketing, One NZ 
James Davidson, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer, PHD Aotearoa 
Josh Hogg, General Manager, Strategy, Together 
Blaine Hudson, Head of Product & Data, Market Media 
Alistair Larkin, Shopper Strategy Manager, Lion New Zealand 
Alex Lawson, Principal, The Media Practice 
Kim Leybourne, Head of Precision Media, Foodstuffs 
Samantha Osborne, General Manager, Cartology New Zealand 
Troy Parsonson, General Manager, New Zealand, Mars United Commerce 
Cameron Porter, Commerce Planning Director ANZ, Mars United Commerce 
Kelly Stratton, eCommerce Manager, Lactalis NZ
Tina Trenkner-Meade, Founder, Signal & Light; IAB New Zealand Commerce Media Working Group Lead
Charley Valentine, Shopper Activation Manager, Lion New Zealand 

 

Watch the webinar on-demand below:

 

 

 

 

Webinar Panel