In five years, Instacart’s retail media network (RMN) has transformed from a simple performance engine into a full-funnel, end-to-end marketing ecosystem.

“The first act of Instacart ads was very much focused on platform, which is where most retail media networks start,” said Ali Miller, Instacart’s general manager of advertising, during an Advertising Week New York session. “Our second act was starting to move up the funnel with shoppable display and shoppable video, with ads getting more sophisticated on the goals that advertisers could achieve.”

Now, Miller said Instacart has entered its third act, extending its retail media data and technology beyond its own marketplace to power commerce experiences across the open web, social media, and in-store environments.

This week, the company became the first retail media partner to enable targeting and closed-loop measurement directly within TikTok Ads Manager, marking a new milestone in retail media’s evolution.

• Through the integration, select TikTok advertisers can now use Instacart’s audience segments to target high-intent shoppers, enhance shoppable ad formats using Instacart’s grocery selection data, and measure performance using Instacart’s conversion data, all without leaving TikTok Ads Manager.
• “This partnership is grounded in helping CPG brands meet consumers at the moment of inspiration to drive action,” said Miller, in a statement.

From easy money to everywhere media

Instacart’s full-funnel evolution mirrors a broader industry shift.

“The first era, retail media 1.0, was really just about on-site ads driving online sales,” said Andrew Lipsman, independent analyst and consultant at Media, Ads + Commerce. “Very nice, tight, closed loop… the easy money era.”

Today, the “everywhere media” era is emerging, where retail data fuels smarter, more connected advertising across the entire shopper journey.

• “We’re taking that dynamic capability that we have to help brands reach consumers where they are… and giving them a one-stop shop to do so across 240-plus retail partners and ecommerce partners,” said Miller.
• Instacart now reaches consumers through more than 1,800 retail partners, streaming and social platforms, and even in physical stores via Caper Carts, bridging inspiration, consideration, and conversion in one connected ecosystem.

Breaking down silos

Delivering on that end-to-end vision also requires new internal alignment.

“The chief commercial officer and the chief marketing officer need to now come together,” Miller said. “Not just think about my budget and your budget, but how can they together actually help to enhance the accuracy of targeting and the ability to convert.”

Measurement practices are evolving as well.

“Everyone in this room knows ROAS is imperfect, and everyone in this room is using ROAS," she said. "If you do good causal modeling, you’re going to see that RMNs actually are high performers when it comes to incrementality.”

The foundation of all media

As retail media becomes more integrated across the funnel, its underlying data is increasingly shaping the broader marketing landscape.

“The future of retail media is the future of all media because it’s this foundation of retail data,” said Lipsman. “It’s the best data… the ability to close the loop, and then when you introduce it to high-quality media, that’s where marketing effectiveness happens.”

Instacart’s integrations with platforms like TikTok and Pinterest highlight the power of extending retail media beyond its own marketplace.

• “Pinterest is this commerce-oriented channel that sometimes gets looked past… but this is where people go in with intent,” said Lipsman. “Now you can introduce the retail data to that.”
• For Miller, these collaborations are unlocking new possibilities for CPG brands without direct-to-consumer relationships.
• “You’re able to drive that kind of first-party understanding of where the product is being sold… without being the holder of your own inventory.”

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.