Anthony Costanzo, Chief Analytics Officer at Mile Marker, was quoted in a recent Digiday article about Target’s retail media network (RMN), Roundel, and its ability to thrive despite broader challenges.
Despite Target’s recent sales struggles, Roundel’s ad revenue has continued to grow, reaching an impressive $163 million in Q1 2025, up from $130 million in the previous year. This is a promising sign for the retail media space as a whole, which has become one of the hottest areas in digital advertising, with marketers expected to spend $62.35 billion on RMNs this year alone.
Anthony’s insights in the piece highlight the power of Roundel’s audience data. “The audience data that Target can turn out is still highly effective and allows us to reach really key in-market shoppers,” he says. And he’s right. While other areas of Target’s business are facing challenges, Roundel’s data-driven approach has helped it remain resilient, continuing to generate growth and attracting advertisers despite the retailer’s struggles. As Anthony noted, “If it’s working, they’re going to put more money in.”
But while Roundel continues to perform well, there are still several challenges facing the broader retail media space. From fragmentation to inconsistent metrics, RMNs, like the Target Roundel ad platform, still have some way to go in terms of measurement and transparency. For example, marketers are increasingly questioning whether they’re truly reaching new customers or whether their ads are just reinforcing existing behavior. With more year-over-year data coming in, brands are pushing for more transparency and real performance metrics to ensure their ad dollars are being well spent.
The question remains: can RMNs maintain their momentum in an uncertain economic landscape?
Read the full article and get all of the insights on Digiday here.
And if you’re ready to partner with a media agency that’s already ahead of the curve in retail media, reach out to Mile Marker today!
