Navigating the Wild West of Commerce Media for Indie Agencies
Commerce media is one of the fastest-growing segments in digital advertising, with U.S. advertisers predicted to spend over $71 billion in 2026—a 17.8% increase from 2025, outpacing both search and social media growth. Over 75% of brands advertising on commerce media networks are foundational to mid-level executors who struggle with cross-channel execution, off-site audience targeting, and measurement, yet are too small to be prioritized by holding companies. This creates a significant opportunity for independent agencies to step in and serve these underserved brands. However, breaking into retail and commerce media requires specialized expertise, platform access, and measurement capabilities that many indie agencies currently lack. Goodway Group's partnership model offers a supported path forward—giving indie agencies the tools, access, and confidence to expand into commerce media without sacrificing independence.
In this guide, you'll explore
- U.S. advertisers are predicted to spend over $71 billion on commerce media in 2026, a 17.8% increase from 2025, outpacing search and social media growth.
- Over 75% of commerce media network ad buyers spend less than $50 million annually, making them too small for holding companies yet too complex for in-house teams to manage.
- Top challenges for foundational executors include forecasting available impressions and reach, matching retail media network audience segments in DSPs, and closing the loop on sales or ROAS data.
- Left Hand Agency transitioned from 90% linear television to nearly 90% retail media in just two years by partnering with Goodway Group—cutting a planned five-year transition in half.
- Indie agencies can expand into commerce media through flexible partnership models—managed, hybrid, or guided self-service—without sacrificing agency independence or burning out existing teams.