Navigating Offsite Retail Media Shifts: What Brands Need to Know for 2026

Retail media continues to evolve. If you're managing retail media for a CPG or retail brand, you’ve likely noticed changes in how service models are structured, particularly around offsite support.

Many networks are shifting from a single managed-service pathway toward more self-service and partner-managed options for offsite campaigns. These changes signal how retail media networks are prioritizing product development, measurement, and first-party data as they refine their support structures.

For teams that have relied on retailer-managed offsite execution, early 2026 is the right time to pressure-test plans, align agency partners, and establish processes that ensure continuity and performance. Left Hand Agency has developed a practical guide to help brands prepare, stay flexible, and maintain offsite media effectiveness through this transition.

Understanding Emerging Offsite Retail Media Support Trends

Walmart Connect has seen notable growth, reporting 31 percent year-over-year increases in fiscal Q1 2026. Much of this momentum comes from its expanding offsite capabilities through the Walmart DSP, built in partnership with The Trade Desk. Connected TV is Walmart’s fastest-growing advertising channel, followed by programmatic display.

Across the industry, brands are observing similar shifts. Retailers are focusing more internal resources on product innovation and data and offering more self-service and partner-managed support paths. Offsite retail media is expanding even as the support model evolves.

For brands accustomed to retailer-managed support, this presents both challenge and opportunity. The challenge is maintaining campaign sophistication and performance as responsibilities shift. The opportunity is gaining more control over execution, creative testing, and budget allocation while still benefiting from first-party data and closed-loop measurement. In this environment, agencies provide continuity and expertise when brands need it most.

The Offsite Media Landscape: More Complex Than Ever

Offsite capabilities within retail media networks are expanding quickly. Many RMNs are testing channels that were previously out of scope, including OOH. As these opportunities grow, brands need close collaboration with agency partners or must actively monitor developments to ensure they are evaluating new channels effectively.

Walmart Connect’s offsite ecosystem now spans streaming platforms, websites, mobile apps, and social media. Each channel ties back to in-store and online sales. This complexity is one reason many brands historically valued retailer-managed support.

Executing effective offsite campaigns requires:

• Coordination across channels

• First-party data segmentation

• Lift-based measurement

• Message sequencing

• Ongoing optimization

With Walmart DSP, connected TV campaigns can identify audiences based on verified shopping behavior and measure whether viewers later purchased in stores. Programmatic display extends reach to high-intent shoppers across the open web with full attribution. This level of precision requires expertise far beyond traditional digital media.

Left Hand Agency manages programmatic media across multiple DSPs and understands how different channels inherently behave. For example, connected TV often requires multiple exposures to drive impact, and attribution typically lags compared with direct-response channels. Teams with experience across ecosystems know this is not a sign of weak performance. It reflects how different channels function within the customer journey.

Performance Data That Demands Strategic Integration

Recent data reinforces why offsite media cannot operate independently. Walmart Connect reports that campaigns combining onsite and offsite display deliver 60 percent higher incremental ROAS for Food and Beverage and 100 percent higher incremental ROAS for Consumables compared with offsite-only activations.

Offsite media drives discovery and consideration. Onsite media captures shoppers when they are ready to purchase. As service models evolve, brands must move beyond familiar offsite playbooks and adopt integrated strategies that coordinate search, display, video, and CTV across well-defined audience segments.

Measurement Capabilities That Change Everything

One of the greatest strengths of retail media is its measurement infrastructure. Mature RMNs offer:

• Conversion lift for in-store sales

• Store-lift attribution for demos

• Comprehensive attribution for onsite search

• Closed-loop reporting across online and offline outcomes

For Walmart Connect specifically, offsite campaigns can demonstrate not just exposure but whether audiences actually purchased after seeing an ad.

As service models shift, maintaining access to these measurement capabilities becomes essential. Brands need partners who can interpret performance data accurately, optimize for sales lift rather than vanity metrics, and translate insights into actionable strategy.

The Agency Expertise Imperative

Service model changes intensify the need for specialized agency support. Agencies like Left Hand Agency bring continuity, platform-specific experience, and strategic perspective.

Executing sophisticated offsite retail media requires deep understanding of:

• First-party data activation

• Omnichannel attribution

• Creative testing

• Balanced budget distribution

• DSP and RMN integration

• Contextual quality across inventory sources

The strongest agency partnerships extend beyond execution. They provide strategic guidance across budgeting, competitive positioning, category dynamics, and seasonal planning.

Preparing for a Transition: Action Steps for Brands

If your retail media network is moving from a managed-service model to self-service or partner-managed execution, you don’t need to panic. You do, however, need to prepare.

Audit retailer support dependencies.

Identify which functions rely on retailer-managed support and where capability gaps may exist.

Evaluate measurement requirements.

Define which metrics matter most and confirm your partners can provide consistent reporting and insight.

Plan for budget reallocation.

Shifts in service models may create opportunities for more efficient offsite spending. Experienced partners can help identify these improvements.

Establish new success metrics.

Without retailer-managed benchmarks, set clear expectations for agency-managed performance.

The Path Forward: Strategic Partnership Over Platform Dependence

Shifting service models across retail media networks signal a broader industry movement toward platform-agnostic expertise and strategic partnerships. Brands that embrace this shift can gain more control, achieve deeper insight, and build long-term performance.

The key is selecting agency partners who bring both technical execution and strategic vision. As we move into 2026, the brands that thrive will be those that treat agency expertise as a competitive advantage. The most successful programs will be more integrated, more flexible, and more profitable than the managed-service models of the past.

For brands evaluating agency partnerships as service models evolve, Left Hand Agency offers specialized retail media expertise to help navigate the transition with confidence. We’d love to connect on your 2026 plans.