TikTok and retail media: Unlocking full-funnel growth for RMNs and brands
Retail media networks—retailer-owned advertising platforms—are reshaping the commerce landscape, and fast. With first-party data, omnichannel reach, and closed-loop measurement, it's easy to see why RMNs are leading the third wave of advertising.
In 2025, retail media spend surpassed linear TV. By 2028, global retail media spending is projected to reach $175 billion, with the United States accounting for nearly 60% of that growth, according to eMarketer.¹
But as demand for retail media accelerates, one challenge is becoming clear: onsite inventory and traffic are finite. Retailers are doing more than ever with the space they own, but growth—especially for partner brands—requires scale, reach, and performance that extends beyond their owned channels.
That's where TikTok comes in. TikTok connects retail media networks (RMNs) with communities they won't find elsewhere, helping them extend their value to brand partners and drive measurable outcomes on and off the platform.
TikTok as a retail media partner
As a retail media partner, TikTok delivers incremental reach, performance, and cultural relevance in a single scroll. Retailers like Walmart Connect and Ulta Beauty are already using TikTok to help brands reach shoppers at every stage of the funnel.
TikTok solutions that power retail media performance
At TikTok, we're building commerce solutions that create a frictionless shopping experience for our community to discover, browse, and buy, wherever and however they choose to shop.
Our team works closely with retail media networks and their brand partners to understand their goals, design custom strategies, and launch with confidence. Then, we continue to optimize for growth and drive results. That's why we're investing in tailored solutions to support RMNs in helping their brands thrive.
Deliver results for your brands, all the way down the funnel
With TikTok's full-funnel ad products, brands can meet their shoppers wherever they are on their shopping journey. When brands combine mid- and lower-funnel objectives, they achieve a 1.9x higher purchase lift compared to lower-funnel objectives only.²
Start by building awareness with In-Feed Ads, then capture demand with mid- to lower-funnel solutions, such as Catalog Ads, Search Ads Campaign, and Web Conversion and Traffic ads—designed to meet shoppers where they're ready to act. And with Smart+, TikTok's AI-powered automation solution, you can maximize your ROAS across your most important objectives.
And when it's time to optimize, we've got you covered. Contact your TikTok representative to activate brand-level optimization tools that help maximize your return on ad spend across your entire strategy.
Leverage TikTok's creative toolbox to support your brand's ad creatives
On TikTok, creator-powered storytelling fuels discovery and drives action. With solutions like TikTok One and modular creative packages, our mission is to keep creativity and joy at the forefront of your brand's creative, and to help you do it at scale.
Unlocking campaign optimization with safe data connections
Optimizing performance on TikTok starts with strong data connections. Retail media networks can tap into multiple integration paths to measure, optimize, and reach high-value audiences more effectively.
First-party solutions, such as TikTok Pixel and Events API, unlock precision targeting and real-time optimization for your brand. We also support partner integrations for faster, low-lift setup.
RMNs looking to go further can activate through a data clean room. This privacy-safe environment enables advanced audience matching and customized measurement, turning closed-loop insights into open-ended opportunity.
Omnichannel measurement, at your fingertips
Your performance is only as strong as your measurement plan, and that applies to retail media networks as well.
We understand the importance of measuring success at the brand level for retail media, and we're excited to share that we recently launched brand-level reporting via API and in TikTok Ads Manager. With brand-level reporting, retailers can uncover details at the granular level in real-time, including revenue and conversion data by brand. Reach out to your TikTok representative to get set up.
With the right tools, RMNs can scale confidently and uncover the real value of video-powered commerce.
Ulta Beauty's multi-brand success
Ulta Beauty's retail media network, UB Media, launched several multi-brand campaigns across haircare, skincare, fragrance, and cosmetics during the peak holiday season. The creative assets leaned into holiday-centric TikTok trends, including gift guides, self-gifting, GRWM, and most-wanted products, and were delivered through In-Feed Ads with the Web Conversion objective.
The campaigns yielded a 40% better return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to UB Media's benchmark during November and December and resulted in over one million purchases completed across participating brands. The top-performing creative delivered nearly three times the ROAS of UB Media's benchmark.
Get started
With TikTok, you're not just running ads; you're creating culturally relevant experiences that drive commerce everywhere your audiences shop. Contact our TikTok team to learn more about our retail media solutions and help test and shape the next generation of advertising with us.
Sources:
Retail Media Forecast Report Update, January 2025, eMarketer. TikTok's use of this data does not equate to an endorsement
TikTok Marketing Science NA CLS Power Slides meta-analysis, September 2023 - December 2024; n > 250