Digital retail starts 2026 under a new strategic dynamic. After a year pressured by narrow margins and increasingly high customer acquisition costs, the sector is betting on the consolidation of two technological fronts to resume profitability: the Retail Media (retail media) and the Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The integration of these tools marks a structural change in e-commerce, which ceases to be just a sales channel to act as a data and media ecosystem, focused on operational efficiency and conversion accuracy.
The rise of Retail as a Media
Retail Media & Retail Strategy in which retailers sell advertising space on their own channels using data from their customers & maintains a fast-growing pace.According to eMarketer projections, the segment has moved around US$ 2.6 billion in Latin America in 2025. Brazil leads this scenario, accounting for 40% of the total, equivalent to US$ 1.06 billion.
For Alexandre Mendes, CMO partner at Lope Digital Commerce, these numbers inaugurate a new stage for the market.
“O retail, once seen only as a sales channel, now acts as a robust media vehicle, monetizing inventory and data. When this information is integrated into campaigns, communication gains accuracy and return increases”, Mendes analyzes.
The model allows brands to use purchase history and consumer browsing behavior to create more assertive offers, reducing friction in the buying journey.
AI: The engine of productivity
While Retail Media leverages revenue, Artificial Intelligence drives cost savings and efficiency.A study by Strand Partners, a consultancy commissioned by AWS, reveals that 40% of Brazilian companies already use AI. The impact on results is significant:
- 96% recorded productivity gains;
- 95% reported revenue increase.
The technology has been applied mainly in inventory management, demand forecasts and service.“A IA has become a structuring tool that adjusts inventory levels and connects the entire operation to consumer expectations. This alignment is decisive to generate” loyalty, explains Mendes.
Prospects for 2026
With consumers less fault tolerant, the synchronization between product availability (managed by AI) and personalized campaigns (via Retail Media) will be the competitive differentiator.
The market projects that retailers able to consolidate the use of proprietary data will not only protect their margins, but redefine the shopping experience in an environment increasingly driven by concrete results.
