Retail Media Beyond eComm Giants

Last month, I sat across from Sarah, a seasoned marketing director at a mid-sized FMCG brand, as she shared her frustration over coffee. Her company had been pouring substantial budgets into advertising on Amazon and Flipkart, only to find their margins shrinking and their brand getting lost in the noise. What struck me most was her next revelation: her highest-converting campaigns weren't coming from these eCommerce giants at all. Instead, they were emerging from partnerships with specialized platforms like BigBasket for groceries, Nykaa for beauty, and even quick-commerce players like Zepto. Sarah's experience wasn't unique—it reflected a seismic shift in how brands are rethinking retail media strategy beyond the traditional eCommerce monopolies.

The retail media landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation. While Amazon and other large platforms dominated the first wave of retail media, a new ecosystem is emerging that offers brands more targeted, cost-effective, and strategically valuable opportunities. This evolution is driven by the rise of specialized vertical platforms, the explosive growth of quick commerce, and the increasing sophistication of niche retail environments that can offer brands deeper customer insights and more authentic engagement opportunities.

1. Quick Commerce Platforms as Media Powerhouses

Quick commerce has evolved from a convenience play to a sophisticated media ecosystem. Platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Dunzo are transforming their delivery infrastructure into powerful advertising channels that capture consumers at the moment of highest purchase intent. Unlike traditional eCommerce, quick commerce platforms benefit from immediacy-driven shopping behavior, where consumers are less likely to comparison shop and more likely to make impulse purchases.

The media opportunity in quick commerce extends beyond simple product placement. These platforms are developing sophisticated targeting capabilities based on real-time location data, purchase history, and even weather patterns. A beverage brand can now target consumers during hot afternoons in specific neighborhoods, while a snack brand can reach late-night workers in business districts. This level of precision, combined with the guarantee of delivery within minutes, creates an unprecedented value proposition for advertisers.

The integration of media with logistics operations creates unique advantages. Quick commerce platforms can optimize their delivery routes to maximize ad exposure, placing high-margin advertised products at the top of delivery bags or including branded packaging inserts. This physical-digital integration represents a new frontier in retail media, where the last mile becomes the final opportunity for brand engagement.

2. Vertical Platform Partnerships Creating Specialized Media Ecosystems

Vertical platforms like BigBasket, Nykaa, and Myntra are developing sophisticated media ecosystems that leverage their deep category expertise and customer understanding. These platforms possess granular data about consumer behavior within specific product categories, enabling more precise targeting and measurement than broad-spectrum eCommerce giants.

BigBasket's media offerings exemplify this trend. The platform has developed detailed household consumption patterns, enabling brands to target based on family size, dietary preferences, and purchase cycles. A baby food brand can target new parents during their transition from formula to solid foods, while a premium organic brand can reach health-conscious consumers who consistently purchase organic products. This level of behavioral targeting is impossible on broader platforms where grocery purchases are just one of many categories.

Nykaa has transformed its beauty expertise into a comprehensive media ecosystem. The platform combines transactional data with content engagement metrics from its beauty content platform, creating detailed beauty profiles for consumers. Brands can now target consumers based on their beauty journey stage, from skincare beginners to advanced users, with personalized product recommendations and educational content. This approach has proven particularly effective for premium beauty brands looking to build long-term customer relationships rather than just drive immediate sales.

The success of these vertical platforms lies in their ability to combine media with authentic category expertise. Consumers trust these platforms as category authorities, making their advertising feel less intrusive and more advisory. This trust factor significantly improves ad effectiveness and brand perception compared to advertising on generic platforms.

3. Integrating Media with Logistics for Enhanced Performance

The convergence of media and logistics represents the most innovative aspect of modern retail media strategy. Platforms are discovering that their delivery infrastructure can serve as a powerful advertising medium, creating touchpoints that extend far beyond digital screens.

Physical integration opportunities include branded packaging, delivery vehicle advertising, and even delivery personnel uniforms. These touchpoints create brand exposure in the consumer's immediate environment, reinforcing digital advertising messages with physical presence. A food delivery platform can coordinate mobile app advertising with branded delivery bags, creating a cohesive brand experience from order placement to product delivery.

Data integration between media and logistics operations enables sophisticated attribution modeling. Platforms can track the entire customer journey from ad exposure through delivery completion, measuring not just click-through rates but actual consumption patterns. This comprehensive tracking allows for more accurate ROI calculations and better optimization of media spend across different channels.

The logistics integration also enables innovative advertising formats. Platforms can offer brands the opportunity to sponsor delivery slots, provide branded delivery experiences, or even include product samples with complementary purchases. These formats create additional revenue streams while enhancing the customer experience through relevant brand interactions.

Strategic Case Study: Mamaearth's Multi-Platform Approach

Mamaearth, the Indian personal care brand, exemplifies successful retail media strategy beyond eCommerce giants. Instead of concentrating their media spend on Amazon and Flipkart, they developed a sophisticated multi-platform approach that leveraged specialized retail media opportunities.

The brand partnered with Nykaa for targeted beauty advertising, focusing on new mothers and health-conscious consumers. They utilized BigBasket's household targeting capabilities to reach families with young children during peak grocery shopping periods. Most innovatively, they partnered with quick commerce platforms to offer immediate product trials, allowing consumers to order single-use samples for immediate delivery.

This approach resulted in 40% lower customer acquisition costs compared to traditional eCommerce advertising, while achieving 60% higher repeat purchase rates. The brand's success demonstrates how strategic diversification across specialized retail media platforms can create more efficient and effective advertising outcomes than relying solely on dominant eCommerce players.

Call to Action

The future of retail media lies in strategic platform diversification and deep integration with specialized retail ecosystems. Brands must move beyond the comfort of established eCommerce giants to explore the rich opportunities presented by vertical platforms, quick commerce, and integrated logistics-media solutions. Success in this new landscape requires developing platform-specific strategies that leverage each channel's unique strengths while maintaining consistent brand messaging across all touchpoints. The brands that embrace this complexity and invest in building relationships with specialized retail media platforms will find themselves better positioned to capture consumer attention and drive sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace.