Q2 2026: Retail Media Keeps Growing Without Spiking CPC
Here is my read after a week of calls with marketers: Skai’s Q2 read shows retail media spend up 26% while CPC stayed near a dollar.
What matters for teams on the ground is simpler: what changed this week, what to test next, and what to refuse by default.
- Define the conversion before you scale
- Separate brand safety from performance tests
- Compare incrementality, not vanity CTR
| Signal | Detail |
|---|---|
| Channel | Signal this month |
| ChatGPT Ads | Open access + conversion tools |
| Google Shopping | Budget share rebound |
| Paid social | Clicks up, CPC softer |
Pros
- Clearer conversion levers appearing
- Fresh inventory worth small tests
- Creative still decides efficiency
Cons
- Attribution remains murky
- Learning periods burn budget
- Default AI edits can dilute brand
I still talk to strategists who celebrate a launch week and then skip the autopsy. That is how budgets vanish. Schedule the review before the campaign starts, while everyone still agrees what success meant.
Source: Skai. Numbers and product claims above come from that reporting; interpretation is mine.