Which networks should brands be paying attention to as they refine their retail media strategy? From the king of them all to the ones that are just catching up, here are five retail media networks to keep an eye on this year.

Paths to growth: While many consumer packaged goods brands such as Kraft Heinz and Conagra Brands used price hikes and shrinkflation to deliver solid financial results despite a slowdown in sales volume, both Mondelēz and Hostess saw volumes grow thanks in part to products that parents can pack in their children’s lunches.

Things are looking up for Walmart: The retailer made headway on its inventory glut and gained grocery share in Q3, but discretionary categories struggled.

Inflation has hit pet owners hard: Petco and Chewy recognize that many of their customers are pulling back on discretionary spending, which could hinder growth in fiscal 2023.

A flurry of forces is changing how consumers eat and drink: Rising grocery costs, shifting work patterns, and practical considerations are causing people to adjust their dining habits.

Educating consumers and other third parties in the value chain about how to properly reuse and recycle products is critical because the vast majority of emissions in the consumer goods industry comes from consumer use and disposal—it accounts for 80% of Colgate’s carbon footprint.

In times of economic uncertainty, it’s essential to foster an environment that both nurtures and challenges employees. In this discussion, Raval shares strategies to nurture a more collaborative, creative culture among employees, and how Frito-Lay is undertaking a digital evolution.

Although 90% of consumer-goods and retail marketers have been affected by rising prices, just 42% have shifted their messaging strategy, compared with 70% of fashion and apparel marketers and 56% of marketers in the finance sector. Zoom out: The study polled 300 marketers at the end of April.

Instacart has had a busy few months. Besides scrapping its plans to go public, the company has cut its valuation a few times, trimmed its workforce, and explored other cost-cutting measures. That being said, Instacart has also made investments to bolster its business, including new technologies for merchants and expanded retail media offerings.

Soaring food prices are causing consumers to rethink their spending: Consumers are changing both where and how they shop for groceries, as well as what else they buy.

Gen Z will represent 20% of the US population in 2023, and nearly 40 million of these Gen Zers are adults. This is the data you need to understand how to reach them—and tap their growing buying power.

Consumers have shifted more their spending to dining out: But while restaurant industry sales are expected to rise 6.4% this year, the industry faces several challenges.

Forty-four percent of US adults plan to spend their normal amount on health and beauty products this year, according to a MetaPack survey. More than two-thirds said they’re not changing their spending on apparel (39%) or on DIY and gardening (34%).

DoorDash has ended its four-year partnership with Walmart, saying the split will enable it to focus on its long-term customer relationships. DoorDash works with retailers, like Albertsons and Macy’s, and thousands of restaurants across the globe, creating a marketplace for consumer discovery and advertising for its partners.

Plant-based food brand Neat Food, which operates both a restaurant chain and an alternative proteins consumer-packaged goods business, announced the start of a $30 million funding round that includes Leonardo DiCaprio as a strategic investor, per Bloomberg.

While Amazon Prime Day was bigger than ever this year, one key category took a hit. Electronics sales decreased by 5% from last Prime Day, while growth shot past 25% in home, garden, and tools, as well as in beauty and health.

Gopuff’s labor challenges underscore the dark side of rapid delivery: The company is likely trying to cut costs ahead of a potential IPO but must contend with increased government scrutiny and worker activism.

Brands and retailers face threats to their pricing power: An FTC investigation into PepsiCo and Coca-Cola’s pricing practices, coupled with consumers’ cost sensitivity, could limit companies’ abilities to dictate prices.

Plant-based meat sales are declining: While rising prices are causing some consumers to trade down to cheaper proteins, there’s still plenty of interest in alternatives to animal products.

Health and beauty items are the most-purchased products via smart speaker, with 8.9 million US internet users ordering these products on their smart speakers between August 2019 and August 2021.

In 2022, US meal-kit subscription services will deliver $7.63 billion in digital sales to make up 22.8% of the country’s subscription ecommerce sales. The meal-kit subscription market has seen slowing growth since mushrooming by 85.0% in 2020, though its 17.0% increase this year is healthy nonetheless.

Discount stores are on an expansion tear: Amid growing sales, Dollar General, Five Below, and Dollar Tree plan to open more stores this year.

Amazon’s digital sales will grow significantly faster than the overall market in four categories this year.

Join our analyst Andrew Lipsman, "Behind the Numbers" host Marcus Johnson, and Colgate-Palmolive's ecommerce director of growth strategy and planning Todd Hassenfelt to hear about Andrew’s recent visit to a "Just Walk Out" Amazon Fresh grocery store and the in-store digital retail media opportunity for brands selling at Amazon Fresh.

Amazon is at a grocery inflection point, battling Walmart and Instacart for ecommerce dominance in the US. While each has its own strengths, Amazon’s ecommerce background gives it a leg up in tech.