Retail Media
Criteo
Criteo is a commerce media platform that helps retailers, brands, and agencies reach shoppers across the open internet and retailer-owned properties. Its Commerce Max DSP and Commerce Grid SSP connect advertiser demand with retail media inventory, while sponsored-product and onsite display formats let brands advertise directly on retailer sites. Criteo combines first-party commerce data, AI bidding, and closed-loop sales measurement, making it a core option for marketers running retargeting and retail media programs at scale.
What it does
Criteo operates a two-sided commerce media network. On the demand side, the Commerce Max DSP lets brands and agencies buy retail media and open-web inventory programmatically, while the Commerce Grid SSP and retailer onsite tools give publishers and retailers a way to monetize their traffic. The platform leans on a large pool of first-party shopping signals, AI-driven bidding, and dynamic creative to serve sponsored products, onsite display, and off-site retargeting ads. Its defining feature is closed-loop measurement that ties ad exposure to actual product sales on retailer sites, so performance marketers can report on incremental revenue rather than clicks alone. Criteo is widely used for ecommerce retargeting and for standing up retail media programs.
Where it fits
Criteo sits at the launch and optimization stages, activating commerce media campaigns that connect brand budgets with retailer audiences and sales data.
Core features
- Commerce Max DSP for buying retail media and open-web inventory
- Commerce Grid SSP and onsite tools for retailer monetization
- Sponsored product, onsite display, and off-site retargeting formats
- AI bidding driven by large-scale first-party shopping signals
- Closed-loop sales measurement tied to retailer transactions
- Dynamic creative optimization built from product catalogs
Best for
- Ecommerce brands running catalog retargeting at scale
- Retailers launching or expanding a retail media network
- Agencies managing commerce media across multiple retailers
Beginner notes
- Criteo depends on a product feed, so keep your catalog clean and well-structured before launching dynamic retargeting.
- Closed-loop sales reporting only works where the retailer shares transaction data, so confirm measurement coverage per retailer.
- Start with retargeting warm audiences before expanding into prospecting, where commerce signals are weaker and costs run higher.