Competing in a cookie-less world

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What it means for brands investing in Retail Media

As traditional cross-site tracking fades marking a fundamental shift in digital advertising, Retail Media is emerging as the most viable and powerful alternative. Powered by retailer first-party data and closed-loop measurement, Retail Media networks like Amazon Ads, Tesco Media, and Boots Media Group are now essential tools for targeting, measurement, and performance.

As the cookie-less future continues to create disruption for brands who currently sell through retailers, we look at what strategic steps they can take to thrive.

What’s changing, and why it matters

Third-party cookies, once the backbone of digital advertising, are disappearing due to:

• Browser changes (e.g. Chrome phasing out cookies in 2024)
• Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA)
• Increasing consumer demand for data protection

For commerce brands, this shift challenges the ability to:

• Track customers across channels
• Build detailed audience profiles
• Attribute sales to media spend accurately
• Manage frequency and messaging consistency

Why Retail Media is rising

Retail Media networks offer a cookie-free way to reach high-intent audiences at scale, using rich, first-party data from retailer platforms, apps, and loyalty schemes. Brands can target based on real purchase behaviour, activate audiences using retailer datasets, and measure performance with closed-loop attribution.

Retailers like Amazon, Sainsbury’s, and Boots already provide tools that connect media investment directly to sales outcomes, making them a critical partner in this new era.

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How brands can compete in a cookie-less world

1. Tap into retailer first-party data

From browsing to purchase behaviour, retailers hold data goldmines – and they’re using it to fuel advertising solutions.

Action: Strengthen relationships with retail partners who offer mature media networks. Prioritise platforms like Amazon Ads, Tesco Media, and Boots Media Group, where data, media, and sales sit within the same ecosystem.

2. Activate Amazon DSP

Amazon’s Demand Side Platform (DSP) allows brands to reach shoppers both on and off Amazon using first-party behavioural signals. Independent of third-party cookies, it leverages shopping insights to deliver relevant ads based on actual intent – not just interest.

Pro tip: Use DSP for both upper- and lower-funnel strategies, including retargeting based on in-market signals and driving awareness in new markets.

3. Recalibrate your measurement model

As cookie-based attribution becomes unreliable, brands need to shift towards:

• Closed-loop reporting via Retail Media networks
• Incrementality testing to assess true media impact
• Marketing mix modelling (MMM) for broader strategic insights

Bonus: Retailer clean rooms are growing in relevance, offering privacy-safe ways to match brand and retailer datasets for more holistic measurement.

4. Leverage contextual and commerce content

With identity-based targeting declining, contextual relevance is making a comeback. Well-placed, well-crafted content on retail platforms is more important than ever.

• Develop platform-native content (Amazon A+ content, product pages, brand stores)
• Use contextual cues (e.g. category adjacency, search trends) to guide placement
• Focus on conversion-ready creative, built specifically for retail environments

5. Strengthen your own first-party ecosystem

While your focus may be on retail, direct channels still matter. First-party data from loyalty programmes, apps, and email marketing builds resilience and long-term value. Even limited direct interactions can help you:

• Create high-value audience segments
• Feed insights into retailer campaigns
• Prepare for future collaborations with clean room technologies

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Final thoughts

The death of third-party cookies isn’t the end of personalisation and performance, it’s the start of a smarter, more privacy-conscious commerce ecosystem. For brands investing in Retail Media, the opportunity is clear: lean into first-party data, partner closely with retailer platforms, and adapt your measurement strategy to reflect this new reality.

Those who evolve now will gain a competitive edge, one built on relevance, trust, and long-term commercial success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does a “cookie-less world” mean for digital advertising?
A: A cookie-less world refers to the phase-out of third-party cookies in browsers, which previously allowed advertisers to track users across websites. This shift reduces reliance on external tracking and increases the importance of first-party data held directly by platforms and retailers.

Q: Why is Amazon well positioned in a cookie-less advertising environment?
A: Amazon is strongly positioned because it already operates on first-party shopping data, meaning it can track real purchase behaviour, browsing history, and intent signals within its own ecosystem without relying on third-party cookies.

Q: How does first-party data improve Amazon advertising performance?
A: First-party data allows Amazon to build highly accurate audience segments based on actual shopping behaviour, making targeting more relevant and improving conversion rates compared to cookie-dependent platforms.

Q: What challenges do advertisers face when third-party cookies disappear?
A: Advertisers face reduced cross-site tracking, less precise retargeting outside closed ecosystems, and greater difficulty measuring user journeys across multiple platforms, requiring new approaches like retail media and clean rooms.

Q: How should brands adapt their marketing strategy in a cookie-less world?
A: Brands should prioritise platforms with strong first-party data, invest in retail media like Amazon Ads, and focus on full-funnel strategies that combine awareness, consideration, and conversion within integrated ecosystems.