Find Your Brand’s Retail Media Niche Beyond the Big Five

We hear a lot about the Big Five in retail media: Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Target, and Kroger. And fair enough—they represent 90% of the addressable media market across onsite and offsite placements. They’ve got the traffic, the tooling, the infrastructure—and the eyeballs. But they don’t have everything.

These behemoths are not always the right place for every brand, every product, or every campaign. And when it comes to building brand equity, tapping specific communities, or launching high-intent activations tied to seasonal or category moments, smaller retail media networks can sometimes outperform the big guys in all the ways that matter.

Niche doesn’t mean small

Niche retail media networks aren’t niche because they’re irrelevant. They’re niche because they go deep, not wide—and that’s exactly what certain brands need.

These aren’t fringe players. Most are category captains. They have loyal, purchase-ready audiences, powerful first-party data, and category authority. And more critically, they’re building real retail media offerings, from custom ad units to loyalty-linked segmentation to fully formed networks with onsite, offsite, and in-store activations.

Some are newer to the game than others. Some require more manual setup or don’t yet offer self-serve dashboards. But most have matured faster than expected—and for the right brands, the payoff is real.

It reminds me of the early 2010s when I was testing non-Google paid search platforms like eZanga and 7Search (anyone remember those?). The volume wasn’t there, but I wasn’t expecting it. I was chasing relevance. With niche RMNs, you’re not looking for scale—you’re looking for alignment. And for brands that don’t fit neatly into an Amazon taxonomy, or want to break through a cluttered category, these platforms offer a powerful way in.

Let’s break down who’s worth watching—and why.

Chewy

Pet parents are loyal. So is Chewy.

Chewy recently launched its own ad platform with proprietary tech and a laser focus on customer lifetime value. You can track standard ROAS, sure, but what makes it interesting is its ability to tie purchases to autoship conversions and display LTV ROAS. That’s a massive differentiator in a category where repeat orders and subscription behavior matter more than basket size.

Also, its Customer Satisfaction Scores are famously high, and its community engagement (cards, donations, surprises) makes them one of the most trusted retailers in pet care. For brands in this space, this trust halo matters more than anything.

I’m speaking from past and recent experience. I lost a fur baby—I’ve never cried over cancelling an autoship before, and Chewy’s Wow Team reached out with a custom pet portrait. So when I adopted a puppy recently, a Husky mix, the call was easy as to where the treats were going to come from.

Sephora

Exclusive SKUs. Hardcore fans. Serious volume.

Sephora has long been a requested partner by beauty brands—and it’s no mystery why. From exclusive product drops to seasonal event surges like Spring Savings, it offers both reach and resonance.

Its RMN is built on PromoteIQ and supports sponsored products, self-serve and managed campaigns, and strong integration with its VIB loyalty program, where 90% of sales are attached to card-carrying members like myself. It’s not just about impressions—it’s about connecting with consumers who already see Sephora as a discovery destination.

AutoZone

If you’re in the category, you’re in the Zone.

With over 6,000 locations and massive market share in aftermarket auto parts, AutoZone is a category anchor. Its RMN, powered by Quotient (now part of Neptune Retail Solutions), supports both personal and commercial buyers. This is a high-need, high-intent audience—perfect for brands in auto tools, accessories, fluids, and maintenance.

Its customer culture is unique and values expertise, reliability, and speed. That translates to strong loyalty, high repeat rates, and big-ticket potential.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Not just cleats and cardio anymore.

Dick’s is building a full-stack RMN anchored by its ScoreCard loyalty program and GameChanger app. With over 850 stores and deep reach into school sports, leagues, and outdoor recreation, they’ve turned seasonal sports moments into full-funnel activations. They also launched Dick’s Varsity Team, a creator program with real product seeding and community engagement.

Media placements span onsite, offsite, CTV, and in-store—making it a smart test bed for brands with a sports adjacency or tentpole strategy (think Olympics, back-to-school, or seasonal sports shifts).

Best Buy Ads

Not just for tech anymore.

Best Buy’s ad business has matured quickly, and its upcoming U.S. third-party marketplace launch (powered by Mirakl) will add even more opportunities for brand exposure and product discovery. They’ve recently expanded into self-service PMax campaign access—a rarity among RMNs—and run onsite media via Criteo.

Whether you’re in electronics or wellness tech, Best Buy should be on your radar. It’s still curated, premium, and offers flexibility many of its competitors don’t.

GoPuff

Dark store meets Gen Z attention economy.

Never mind the name—this micro-fulfillment delivery retailer (which bought BevMo in 2020) is as niche as it gets. While brands may not have a large catalog available, it’s a high-velocity item machine with a 30-minute delivery window. A fully digital experience frequented by Gen Z and millennials, they’ve leaned hard into AI-powered features around sampling, add-to-cart ease, and experiences like brand shops to allow a brand to build a more immersive experience. 

Known for rapid delivery and snack-heavy carts, GoPuff is a niche platform with high volume for high-velocity SKUs. Think hydration, wellness, snacks, energy, and “I forgot I needed this but I’m in big trouble without it” type items.

Powered by Koddi, GoPuff offers onsite sponsored products, display, and non-endemic ad options. And its unique checkout experience—with product bundles, gamified cart adds, and personalized sampling—is optimized for discovery and frequency. You won’t sell your whole catalog here, but you might become someone’s go-to hydration, yogurt, or flushable wipes brand for life.

Uber Ads

One app. Many moments.

Uber has evolved beyond rides and restaurants into retail. It’s partnered with Instacart Carrot Ads in the U.S. and Criteo for international scale—bringing sponsored product tech into the Uber Eats and grocery ecosystem.

What makes Uber Ads worth taking a close look at is its event-driven cadence. Campaigns can be timed to moments of movement—pregame snacks, morning commute, late-night cravings. With Kristi Argyilan at the helm, the RMN is scaling fast and could rival DoorDash in functionality.

So, how do you get in?

Many of these platforms have a Contact Us form. Others are more opaque. The easiest entry point: Ask your SSP—if you’re already running with Criteo, PromoteIQ, CitrusAd, or Koddi, they can often connect the dots or fast-track onboarding. Obviously, your commerce media agency can help make this go even faster.

For newer or regional networks, lean on your broker or retail buyer to make the introduction. It’s a hustle—but for the right brand, it’s worth it.

Budgeting for the long tail

You don’t need to ditch the Big Five. But you do need a long tail line item—a test-and-learn pool for networks like these. Not to throw at unproven platforms, but to align to moments, categories, and brand stories that big-box RMNs can’t fully support.

These platforms are where you build brand, not just drive conversions. And in a landscape where everyone’s fighting the same algorithms with the same inventory, that differentiation matters.

Retail media isn’t just about reach—it’s about fit. The big players might get the headlines. But specialty networks? They’re getting attention, loyalty, and results. And in today’s market, that’s where smart money goes.