At First Abu Dhabi Bank, we became the first bank in the world to advertise on Amazon delivery boxes.
The QR code on the box had a scan rate of 15.7%, more than 3,000 people became new customers, and at the time it was the highest-performing campaign in Amazon on-box history.
It went on to win Gold at the Mobile Marketing Association's Smarties awards in 2024.
Amazon on-box is retail media in its most physical form.
A bank is about as far from a retail product as you can get, and it still worked.
It showed brand and performance working together, in a moment that already belonged to shopping.
Peak season is one buying moment after another.
When a shopper opens a retailer app on White Friday, the decision is already half made.
She arrives with intent, and what she sees in the next few seconds decides which brand she picks.
Retail media is the work of earning those few seconds.
Why Retail Media Matters During the MENA Shopping Season
During sale periods, traffic on retailer platforms rises and so does the competition to be seen.
Every brand is promoting a discount, so the winner is often the brand that appears in the right place with the right product, in stock and at the right price.
In the Gulf, that means networks such as Amazon, noon and Majid Al Futtaim's Precision Media, which sells advertising across Carrefour.
Shoppers on these platforms are close to buying, which makes retail media one of the clearest links a brand has between what it spends and what it sells.
Understanding how retail media networks work in MENA helps brands see how retailer inventory, shopper data and measurable sales outcomes come together.
How to Plan Retail Media Placements for White Friday
Retail media is bought in two ways, and they run on different clocks.
Direct Retail Media Bookings: Plan in October
Homepage placements, sale event sponsorships and category takeovers are limited, and you book them directly with the retailer.
October is the time to agree them, alongside the offers your commercial team has confirmed.
Sponsored Product Ads: Prepare Before Sale Week
Sponsored product listings are bought in a live auction, much like search ads.
You can set them up at any time, but bids climb in sale week as every brand chases the same searches.
Build those campaigns, products and budgets in October, so the only decisions left for November are bids and where the money moves.
For a broader view of changing ad formats and buying models, our guide to retail media trends in 2026 explores the shift towards connected retail media campaigns.
Why Product Availability, Pricing and Stock Matter
A campaign that promotes an item that sells out by midday spends the afternoon sending shoppers to an empty shelf.
Share the offer calendar and the stock forecast between the media and supply teams, and agree before the season what happens when a lead product runs low.
Then give one person the authority to make that call during the sale.
Moving spend to a product that is in stock is an easy decision when it was agreed in October, and an expensive argument when it happens on the day.
How to Optimise Retail Media Budgets During Peak Season
Peak season moves fast.
A product that flies on Singles Day can fade by Cyber Monday while a quieter line starts to climb.
In peak weeks, review retail media results daily and move money towards what is converting.
A report after the season tells you what you should have done.
That depends on seeing which placements drove which sales, so measurement has to be agreed before the first ad runs.
Our retail media campaign case study using RADIUS shows how an ecommerce brand used retailer-level performance insights to move budgets towards stronger-performing opportunities.
How RADIUS Helps Brands Run Retail Media Campaigns
RADIUS, our curated retail media network, reaches shoppers on retailer platforms and beyond them through a single media buy.
It connects brands with shoppers through sponsored products and display, and can also reach relevant audiences across external media environments using retailer shopping data.
Sales and campaign performance are measured across participating retail environments, helping brands identify which placements and products are working and move budgets while the season is still running.
Retail media is the closest a brand gets to the till.
In peak season, that is where I want to be.
Frequently Asked Questions About Retail Media in MENA
What Is Retail Media?
Retail media is advertising on a retailer's own platforms, such as sponsored product listings and onsite banners, where shoppers are already looking to buy.
Many retail media networks also reach the same shoppers on other sites using the retailer's shopping data.
How Can Brands Measure Retail Media Results in the Middle East?
Attribute sales to the placements that drove them, using the retailer's sales data, and review the results often enough to move budget during the campaign.
In peak weeks, that means every day.
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