Walmart Connect pitches brands directly as it pushes lift studies ahead of holiday ad deals

Walmart Connect is directly reaching out to brands to promote its retail media network, bypassing traditional agencies. As the company pushes ahead with lift studies for the upcoming holiday shopping season, sales representatives are making the rounds to pitch their services. Multiple agency executives have reported that several of their clients have been approached, though they declined to name the specific brands.

Walmart has not commented on the matter. The company's approach has raised questions among advertisers about the accuracy of its measurement methods. One of the main concerns is whether Walmart's studies can definitively prove that its Connected Store experiences directly contributed to an increase in sales, or if the retailer is simply attributing sales to a product that would have been purchased regardless.