The trend: In the run-up to the holiday season, retail display ad cost per thousand impressions (CPM) showed modest YoY growth across key categories, even as ad spending jumped, per Industry KPI data from BIScience. These results suggest brands increased outlays by advertising more while prices stayed largely in check.

Among several retail segments, the rise in ad spending in Q3 2025 was greater than the expansion in CPMs.

• Grocery CPMs rose 2.5% in Q3 2025 from the year earlier, while category ad spending surged more than 2,567.5%, per Industry KPI data.