NIQ, a leading consumer intelligence company, and Unlimitail, a leading retail media network, have announced a strategic collaboration designed to help brands and retailers unlock a new era of retail media accountability through advanced measurement, consumer insights, interoperable data infrastructure, and AI-powered analytics. This partnership addresses a critical gap in the market, as 67% of CMOs plan to increase spending on retail media networks (RMNs) in 2026, yet only 53% believe today's RMNs provide adequate measurement and attribution capabilities. The collaboration aims to enable advertisers to prove true business impact across retailers, markets, and channels.

The collaboration combines Unlimitail's extensive retail media network with NIQ's measurement and analytics capabilities. Unlimitail's network spans 21 countries, 35 retailers, more than 120 retailer websites, and over 250 million loyalty cardholders. By integrating NIQ's industry-leading consumer intelligence, the companies will help advertisers move beyond campaign metrics to understand the true business impact of retail media investments. This includes gaining a consistent view of performance across retailers, markets, and channels, and unlocking deeper consumer and category insights. As commerce and media continue to converge, brands are under increasing pressure to connect fragmented data sources, prove return on investment, and understand the incremental impact of every marketing dollar.

Strategic Deployment and Technology

As part of the agreement, Unlimitail will deploy NIQ's measurement capabilities as a core component of its evolving technology ecosystem. This deployment includes a new data clean room environment and enhanced AdTech infrastructure. The initial rollout will focus on Carrefour operations in France, Spain, and Brazil, with pilot programs expected to launch in mid 2026. The initiative is designed to help brands connect fragmented data sources, prove return on investment, and understand the incremental impact of every marketing dollar.

Key Benefits and Capabilities

The partnership offers several key benefits aimed at standardizing measurement and improving transparency. These include linking media exposure to verified purchases to measure sales impact and comparing performance across markets and retailers to optimize global media investment. The collaboration also activates privacy-safe collaboration through clean room environments and provides greater transparency and accountability for retail media investments. Additionally, it seeks to standardize measurement across retailer ecosystems and deliver enhanced insights to support future AI-powered commerce and advertising applications.

Executive Commentary

Emilie Darolles, President, West Europe, NIQ, emphasized the importance of trust and measurable outcomes in the evolving retail media landscape. "Retail media is becoming one of the most important growth engines for brands and retailers, but its future depends on trust, transparency, and measurable business outcomes," said Darolles. She noted that the collaboration helps create a more connected measurement ecosystem, enabling marketers to move beyond assumptions and confidently demonstrate the impact of their investments.

Alexis Marcombe, Chief Executive Officer, Unlimitail, highlighted the strategic evolution of retail media. "Retail media has evolved from an emerging channel into a strategic pillar of modern marketing," said Marcombe. He stated that integrating NIQ's trusted measurement capabilities into the Unlimitail ecosystem enables a new level of transparency and performance accountability that benefits advertisers, retailers, and consumers.

An AI-driven upgrade cycle is expected to fuel 8% growth in the global telecom sector in 2026, according to the 2026 Smartphone Forecast released by NIQ. Manufacturers are accelerating investment in on-device AI and connected device ecosystems, leading consumers to prioritize intelligence functionality and seamless integration. The forecast indicates that growth is increasingly concentrated in premium segments, with Europe showing early signs of a new replacement cycle and China signaling modest growth despite subsidy rollbacks.

Insights from Mobile World Congress 2026 suggest smartphones are evolving from standalone communication devices into intelligent platforms. These platforms orchestrate consumers' digital lives across wearables, home technology, mobility services, and AI-powered applications. Anastasia Bourneli, VP, Global Mobile Network at NIQ, stated that smartphones are moving beyond connectivity toward intelligence and orchestration, with momentum favoring premium, AI-enabled products.

Key Findings from NIQ Forecast

The report outlines several critical trends shaping the market:

On-device AI is emerging as a key differentiator in premium smartphones, while consumer demand for seamless cross-device integration continues to rise. Refurbishment and lifecycle strategies are playing a growing role in category economics.

Smartphones Evolve into Digital Life Hubs

Smartphones are increasingly becoming the control center for connected consumer experiences. As consumers adopt more wearables, smart home devices, and mobility platforms, expectations are shifting toward seamless ecosystem experiences. Key consumer expectations include ease of continuity across devices, faster user experiences, and greater personalization without reliance on constant cloud connectivity.

Industry developments point toward a transition to agent-based, on-device intelligence. Supported by advances in chipsets and neural processing units, smartphones are increasingly able to process AI workloads locally, assist with multi-step tasks, and respond to user context with fewer explicit commands.

Premium Segments Capture Growth

NIQ forecasting points to continued market polarization in 2026. While low to mid-range devices remain the primary source of unit volume, growth is concentrated in premium tiers. Consumers in these segments perceive clear value from features like battery life, camera, storage, and AI-enabled experiences. AI capabilities are strengthening traditional purchase drivers rather than replacing them, helping manufacturers differentiate flagship devices and support premium pricing.