DearOne Releases Latest Retail Media Trend Report from ARUTANA Lab

DearOne Unveils New Retail Media Trend Report from ARUTANA Lab

DearOne, a subsidiary of NTT Docomo focused on marketing, has released its latest report titled the “Retail Media Trend Report (Q2 2025 Edition)”. This publication outlines the current dynamics of the retail media market in Japan, with particular emphasis on initiatives centered around brick-and-mortar stores and the critical role of transforming apps into media platforms.

Background for the Retail Media Trend Report

According to projections, the domestic retail media advertising market is set to reach 469.2 billion yen by 2024. Notably, the specific segment for retail media advertising, limited to retailers with physical outlets, is expected to reach about 55 billion yen in the same timeframe. This shift shows a growing trend where physical stores, which have traditionally taken a backseat to e-commerce, are now becoming a focal point in retail strategies.

In light of this trend, numerous retail firms are establishing dedicated departments for retail media or creating in-house media operations. However, many face challenges in devising concrete strategies to maximize the potential of these initiatives. Moreover, there is a noticeable shift in customer engagement strategies from using singular apps to an increasingly integrated model, referred to as “Unified Apps,” which aim to enhance customer experiences. The role of apps is proving to be pivotal in the conceptualization of retail media.

To address these emerging realities, DearOne’s research is based on its operational insights from the ARUTANA retail media platform, which allows integrated advertising across various official retail apps.

Key Insights from the Retail Media Trend Report

1. Current Trends and Future Projections

The report delves into the current landscape of the retail market in Japan, providing detailed insights and predictions about retailers that maintain physical stores.

2. Industry Trends and App Utilization

It addresses the concept of “Brand Unified Apps” that enhance customer experiences and discusses how these apps can play a significant role in retail media.

3. Challenges Faced by Retailers

The report highlights common issues retailers face as they transition their apps to media platforms, including design and operational barriers that hinder their progress.

All About ARUTANA

The ARUTANA platform serves as an ad network that connects official retail apps, enabling advertisers to launch campaigns across multiple channels effortlessly. Notably, 75% of users actively engage with these retail apps while in-store, allowing businesses to effectively reach consumers with high purchase intent, ensuring elevated conversion rates and return on investment.

Retail businesses can seamlessly integrate the ARUTANA framework into their official applications without incurring additional development costs, effortlessly generating new advertising revenue. User-friendly controls in the management dashboard facilitate efficient advertisement placements, promoting smooth monetization of applications.

As of July 2025, numerous retail giants like Tsuruha Holdings, Daiso Sangyo, Loyalty Marketing, and Edion have joined the ARUTANA network, boasting a combined monthly active user base of 40.5 million users.

For more information on ARUTANA, you can visit this link.

To learn more about retail media and its advantages, check out this article.

About DearOne

DearOne operates as a new business-focused subsidiary under NTT Docomo, offering various services including the ModuleApps 2.0, designed to allow users to develop official apps by incorporating necessary features.

Moreover, DearOne provides the retail media platform ARUTANA, enabling the distribution of advertisements across a diverse range of retail apps. Their offerings extend to user behavior analytics tools like Amplitude, along with various MarTech tools that support the growth of digital products such as apps and e-commerce sites.

CEO: Yasuhisa Kawano
Headquarters: 3-8-8 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
URL: dearone.io