Competition between retailers is more intense than ever, and it’s about to escalate as a major brand gets taken away from rivals to fuel a bold new strategy. 

Retail media has rapidly become a booming business within the retail industry. By offering advertising platforms directly on their own channels, retailers can influence consumer behavior and enhance product visibility right at the point of purchase.

Related: Walmart makes more cuts customers won’t like

Similarly, private label brands have become lucrative assets for retailers. Since one retailer exclusively sells them, they instantly eliminate competition and give customers a reason to return to their stores, driving loyalty. 

Walmart has around 90 private label brands, over 20 of which generate at least $1 billion in sales.

Now imagine the powerful competitive advantage that combining retail media and private labels under the Walmart umbrella would provide. 

Walmart plans to make Vizio an exclusive brand.

Image source: Sullivan/Getty Images

Walmart invests in retail media with a major acquisition

Walmart  (WMT)  acquired Vizio for $2.3 billion in 2024, making the retailer the sole owner of the brand’s television business and SmartCast advertising platform.

This significant investment marked Walmart’s first venture into streaming services, aiming to provide new content for its customers. 

With the combination of SmartCast and Walmart’s ad platform, Walmart Connect, the company has put itself in a great position to expand its advertising business and help boost product discovery. 

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“Vizio has also expertly changed their business over time, like building and quickly scaling a profitable advertising business. Pairing it with Walmart Connect will be impactful and allow us to invest in our business even further on behalf of our customers,” said Walmart U.S. Executive VP Seth Dallaire in a press release. 

Walmart’s advertising business is still a work in progress, since it accounts for less than 1% of its $681 billion annual revenue for fiscal 2025.

However, Walmart may have a major project brewing to dominate the advertising business, as it has with retail. 

Walmart rivals have similar strategies to boost growth

It has been revealed that Walmart plans to extend its ties with Vizio by making it a private label brand by the end of this year. This strategic move would make Vizio’s smart TVs exclusively available at Walmart and Sam’s Club, taking them away from competitors such as Amazon and Target, which currently sell them. 

Although Walmart is already a top retailer, this deal would strengthen its position in both retail and advertising. The company has also been working to create a shoppable television experience that enables viewers to purchase products directly from the screen. 

Despite advertising being a relatively new area for Walmart, it has grown rapidly since the launch of Walmart Connect in 2021. 

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Walmart’s advertising business, including Vizio, grew by 50%, with Walmart Connect in the U.S. increasing 31%, during the first quarter of fiscal 2026.

However, Walmart isn’t the only one leveraging television and advertising exclusivity. Its strongest competitors have brand partnerships of their own.

In June, Amazon  (AMZN)  announced its partnership with Roku to integrate its advertising network with Roku’s platform, expanding its reach through the largest authenticated Connected TV (CTV) footprint in the U.S.

Target  (TGT) , which is slightly more seasoned in this area, expects its retail media business, Roundel, to double over the next five years. It currently generates $2 billion for the company.