This post originally appeared in my column for Forbes.com, on Thursday February 13th, 2025. 

While traditional advertising channels struggle for growth, retail media continues its meteoric rise. With over 250 retail media networks now operating in the U.S. alone and spending projected to reach $65 billion in 2025 according to EMARKETER, the opportunity for professionals to build expertise in this space has never been greater. From established players expanding their offerings to new entrants launching networks, the landscape grows more complex by the day.

Yet finding quality educational resources—particularly free ones—can be challenging in this fast-moving sector. Several organizations are working to close this knowledge gap with accessible, high-quality content.

Here are five valuable learning opportunities available now. 

1. Digital Shelf Institute

The Digital Shelf Institute (DSI) is an online community and resource hub focused on helping brands, manufacturers, and retailers succeed in the ever-evolving world of eCommerce. Through thought leadership, reports, webinars, and industry partnerships, the DSI provides insights and best practices on critical topics such as product detail page optimization, retail media, and organizational strategies for online growth.

Two free resources particularly relevant to retail media include:

1. What Do PDP Content and Retail Media Have in Common? This webinar that provides concrete data on how product detail page quality impacts advertising performance. The session offers practical frameworks for measuring content's effect on conversion rates and specific strategies for breaking down silos between content and media teams.

2. How Brands 'Do’ Retail Media. This report and accompanying webinar, developed in conjunction with industry analyst Stratably (mentioned below) delivers detailed insights on organizational structure. It breaks down how leading brands are building their retail media teams, including specific guidance on team sizes, budget allocation, and required skill sets. The report is particularly valuable for organizations working to scale their retail media operations or justify increased investment.

2. firstmovr Virtual Summits

firstmovr offers free virtual summits and upskilling for brands on a variety of retail media and marketplaces topics, including retail eventing, digital shelf, omni category management, commerce AI and retailer deep-dive strategies. 

A Walmart growth summit is scheduled for March 18, 2025 and a Deal Days summit for April 4, 2025 focused on preparing for Prime Day 2025. 

On-demand content available on firstmovr.com includes 'CYBER MONDAY’ covering the latest omnichannel news, 'INSIDE THE MAITRIX' covering commerce AI points of view, "SHEARED," a series of events and publications sharing how large CPG organizations can adapt to the demands of omnichannel shopping behavior and more.

3. Allume Group’s Retail Media Advertising Strategy Course

Allume Group empowers professionals with the expertise and community needed to win in digital commerce. This organization offers timely and actionable knowledge to ecommerce leaders, delivered via live workshops, on-demand training, and hands-on advisory services. 

Available free until March 31, Allume Group’s Retail Media Advertising Strategy course walks through a structured methodology for preparing products for advertising and setting strategic objectives. This offering is particularly valuable for brands just beginning their retail media journey.

4. Stratably Research & Newsletter

Stratably is a research and advisory firm specializing in eCommerce and retail media. They provide data-driven insights, reports, and frameworks to help brands develop successful online sales strategies, optimize their product detail pages, and structure their organizations for effective digital channel management. 

While most of Stratably's research sits behind a paywall, they offer a valuable free Monday newsletter covering retail media developments. They've also made their "Retail Media Wake Up Call" report freely available, which examines the implications of brands concentrating budgets in limited retail media networks.

5. The Path To Purchase Institute

The Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI), a leading organization focused on commerce marketing, offers free access to their extensive webinar series covering retail media innovations and best practices. Recent sessions like "Unpacking the State of Retail Media" and "Revolutionizing Retail Media" feature real-world case studies from major brands and retailers, as well as covering recent industry benchmarks and analysis. 

While some of P2PI’s resources are reserved for their 2,700+ member community, these webinars provide valuable insights into how established brands are navigating the retail media landscape.

Continue sharpening the saw

Retail media’s rapid expansion shows no signs of slowing, with networks proliferating beyond traditional retailers into entertainment platforms, delivery services, and even social commerce. This evolution brings both opportunity and complexity - new ad formats emerge regularly, measurement capabilities advance rapidly, and the lines between retail media and broader digital advertising continue to blur.

For those serious about advancing their retail media careers, these resources offer different approaches to building expertise - from structured courses to timely industry updates. The combination of tactical training, strategic frameworks, and ongoing industry analysis can help build the well-rounded understanding needed to thrive in this evolving landscape.