Your Zepto orders will now determine ads on the internet
What's the story
Zepto, a fast-growing quick commerce platform in India, has partnered with global ad-tech giant The Trade Desk. The collaboration will allow brands to use shopping data on the platform for more effective advertising across the digital ecosystem. This includes connected TVs (CTV), music streaming services, websites and mobile apps. The partnership could extend Zepto's data footprint beyond grocery delivery and into other areas of consumer behavior.
Data sharing
How the partnership works
Under the deal, Zepto will provide anonymous user shopping behavior across categories such as groceries, electronics, baby care and household goods. Advertisers on The Trade Desk's platform can then use these signals to target high-intent users across other digital platforms. Only those who opt in to receive the relevant ads will be included and no personal identifiers or names will be shared.
Attribution benefits
Closed-loop attribution makes ads more effective
The partnership also enables closed-loop attribution, linking ad exposure directly to purchases. For instance, if a buyer sees an ad for shampoo on OTT and later buys it on Zepto, it can be directly attributed to that campaign. "Advertisers need clear, measurable insights into how each part of their media spend drives real outcomes," said Tejinder Gill, the Managing Director of The Trade Desk India.
Market expansion
Retail media is expanding into open internet channels
The partnership highlights a global trend of retail media expanding beyond e-commerce platforms into open internet channels. The Trade Desk has already formed similar deals with Walgreens and CVS in the US, Coles in Australia, and Ocado in the UK. In India, it is building similar alliances with players like BigBasket among others. Retail media is one of the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising globally, and India is starting to see similar momentum.
Projection
India's advertising market touching ₹1.64L crore by year-end
According to media investment company GroupM's This Year, Next Year report, India's total advertising market is expected to reach ₹1.64 lakh crore by end of 2025. Digital will account for over 60% of that—about ₹98,500 crore. Within digital, retail media has grown at a 40% compound annual rate since 2019, and is tipped to account for 13.2% of total ad spend next year.