Shows / Retail Media Breakfast Club
Retail Media Breakfast Club
10 minutes of expert insights every weekday. Your morning ritual for staying ahead in retail media.
Episodes
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Won’t Kill Advertising: The Bull Case
Last week, a viral report predicting an AI-driven economic collapse rattled financial markets. And honestly, I understand why it spread so fast. The 2028…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubDark Search & Broken Retail Media Signals: How AI Shopping Is Reshaping the Future of Commerce
Every major disruption in retail follows the same pattern: a constraint gets removed, customers win, and the incumbent’s profit engine breaks. In this episode…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubRetail Media Standards Showdown: Why Brands Want Them (And Why Retailers Push Back)
Today I’m diving into one of the biggest debates in retail media right now: brands are demanding standardization, and retailers are saying it’s not that…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Is Already Disrupting Retail Media Via 'Dark Search' Traffic
I’ve been ringing the bell about AI disrupting retail media for a while now. The pushback I keep hearing is, “Show me the traffic.” And yes, when you look at…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Is Stealing the Browse: How Retail Media Wins the Data War in the Age of ChatGPT
A year ago, just 7% of website referrals to U.S. retailer sites came from ChatGPT. By October 2025, that number had more than doubled to 16%. And it’s not just…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy Top Brands Are Building Their Own Retail Media Operating Systems (And Winning in 2026)
Here’s a riddle for you: what’s ugly, chaotic, color-coded, constantly changing but absolutely essential? If you guessed the family calendar, you’re correct…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubOpenAI Ads Inside ChatGPT: What It Means for Retail Media, Trust & the Future of AI Advertising
I really, really hoped that ads in AI wouldn’t suck. And now… we’re starting to find out. In this episode, I break down what we’ve learned about how ads are…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubIn-Store Experiential Retail Media: The 3X Sales Lift Brands Can’t Agree on Who Should Fund
When in-store retail media is done right, it can deliver something digital ads simply can’t: a multisensory brand experience that drives immediate sales and…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy OpenAI Ads Are a Wake-Up Call for Retail Media Networks (And What Happens Next)
A couple of weeks ago, OpenAI quietly made one of the most important announcements for the retail media industry, and I don’t think we’re fully reckoning with…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubInside Amazon’s AI Shopping Funnel: Why Rufus Converts 3.5x Better
New data from Sensor Tower confirms what many of us suspected but couldn’t yet prove: AI-assisted shopping on Amazon has quietly crossed the threshold from…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Is Quietly Rewriting Retail Media: What Happens When Shoppers Stop Searching?
Sometimes I feel like the town crier waving a bell about AI and retail media, proclaiming "the end is nigh!", but there's a reason I keep humming the same…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy Retailers Must Start Advertising in LLMs Now (Retail Media Meets AI Ads)
Today, I'm sharing a portion of a sharp and timely analysis from Deborah Aho Williamson, one of the most trusted voices in digital advertising and platform…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubRetail Media’s Buffet Problem: Why Brands Are Losing Their Appetite (2026 Outlook)
I start this episode with a story from a breakfast buffet in Taipei that was so over-the-top indulgent it felt surreal. Sushi, dim sum, pastries worthy of…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWill Ads in ChatGPT Kill Trust or Create the Best Advertising Ever? A Retail Media Wake-Up Call
The conventional wisdom says ads will ruin AI assistants i.e. the moment ChatGPT or Gemini turns commercial, trust disappears. But I’m not convinced. Today I'm…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubCostco Breaks the Silence: Inside the Retail Media Tech Stack That Has The Industry Talking
Today I’m breaking down why Costco’s decision to publicly reveal its retail media tech stack sent shockwaves through NRF, and why it matters so much for…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubInstacart Ads’ Third Act: Ali Miller on Building the Infrastructure Powering Retail Media’s Future
Instacart’s advertising business is officially in its third act, and it’s the most ambitious one yet. In this recap of my recent article for The Drum, I break…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubChallenger vs. Legacy Brands in Retail Media: When Sponsored Products Stop Working (and What to Do Next)
There’s a conversation that comes up constantly in retail media. Challenger brands look at big legacy CPGs and think, “If only we had that budget and analytics…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubIs Amazon Falling Behind? AI Agents, Rufus, and the Future of Ecommerce
Amazon built its empire by disrupting everyone else. But what happens when the disruptor starts looking… defensive. As Walmart, Target, Shopify, Wayfair, and…
Retail Media Breakfast Club7 Ways to Break the Retail Media Doom Loop
Today I dive into the 'retail media doom loop' and share seven actionable ways retailers can break free. If you’ve ever wondered why retail media networks…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubRetailers Are Finally Embracing AI Shopping Bots — Here’s What They Announced at NRF
For the last decade, retailers have done everything they could to keep bots off their websites. But when I was at NRF earlier this month, I heard something…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy the Future of Retail Media Isn’t Amazon or Walmart (It’s the Long Tail)
The retail media conversation is dominated by a handful of giants. But today, I’m analyzing a recent episode of one of my favorite podcasts (Beyond The Shelf…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Is Rewriting Retail Media: Why the Funnel Is Officially Dead
In today’s episode I’m sharing a standout moment from a conversation I recorded back in December on Zalando's Inside Fashion Marketing podcast. It captures a…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhat Retail Media Leaders Really Say at Private NRF Dinners (In-Store Media, Tech Stacks & Shopper Behavior)
Last week at NRF, I co-hosted an intimate, salon-style private dinner with the sponsor of this podcast, Mirakl Ads, bringing together senior leaders from major…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubNRF 2026: Why Retail’s Future Belongs to the Experimenters (Not the Five-Year Planners)
I spent the first few days of NRF right at the center of the retail universe and somehow still managed to feel behind. In this episode, I’m reflecting on what…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhat I Learned Building Retail Media Breakfast Club in One Year (50,000 Downloads Later)
This is the final episode of the year, and honestly, I can’t quite believe how far Retail Media Breakfast Club has come since launching back in January. From…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubMy Retail Media Content Diet: How I Stay Ahead of Trends Without Burning Out
I’m pulling back the curtain on something I’m asked about constantly: how I actually stay on top of the nonstop flow of retail media news, analysis, and…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy Amazon Can’t Stop Agentic Commerce — And Why Other Retailers Must Lean In
Agentic commerce continues to spark tension across the industry. Today, I’m diving straight into one of the biggest debates: whether Amazon’s refusal to…
Retail Media Breakfast Club5 Big Marketing Lessons Retail Media Must Steal From Venture Capital
In this episode of the Retail Media Breakfast Club, I reflect on a recent conversation from the a16z Podcast and the surprisingly relevant lessons that venture…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAmazon’s Sea of Ads: Why 25+ Sponsored Products Per Page Still Works
In this episode, I expand on my latest column in The Drum, where I unpack new data showing that Amazon now averages 25+ sponsored products per page load—far…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubThe Retail Media Civil War Is Ending: How “Fluid” Sponsored Products Are Reshaping Search
In today’s episode, I dig into one of the biggest internal conflicts inside retail organizations—the clash between merchant teams and retail media teams. One…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI vs. Retail Media: The Platform Shift No One Is Ready For
In this 'Snips' episode, I unpack some of the most thought-provoking ideas from tech analyst Benedict Evans’ recent interview on The Knowledge Project…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubInside Costco’s Secretive Retail Media Strategy: What Mark Williamson Revealed
Costco has always been the effortlessly cool kid of the retail media world: unbothered by hype, quietly confident, and doing things entirely on its own terms…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Shopping Hype? My Black Friday to Cyber Monday Halftime Breakdown
In this halftime recap of Black Friday — Cyber Monday, I unpack the avalanche of headlines claiming that AI shopping has finally arrived. Everywhere you look…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy Retail Media’s Metrics Are Failing — And What Actually Drives Brand Growth
This week, I’m digging into a fiery debate that lit up LinkedIn — one that questions whether retail media is measuring the right things at all. After reading a…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhy Long-Tail Advertisers Are Becoming Retail Media’s Biggest Growth Engine
In today’s episode I dig into a surprising and quietly powerful engine of growth for retail media networks: long-tail advertisers. While major CPG brands…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubHow RMNs Can Finally Win Over Media Agencies
In today’s 'Snips' episode, I’m diving into one of the biggest unlocks for retail media networks right now: earning the trust (and the budgets) of media…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI-Fueled Shopping for The Holidays
This week, I’m breaking down a fascinating shift I’ve been watching closely: the moment AI-enabled commerce finally tips from novelty to norm, just in time for…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWill Ads Ruin AI? Why Agentic Advertising Might Save the Internet
In this episode I’m digging into a question I’ve been thinking about for months: If ads inevitably show up inside AI interfaces… do they actually have to suck?…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubGet on the Damn Stage: Why 2026 Is Your Year to Step Into the Spotlight
In this reprise episode, I’m bringing back one of the most timely conversations we can have as we gear up for 2026 conference season: getting on the damn…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubInside Mars’s Retail Media Investment Matrix — Why Only the Top 6 Retail Media Networks Win
Last week at the Path to Purchase Institute LIVE conference, I heard something that most retail media networks probably don’t want to hear out loud: Mars has…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Shopping Agents vs. Retailers: Who Owns Discovery Now?
In today’s 'Snips' episode, I’m diving into one of the conversations that has been rattling around in my head for a while now. While listening to the Unpacking…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubUnfiltered Thoughts From Amazon Unboxed 2025
What is Unboxed, really? This week, I was in Nashville for Amazon’s signature advertising event — a showcase where the tech giant reveals its latest…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubDevelopments in RTB (Real-Time Bidding) for Retail Media
In this episode, I share snippets of my recent livestream with Andreas Reiffen, CEO and co-Founder of Pentaleap, to unpack one of the most debated topics in…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAmazon Unboxed 2025 - Fresh Off The Press Announcements from Nashville
I’m coming to you fresh from Amazon’s Unboxed event in Nashville, where Amazon dropped a wave of updates that show just how far their advertising ambitions are…
Retail Media Breakfast Club"Late By Design" - Molly Hjelm from Ace Hardware's RedVest Media Shares her Retail Media Gameplan
I first met Molly Hjelm, Head of Retail Media at Ace Hardware, during a panel at the RMN Ascendant Event in Silicon Valley, and right away I was struck by her…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhat CPG Brands Actually Control with Agentic Commerce Optimization (ACO)
A lot of brands are focused on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) right now — making sure their products surface when consumers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAI Search to Disrupt Discovery for Retailers — Here's 3 Companies Thinking Outside The Box
In this episode, I dive into one of the biggest questions facing retail media leaders today: how can retailers and brands adapt as AI-driven shopping agents…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubApply For The Damn Award & Conquer Your FOPO (Fear Of Other People's Opinions)
How many times have you not hit publish, not applied, or not shared your achievements because of fear of what others might think? In this episode, I’m diving…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWhat is a 'CommerceGPT'? ['Snips' from Cocktails & Commerce]
In this 'Snips' episode, I’m adding commentary to clips of one of my favorite ecommerce podcasts: Cocktails & Commerce with Brian Walker and Bill Friend. These…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubBreakdown of How Sam's Club Cracked the Code on In-Store Retail Media
Despite the buzz surrounding in-store retail media, most retailers are still struggling to move beyond the pilot phase. But Sam’s Club? They’ve done it, and…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubHow Retailers Can Evolve To Compete With Agentic Shopping ['Snips' from Commerce Media Matters & Mind the Model]
I’m a total podcast junkie, and today I’m bringing you another episode in my 'Snips' series, where I share bite-sized highlights from fascinating conversations…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubThe Secret Hopes & Dreams of RMN Leaders [New Research Preview]
Last week, I got a first look at groundbreaking new research from EMARKETER and Bain that flips the retail media conversation on its head. Instead of surveying…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubMulti-Retailer Networks [Livestream Highlight]
In my recent LinkedIn Live with Andreas Reiffen, co-founder and CEO of adtech company Pentaleap, we dove into one of the most intriguing shifts happening in…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubUnderrated Retail Media Metrics That Fly Under The Radar [Panel Episode]
We all know the usual suspects — ROAS, impressions, clicks — but what if the real indicators of retail media success are hiding in plain sight? In this…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubBrian Monahan Is Going Big With Albertsons Media Collective ['Snips' from The Snarketing Podcast]
A few weeks ago, I sat down with Brian Monahan of Albertsons Media Collective, for a profile in The Drum. And let me tell you, Brian isn’t your typical…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubIs ChatGPT's Instant Checkout 'Really' Agentic? And Does It Actually Matter?
The retail world is buzzing over OpenAI’s new Instant Checkout. But here’s the big question: is it truly agentic commerce, or just another slick integration?…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubWill LLMS Monetize With Ads or Marketplaces? [Retailgentic Crossover]
Today I’m doing something a little different! Instead of my usual trends and insights, I’m sharing a clip from my recent guest appearance on Scot Wingo’s…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubAgentic Shopping Looks Crazy. So Did Self-Service Supermarkets.
In this episode, I start with a trip back to 1916, when Clarence Saunders launched the first self-service supermarket, Piggly Wiggly, and everyone thought it…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubDollar General’s Austin Leonard Is Bullish On 'Last Mile' Opportunity
When you think about retail media, you probably picture shoppers scrolling through Instacart or Walmart’s app. But what about the millions of Americans living…
Retail Media Breakfast ClubI Got Prime Deals. Or Did I? Why Consumer Distrust Is AI Shopping's Real Opening
Last week, I fell into the hype of Amazon’s Big Deal Days. And as the boxes arrived on my doorstep, I couldn’t shake one uncomfortable thought: "did I actually…