Retail Media Breakfast Club
Business & Finance
About
10 minutes of expert insights every weekday. Your morning ritual for staying ahead in retail media.
Episodes
- AI Is Quietly Breaking Retail Media — And No One Wants to Admit It
This episode discusses the contrarian view that AI-enabled commerce is a threat to the retail media model. It explores how AI reshapes the shopper journey before they reach a retailer's site and why retail media executives may be disincent…
- Kroger’s Retail Media Playbook: Why Context Data Is the Future of Commerce Media
This episode discusses Kroger’s partnership with Google, highlighting the growing importance of context data and retailer-owned shopper intelligence in the evolving landscape of commerce media. It explores how loyalty data and robust infra…
- Retail Media’s Narrative Problem (And How to Fix It for Optimal Impact)
This episode discusses the narrative problem in retail media, suggesting a shift from feature-first to problem-first communication to improve impact. It offers a framework for creating better content and emphasizes clear, intentional messa…
- I Need Your Help! Which Retail Media Trends Can’t You Ignore in 2026?
This episode of Retail Media Breakfast Club discusses pressing retail media topics for 2026, drawing from insights gained at Possible Miami and The Drum’s Global Commerce Media Leaders Forum. The host invites listener participation to iden…
- Why iROAS Metrics Are So Inconsistent (And Why Debate Is Good For The Industry)
This episode discusses the wide variations in iROAS metrics based on methodology, highlighting critiques and the authors' responses. It aims to provide advertisers with a clearer perspective on evaluating retail media performance and encou…
- Bring the “Retail” Back to Retail Media: 4 Fixes Every RMN Needs Now
This episode summarizes insights from a panel at the Global Commerce Leaders Forum, addressing four critical fixes for retail media networks: reconnecting with retail, enhancing collaboration, standardizing measurement, and establishing a…
- Kroger x YouTube: The Retail Media Breakthrough That Could Unlock Billions in Brand Budgets
Host Kiri Masters discusses Kroger's YouTube integration with Google DV360, highlighting its potential to unlock national brand budgets. The episode covers measurement advancements like SKU-level attribution and simplified workflows, sugge…
- In-Store Retail Media Measurement Is Broken — Shopper Purchase Rate Explained with Catalyst & In-Store Marketplace
This episode discusses the challenges of measuring in-store retail media, arguing that current metrics like one-to-one attribution are inadequate. It highlights research proposing "shopper purchase rate" as a more meaningful standard that…
- 7 Retail Media Upfront Secrets: What Home Depot Got Right (And What Others Are Missing)
This episode analyzes the seven smartest decisions made by Home Depot during their retail media upfronts, highlighting how they created a focused, high-impact event for advertisers and suppliers. Key takeaways include the advantages of a c…
- The Real ROI of Retail Media Events: Are Work Trips Still Worth It in 2026?
This episode questions the value of work trips and in-person events in the modern commerce media landscape, referencing data on declining attendance and discussing factors like budget pressures and decision fatigue.
- Home Depot’s Retail Media Playbook: How Orange Apron Media Is Winning Where Others Can’t
This episode of Retail Media Breakfast Club analyzes Home Depot's Orange Apron Media strategy, highlighting how they leverage unique strengths like the Pro customer and in-store media. It explores their approach to integrated analytics and…
- Retail Media vs National Media: The Measurement Debate Brands Can’t Ignore
This episode unpacks whether retail media should be measured like national media, detailing why a one-size-fits-all approach is problematic. It examines the tension between commerce-specific and traditional marketing models, discusses fail…
- The Real Secret Behind Consistent Content: Storytelling, AI & My Big Mishap
This episode features a snippet from the Unlocked podcast, discussing personal content creation processes, the use of AI in workflows, and the importance of storytelling in retail media. It also includes a personal anecdote from early care…
- AI Is Clicking Your Ads (And Wasting Your Budget) — The Hidden Retail Media Crisis
This episode discusses the immediate threat of AI shopping agents to retail media. These agents click on ads without human viewers, inflating metrics and corrupting behavioral data, which distorts ad targeting and the measurement system.
- Brand Media vs Commerce Media: How Gildan Is Redefining Retail Media Strategy for Faster, Cheaper Growth
This episode discusses how Gildan leverages brand media to reduce the cost of growth in retail. Key takeaways include aligning brand and commerce teams, the declining relevance of impression metrics, and insights from a high-impact Amazon…
- Writing Into the Void: How I Built Authority in Retail Media (From Zero to 28K Followers)
This episode details the process of building authority in retail media, starting a new social media presence, and developing content consistently. It covers overcoming challenges like imposter syndrome and finding one's voice in the indust…
- Why AI Grocery Shopping Isn’t Taking Over Yet (But Absolutely Will)
This episode examines the current limitations of AI in grocery shopping, contrasting the idealized vision with consumer reality. It delves into specific areas where consumers show openness to AI assistance and explores the technological hu…
- Dark Search & AI Shopping: The Hidden Threat (and Opportunity) for Retail Media
This episode examines the concept of "dark search" and how AI-driven shopping discovery impacts retail media. It contrasts research findings on whether AI boosts e-commerce growth or creates measurement blind spots, posing questions about…
- AI Advertising Is Happening NOW: What Retailers Must Know Before It’s Too Late
This episode argues that AI advertising is not a future concept but a present reality, impacting retail media now. It discusses the implications of early AI ad rollouts, such as ChatGPT's, for retailers, including adoption trends and the e…
- Agentic Commerce Isn’t the Threat You Think — Why Retailers Are Playing the Long Game
This episode explores the evolving sentiment in retail media, moving from fear of AI and agentic commerce to a more strategic focus. It examines how retailers like Costco and Target are building foundational infrastructure to adapt to futu…
- 83% of Retail Media Campaigns Are Misleading You (iROAS Exposed)
This episode questions the accuracy of retail media measurement, revealing how different calculation methods can significantly alter incremental ROAS (iROAS) results. It discusses the implications for brands and retailers, advocating for t…
- The Retail Media Fermi Paradox: Why Everyone Talks Growth… But Only Amazon & Walmart Win
This episode discusses the "Retail Media Fermi Paradox," drawing parallels to the Fermi Paradox to explain why only a few retailers, like Amazon and Walmart, dominate the growing retail media sector. It unpacks the structural challenges, r…
- Retail Media Measurement Is Broken (Here’s What Brands Actually Want Instead)
This episode of Retail Media Breakfast Club unpacks the problems with retail media measurement, highlighting issues like misaligned strategies and outdated data approaches. It discusses why major ad platforms are more successful and what s…
- Why Retailer Magazines Are the Next Big Retail Media Channel (Post-AI Shopping Era)
This episode examines the unexpected rise of print magazines and direct mail as key retail media channels, challenging the purely digital focus. It highlights how younger generations are drawn to physical media, creating opportunities for…
- Why Retail Media Looks So Different in the US vs Europe (And Why You’re Comparing It Wrong)
This episode discusses the fundamental differences between US and European retail media markets, explaining why direct comparisons are often misleading. Factors like geography, regulation, e-commerce adoption, and historical trade practice…
- AI Discovery Is Reshaping Retail: Shoptalk 2026 Insights
This episode of Retail Media Breakfast Club breaks down practical insights from Shoptalk 2026, highlighting AI-powered discovery as a new retail battleground and discussing the internal processes that impact AI adoption. It also touches on…
- Shoptalk 2026: AI, Agentic Commerce & Retail Media’s Next Power Shift
This episode, recorded live at Shoptalk 2026, discusses the impact of AI on shopping, Meta's strategies for in-store data, and how retailers are expanding their offsite media presence. It features six experts discussing trends that could r…
- Are AI Ads the Next Billion-Dollar Channel? How Retail Media Wins in the Age of LLMs [Agentic Commerce Expert Series Part 4 of 4]
This episode discusses the implications of AI ads within LLM platforms, exploring concepts like agentic advertising and AI-powered targeting. It provides guidance for retailers and brands on preparing for these changes in the evolving ad l…
- Costco Exposing Its Retail Media Tech Stack Might Change Everything
This episode discusses Costco's bold move to reveal its entire retail media tech stack, contrasting with the usual secrecy of such networks. It features insights from Costco's Mark Williamson and MetaRouter's Jon Flugstad, exploring the im…
- Retail Media Has a PR Problem: CVS Media Exchange’s Bold Wake-Up Call
This episode discusses the public relations issues facing the retail media industry, featuring insights from CVS Media Exchange. It covers the need for transparency, standardized metrics, and accurate ROI measurement to build credibility a…
- Google’s New AI Patent Could Hijack Your Landing Pages (And Charge You for It)
A new Google AI patent allows the company to dynamically replace e-commerce landing pages with personalized versions within ads. This development raises significant concerns about brand control, attribution, and ad spend, potentially allow…
- Why Ecommerce Signals Are Disappearing And What Retailers Must Do Next [Agentic Commerce Expert Series Part 3 of 4]
This episode discusses the disappearance of traditional ecommerce signals as AI and LLMs shift discovery upstream. Joined by Amelia Van Camp of Mirakl, the discussion covers why AI shopping assistants fail, retailer missteps in tech adopti…
- OpenAI Killed Instant Checkout… But Agentic Shopping Isn’t Dead (What Retailers Need to Know Now)
This episode discusses the failure of OpenAI's Instant Checkout, arguing that agentic commerce is not dead. It examines successful AI-driven shopping experiences, particularly in China and emerging platforms like TikTok Shop, and analyzes…
- My RampUp Notes: Why Data Collaboration Is Winning Ad Budgets
The episode highlights data collaboration as the key factor determining the success of retail media networks, influencing brand budget allocation and investment priorities. It covers insights from the RampUp conference, including how CPG b…
- How Nestlé Decides Which Retail Media Networks Get Budget (And Why They Compare Them to Google & Meta)
This episode details Nestlé's method for evaluating retail media networks, including a comparison to Google and Meta. It discusses the internal challenges of proving ROI for media spend and how testing is improving investment in commerce m…
- PDP the New Homepage? How AI Shopping Is Reshaping Retail Media & Ecommerce [Agentic Commerce Expert Series Part 2 of 4]
This episode explores how AI-powered shopping journeys, often starting with LLM research, lead consumers directly to product pages. Experts discuss why the Product Detail Page (PDP) might become the new homepage and the resulting impact on…
- Dirty Secrets of Retail Media: 5 Ethical Dilemmas Brands Need to Know
This episode discusses five ethical dilemmas emerging in the retail media industry, such as brands funding their own competition and the influence of agency incentives and corporate hospitality. It questions whether retail media can mainta…
- AI, Retail Media & First-Party Data: What Everyone Is Really Saying After RampUp 2026
This episode summarizes takeaways from the RampUp 2026 conference, focusing on AI, first-party data, and offsite retail media. Industry experts discuss the AI inflection point, agentic AI
- Why Retail Media Can’t Unlock Brand Budgets (Until Brands Fix This One Thing)
This episode discusses why brands often fail to spend on retail media, identifying internal budget ownership, misaligned KPIs, and reporting definitions as key barriers. It draws insights from a conversation with Jordan Witmer of Salt XC.
- AI Shopping Is Here: How LLMs Are Rewriting Retail Discovery [Agentic Commerce Expert Series Part 1 of 4]
This episode of the Agentic Commerce Expert Series features Amelia Van Camp discussing how Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming the initial step in the shopping journey. The discussion covers current consumer behavior in AI assistants…
- US vs EU Retail Media: The 5 Structural Barriers Reshaping In-Store Advertising
This episode contrasts US and EU retail media networks, highlighting five key structural differences in in-store advertising. It discusses the impact of regulation, privacy laws like GDPR, budget allocation, ecommerce penetration, and stor…
- Retail Media 3.0: Why AI & Agentic Commerce Could Spark the Golden Era of Advertising
This episode discusses the potential for AI and agentic commerce to revolutionize retail media, moving beyond margin extraction to a win-win model for brands and retailers. It explores concepts like collaborative bidding and contextual tar…
- ROAS Refuses to Die: The Retail Media Measurement Problem No One Wants to Fix
This episode tackles the problem of ROAS in retail media measurement, noting that despite widespread acknowledgment of its flaws, its use persists. It references research indicating brands distrust retail media measurement, yet budgets con…
- AI Won’t Kill Advertising: The Bull Case
This episode counters the AI doomer narrative with Eric Seufert's AI bull case for advertising, arguing AI is inflationary for distribution and advertising routes demand, not creates it. It explores the implications for retail media and co…
- Dark Search & Broken Retail Media Signals: How AI Shopping Is Reshaping the Future of Commerce
This episode discusses how AI-enabled shopping is fundamentally changing the retail landscape, leading to the rise of "dark search" and "dark intent." It explores the implications for retail media and suggests four strategic moves for reta…
- Retail Media Standards Showdown: Why Brands Want Them (And Why Retailers Push Back)
This episode delves into the retail media standardization debate, explaining why brands demand it and retailers resist using a bolognese sauce analogy. It covers the technical and economic reasons for differing measurement approaches and d…
- AI Is Already Disrupting Retail Media Via 'Dark Search' Traffic
This episode discusses the concept of 'dark search' and how AI is already disrupting retail media by influencing purchases without generating direct clicks. It challenges the notion that AI's impact is minimal based on last-click data, hig…
- AI Is Stealing the Browse: How Retail Media Wins the Data War in the Age of ChatGPT
AI is increasingly influencing shopper decisions, with referrals from tools like ChatGPT to retailer sites doubling in a year and significant in-store usage. This episode explores the impact on retail media networks and outlines four strat…
- Why Top Brands Are Building Their Own Retail Media Operating Systems (And Winning in 2026)
This episode explores why top brands are building their own retail media operating systems instead of relying on retailers' dashboards, drawing on data from the fifth annual Stratably × Skai State of Retail Media report. It covers challeng…
- OpenAI Ads Inside ChatGPT: What It Means for Retail Media, Trust & the Future of AI Advertising
This episode examines how ads are being implemented within ChatGPT following an interview with OpenAI's advertising lead, Asad Awan. It discusses the separation between ads and the AI model, contextual targeting versus tracking, and potent…