Retail Media Breakfast Club
Episodes
Underrated Advice For Choosing A Retail Media Agency Partner [Panel]
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Choosing the right retail media agency can be a make or break decision, but most brands are asking the wrong questions. In this episode, I called on s...
Building Retail Media Federations: Foundations and Barriers (Part 3)
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Retail media federations sound like a no-brainer: retailers pooling their audiences and inventory to attract bigger ad dollars while keeping their uni...
Meet The First Retail Media Federations & Consortiums (Part 2)
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week’s big announcement from Best Buy caught my attention. Not just because of its splashy branding moves with gaming and sports, but because i...
Growth Beyond Amazon: Tapping Into Retail Media's Broader Opportunities (Part 2 of 3)
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon may dominate the retail media landscape, but is your brand missing growth opportunities by focusing too narrowly? In the second installment of ...
ROAS Isn’t Enough — The Buyer’s Checklist for Retail Media
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Too often, retail media performance gets boiled down to a single number: ROAS. But is that really enough to guide smart investment decisions? In this ...
The Retail Media Doom Loop
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Retail media has exploded in recent years, but is it already falling into a dangerous cycle? In this episode, I share highlights from a recent LinkedI...
AI Agent Shopping & Existential Threats To Retail Media
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could AI shopping agents fundamentally disrupt retail media as we know it? In this episode, I share highlights from my recent appearance on the Commer...
Brands are from Mars, Retailers are from Venus: Getting Inside the Head of Retailers (Part 1 of 3)
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a brand, working with retailers can often feel like navigating two completely different worlds. Retailers operate as complex ecosystems where merch...
9 Ways Retailers & Brands Can Make Loyalty Programs Attractive... To AI Agents
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into what loyalty really means in an era of agent-driven shopping. Recently, loyalty expert Stephanie Meltzer-Paul challenged ...
Your AI Agent Just Got Hacked
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I take you inside a chilling scenario that started with a simple eBay hack and led me to a much bigger question: what happens when AI agents sta...
Sam's Club Races To Win Retail Media Network Share Through Experiences
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I take you inside one of the most innovative retail media activations I’ve seen yet: Sam’s Club’s “Race to the Club” and th...
Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Retail Conferences [Panel Episode]
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conferences are expensive: flights, hotels, and registration fees all add up fast. But the brands who see real ROI from industry events know that the ...
Big Agencies & Retail Media: A Slightly Unhinged Relationship
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Retail media may be the hottest topic in advertising right now, but how do big agencies really feel about it? In this episode, I unpack new Infillion ...
Loyalty Programs To Give Retailers An Edge In AI Shopping Future?
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world of shopping is changing fast and loyalty programs are right at the center of it. In this episode, I share expert insights from Stephanie Mel...
AI Agents Hate Ads Today — But Will That Last?
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week I shared some surprising new research: AI shopping agents are actively penalizing sponsored products, reducing the likelihood of them being ...
Are retail media specialists involved in product development? [Panel Episode]
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s a question that might sting a little: when your company launches a new product, are you finding out about it at the same time as everyone els...
What Is Your AI Agent Buying? [New Columbia & Yale Research]
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine sending three different people to buy you a pair of slippers and each person comes back with wildly different products. Now replace those peop...
Why RMNs Keep Their Tech Stacks Secret From The Very Brands They Want To Attract
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, I dive into a surprising paradox in the retail media world. While nearly 9 out of 10 brands say a retailer’s tech stack influe...
Rufus Remembers Me
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I asked Amazon’s Rufus a simple question—and its answer was uncomfortably (and impressively) specific. In this episode, I unpack why that moment m...
Risky Retail Media Decisions That Paid Off [Panel]
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In retail media, the biggest wins often come from bold, high-stakes decisions. In this episode, I sit down with a panel of industry leaders who share ...
How Alliances Could Solve Retail Media's Fragmentation Problem (Part 1)
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The retail media landscape is booming. But it’s also messy, fragmented, and heavily dominated by just a few players. In this episode, I unpack the c...
Ads in AI Are Older Than You'd Think
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world of advertising is changing faster than many expected and AI is leading the charge. In this episode, I dive into the rise of advertising insi...
Retailer AI Assistants: Are Shoppers Actually Using Them?
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that while 70% of shoppers have experimented with AI tools to help them shop, fewer than 15% have actually used a retailer’s AI shoppin...
The Coming AI Marketplace Gold Rush
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Remember the Amazon FBA boom? When all you needed was an Alibaba find, a seller account and a dream? Between 2012 and 2020, thousands of entrepreneurs...
Criteo’s Frenemies Pile On
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When your own tech partners start publicly celebrating your struggles, you know the game has changed. In this episode, I unpack the fascinating shake-...
A retail media metric that isn't shiny or new but one that you return to again and again
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s be real: retail media is full of shiny, headline-grabbing metrics that come and go with the latest trends. But in today, I’m digging into th...
Agentic Shopping Poses An Existential Threat To Retail Media (Part 2)
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of my conversation with Scott Wingo, we dive deeper into how AI-powered agentic shopping could reshape - and potentially upend - the curre...
Agentic Shopping Poses An Existential Threat To Retail Media (Part 1)
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When I launched my Amazon agency Bobsled back in 2015, I heard plenty of dismissals: CEOs calling Amazon ads a fad, and prestige brands scoffing at th...
The best conversation you had with your Shopper Marketing team
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Retail media may be the shiny new thing, but the true magic happens when it blends with the wisdom of traditional shopper marketing. In this episode I...
Will the retail industry welcome the “commerce media” newcomers?
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I’m tackling a big shift that’s got everyone buzzing in the world of retail media. The IAB has just redefined the landscape, moving us from ...
Amazon Q2 Earnings: Best Of The Analyst Recaps
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon just dropped its Q2 2025 earnings—and the numbers sparked plenty of hot takes across the retail world. In this episode I distill the smartest...
Walmart Reveals AI Roadmap That Points To A World Without Search Bars
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this quick breakdown of my latest Forbes piece, I walk you through Walmart’s new four-part agentic AI roadmap—Sparky for shoppers, Marty for su...
Launching In New Markets & Marketplaces: 3 Brands Share Top Tips
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
every new retailer needs its own game plan—copy‑pasting your Amazon playbook is a budget trap. In just ten minutes, three seasoned ecommerce leade...
Why Are Display Ads In Retail Media Still So Bad?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Display advertising in retail media is still in the dark ages. That’s because the tech and mechanisms it was built on were never designed for retail...
I'm back and I owe you an explanation
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome Back to Season 2!I'm kicking off Season 2 with a personal update and a few exciting announcements about what’s ahead for the Retail Media Br...
Season Finale! Returning July 28
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cannes is over, and so is Season 1 of Retail Media Breakfast Club.Thank you for joining me for this experiment I started in January. After pushing nea...
Cannes Confessional #4: RMNs Should Chase That Brand Marketing Budget
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Day three at the Cannes Festival of Creativity brought some of the most insightful conversations yet! I sat down once again with Lauren Livak, Directo...
Cannes Confessional #3: The Funnel is Now a Tunnel
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cannes Confessional 3In today’s episode of Cannes Confessional, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Paul Longo, GM of AI in Ads at Microsoft Adv...
Are You Sitting on a Retail Media Goldmine?
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into some fresh insights straight from the Cannes Festival of Creativity, where I caught a fascinating research presentation a...
Cannes Confessional #1
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I just landed in Cannes, and wow—talk about a tale of two coastlines! On one side, CMOs and creatives are tucked away in the Palais soaking up award...
What I’ve learned from 102 episodes over 5 months (and my future plans)
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After five months and over a hundred episodes, I take a moment to reflect on what this journey with the Retail Media Breakfast Club has taught me so f...
My highlights from the new 'Retailgentic' podcast
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
f you’ve noticed fewer Google searches and more ChatGPT queries lately, you’re not imagining things—AI is changing how we shop. In this episode,...
How These 4 Retail Media Leaders Are Using AI Right Now
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode I dive into the real-world ways top retail brands are using AI—not just the flashy stuff you read about, but the practical tools ...
Should We Really Care What Consumers Think About Retail Media Ads?
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I unpack some eye-opening contradictions in consumer behavior when it comes to retail media. Sure, surveys say a lot—67% of shopper...
How an RMN's tech stack impacts your advertising results
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive deep into why the technology stack behind these networks isn’t just a backend concern—it’s the backbone of your campaign...
Why AI Search Advertising Could Reach $25 Billion By 2029
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
EMARKETER's bold projection—AI-powered search ads surging from $1B to over $25B by 2029—isn’t just hype. From structured product feeds in LLMs t...
How These 4 Retail Media Leaders Make Conference Season Count
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conference season is here, and with it comes the ever-present question from leadership: “Why should we approve this expense?” In today’s episode...
Mary Meeker Is So Back: My Notes From Her 340-Page AI Futurecast
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, I dive into Mary Meeker’s long-awaited return to the tech trend spotlight with her massive 340-page AI report. If you’ve followed he...
Meta Says ‘Just Trust Us’ With AI Ads, Will Amazon Follow Suit?
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive deep into the future of advertising and tackle a burning question in the world of retail media: Will Amazon follow Meta’s pa...
Where Does The Ecomm Team Really Belong? 3 Brand-Side Leaders Share Their Org Charts
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
n today’s episode of the Retail Media Breakfast Club, I’m digging into a question that gets a lot of e-commerce pros fired up: where should your e...
Is Retail Media Actually Kinda 'Mid'? PART 2
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this follow-up episode, I dive back into the great retail media debate stirred up by Jason Goldberg’s recent commentary on the Jason & Scott ...
Walmart's Sparky AI Shopping Assistant: My Hot Take
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This morning, I dove into Walmart’s new AI shopping assistant, Sparky. As a late entrant into the AI assistant race, Walmart may actually be playing...
AI in real life: how retailers and brands are leveraging AI (real numbers)
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I’m kicking off something a little different—our first-ever AI case study spotlight! We often get caught up in the hype of what AI could do...
Career Sliding Doors: The Pivotal Moments That Changed These 4 Ecomm Leaders' Careers
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, I dive into one of my favorite topics—those unexpected career-defining moments that shape everything. I’m talking about the ...
Retailers Hit 99% Ad Coverage Without Killing User Experience, New Report Shows
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today I’m digging into the latest insights from Pentaleap’s biannual Sponsored Products Benchmark Report—and it’s challenging some long-held a...
55% of consumers say they don't trust AI shopping chatbots & recommendations
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, I unpack why so many shoppers are brushing off AI chatbots and recommendation engines—even as they quietly benefit from other ...
Walmart is Betting on AI Agents, While Amazon Goes Proprietary
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week the Wall Street Journal reported that Walmart is building its own shopping agents for tasks like reordering groceries and handling requests ...
How retailers 'Do' Sponsored Product ads: 4 takeaways for brands
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Sponsored Product Ads benchmark report from Pentaleap dropped today! This benchmark compares the performance of major retail media netwo...
Brands demand retail media standards. Retailers say it's too hard. Do they kind of have a point?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I draw a parallel between the diverse approaches to making bolognese sauce and the varied nature of retail media networks. Just as e...
Instacart’s Turnaround CEO Heads To The AI Frontier
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I share Fidji Simo's remarkable journey as the CEO of Instacart and her upcoming transition to lead OpenAI's consumer products divi...
Prime Day 2025: Are Brands Scaling Back? (3 Reasons To Reconsider)
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Retail Media Breakfast Club: Prime Day 2025 Participation TrendsIn today's episode, I dive into the results of my recent LinkedIn poll about how brand...
Is Retail Media Actually Kinda 'Mid'?
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week I dive into an interesting perspective from Jason Goldberg on the Jason + Scot show, who mentioned this podcast (a proud moment for me as I'...
"We're Not Dabbling Here": Amazon's Official Company Line On AI
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I dive into Amazon's earnings call AI announcements and what they mean for retail and ecommerce. Andy Jassy says they're building "a thousand plus AI ...
DSPs Wanted: The Retail Media Revolution 96% of Advertisers Crave
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could DSPs Be Retail Media's Panama Canal?In today's episode, I talk about Koddi's new "State of Programmatic Retail Media" report and why programmati...
Amazon Q1 Earnings Scorecard: Winners, Losers, and the Calm Before the Tariff Storm
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I break down Amazon's Q1 2025 earnings and examine what they reveal about the coming impact of tariffs on the e-commerce ecosystem. I...
My Notes From an Interview with Costco's RMN leader, Mark Williamson
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I share my notes from a fascinating interview with Mark Williamson, the leader of Costco's Retail Media Network, which aired on the Middlemen podcast....
The Back Channel: AI Is Replacing Devs (But Banned At Retailer X), Freudian Analysis Of Offsite Vs Onsite Retail Media
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is a new format: "The Back Channel" where I share anonymized insights from my recent conversations with industry leaders in retail med...
Amazon Haul Expands As Chinese Competitors Face Tariff Upheaval
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, I explore Amazon's strategic expansion of its low-cost "Haul" store during a critical moment for cross-border e-commerce. This dis...
The AI Shopping Agent War Begins
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, I explore how major tech companies are positioning themselves in a high-stakes battle for control of consumer purchasing decisions...
Offsite vs onsite retail media
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this insightful episode, Kiri Masters breaks down the growing importance of offsite retail media, which extends retailers' advertising capabilities...
Don't Just Put the Intern on It: Breaking the Cycle of E-Commerce Resistance
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The host Kiri Masters shares her framework for how brands evolve when selling on Amazon, from initial ignorance to full integration, while drawing par...
WOAS: Waste of Ad Spend
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Podean, an independent retail media and marketplaces agency, recently launched the "WOAS" Awards (Waste of Ad Spend Awards), a parody award highlighti...
Trump’s Tariff Shock May Drive Major Shift In Retail Media Spending
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump's sweeping tariffs are forcing consumer brands to make difficult trade-offs, with one of the most immediate impacts being on advertisi...
'Vibe Marketing' comes to retail media
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Kiri Masters explores how "vibe marketing" - a concept originating in tech circles - can be applied to retail media strategies. She b...
Walmart puts the hard word on advertisers with 25% spend bump
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the host Kiri Masters examines Walmart's reported push for brands to increase their retail media spending by 25% year-over-year as pa...
Our New 2-Speed Marketplace
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this insightful episode, Kiri Masters analyzes data from Momentum Commerce that reveals a fascinating "frugal frenzy" emerging across Amazon's mark...
Panel: The death of the marketing funnel
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this panel episode, industry leaders discuss the evolving nature of the customer journey in today's digital landscape. Josh Clarkson, Global Lead f...
The Other Side of the Story: Why Retailers Struggle with Media Measurement and Standardization
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the complex landscape of retail media measurement, focusing on insights from the Path to Purchase Institute's Retail Media Guild...
Why Real-Time Bidding Is Retail Media's Next Frontier
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode delves into the current landscape of retail media where Amazon and Walmart dominate market share, yet there are over 70 competing retail ...
I Tested Amazon's AI Shopping Agent That Buys From Other Websites
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into Amazon's new 'Buy for Me' feature, currently in beta for select US customers. 'Buy for Me' allows users to purchase dir...
Panel: New and exciting retail media metrics
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this panel episode, retail media leaders discuss the evolving landscape of metrics in the industry. Josh Clarkson,Global Lead for Retail Media at M...
Scouting For Tech: Lessons From Schwarz
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into key insights from an interview with Mirko Saul, the SVP of Innovation at Schwarz Digital, featured on the Off Bounds po...
Nova Act: What Amazon's Agentic AI Means for the Future of retail
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore Amazon's recent launch of Nova Act, a developer tool for AI agents designed to facilitate various internet-based actions, ...
Home Depot’s Retail Media Chief Puts Suppliers At The Center
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss a Forbes article written by our host Kiri Masters about Home Depot's distinctive strategy in the retail media landscape. U...
Panel episode: Overcoming failure in retail media roles
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into how failure serves as feedback in retail media, turning initial setbacks into strategic successes. Brand leaders share ...
Spotting Retail Media 'Imposter' Job Candidates Before They Burn You
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the host Kiri Masters' recalls a surprising incident where two star employees were found working for both their agency and a competit...
Panel episode: How to convince someone that ROAS is not the answer
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode tackles the common industry fixation on Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), exploring how retail media leaders achieve growth by shifting focus aw...
The Alexa+ Optimization Playbook For Brands
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the host Kiri Masters explores the implications of Amazon's Alexa Plus on brand strategies and product discovery. Building on Kiri's ...
Its retail conference season. Get on the stage!
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this practical episode, the host Kiri Masters shares invaluable insights on building your personal brand through speaking engagements, whether you'...
Amazon's Patent Reveals How Alexa+ Will Transform Product Discovery
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the host Kiri Masters' discusses Amazon's recent announcement of Alexa Plus, a significant upgrade to Alexa's capabilities by integra...
Best Buy's Marketplace Bet Is Really About Ad Revenue
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore Best Buy's upcoming launch of a third-party marketplace in the US set for this summer. While expanding its product range i...
Retailers Are Learning to Sell (Part 3/3): How Retailers and Media Buyers Can Work Better Together
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special 3-part series, Jordan Witmer, Managing Director of Unified Commerce at the agency Nectar First, joins Kiri to riff on the business of ...
Retailers Are Learning to Sell—But This Time, It’s Media (Part 2/3): The Retail Media Tech Stack
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special 3-part series, Jordan Witmer, Managing Director of Unified Commerce at the agency Nectar First, joins Kiri to riff on the business of ...
Retailers Are Learning to Sell—But This Time, It’s Media, Not Products (Part 1/3)
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special 3-part series, Jordan Witmer, Managing Director of Unified Commerce at the agency Nectar First, joins Kiri to riff on the business of ...
Sam's Club RMN: Notes from my interview with GM Harvey Ma
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the host Kiri Masters' discusses key themes from her interview with Harvey Ma, focusing on Sam's Club's unique retail media platform....
What Unilever's New CEO Isn't Saying About Retail Media
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we analyze Unilever’s new CEO Fernandez's first major speech, where he surprisingly omits any mention of e-commerce or retail media...
How AI affects the consumer path to purchase (AI in retail series, Part 5)
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the AI in Retail Deep Dive Series, the host Kiri Masters converses with Lauren Schiavone, founder of AI-focused consultancy, Wonder...
Panel: How These Three E-commerce Leaders Think About Hiring Retail Media Talent
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from industry experts Brian Dudzinski, Alicia Ponzani, and Brea Keating as they discuss the multifaceted nature of e-commerce...
Amazon's Triple Squeeze: Navigating Private Label Growth, 3P Pressure & Tougher Vendor Negotiations
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, the host Kiri Masters delves into three key research reports that collectively outline Amazon's evolving marketplace strategy as of M...
How Autonomous AI Agents Will Transform Retail Discovery
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the transformative wave of AI in retail, focusing on agentic AI systems capable of autonomously completing tasks without h...