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 very different from the biggest names in retail: bring on all the bots. In this episode, a recap of my recent article for The Drum, I break down why that shift is happening now (and what it actually looks like in practice).

At NRF I found a wide spectrum of approaches, from full-scale deployments to cautious experimentation, but also a surprising point of alignment. Listen to learn how six major retailers are thinking about AI shopping agents, what they’re building, and where they’re drawing the line when it comes to control, trust, and ownership of the customer relationship.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] Why retailers who once banned bots are now actively welcoming AI shopping agents

[01:28] Kroger’s fully deployed AI assistants for meal planning, budgeting, and one-click shopping

[02:40] How Lowe’s is using Google’s Business Agent to let customers shop directly from search

[03:59] Ulta Beauty’s marketplace strategy as the foundation for future agentic commerce

[06:01] Home Depot’s problem-first approach, and why merchant of record still matters

[07:26] Wayfair and Urban Outfitters on conversational/multimodal shopping becoming mainstream

Links & Resources

• At NRF, retailers say ‘bring on all the bots’, my full article on The Drum
• Read my related articles:
  • The Retail Media Conversations At NRF That Didn't Make the Stage
  • Amazon is playing agentic commerce chicken. Other retailers should not.
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn

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 hosted Dave Feinelib), and making the case that we’re missing a massive opportunity by ignoring the long tail. If you’re a brand focused only on Amazon, Walmart, or Target, what happens to the shoppers you’re not reaching, especially in regional and mid-market grocery?

In this episode, I dig into insights shared on a recent episode of Beyond The Shelf from Dave Glaza of DIGITS, who has a rare dual perspective: helping brands activate retail media while also operating networks for regional grocers. Dave unpacks why regional grocery is one of the biggest remaining white spaces in retail media, the real reason brands cap the number of RMNs they’ll work with, and what might actually change as budgets tighten and growth gets harder to find.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] Why retail media’s obsession with scale leaves regional shoppers behind

[01:09] Dave Glaza explains the “white space” opportunity in regional grocery

[02:23] The real infrastructure problem behind managing 10+ retail media networks

[03:08] Are brands walking away from half their buyers by ignoring regionals?

[04:19] Why being tech-agnostic matters in a fragmented retail ecosystem

[06:03] The shift from ROAS to “new-to-brand” and category growth metrics

Links & Resources

• Listen to the full Dave Glaza episode of the Beyond The Shelf podcast hosted Dave Feinelib
• Subscribe to Beyond The Shelf
• Dave Glaza runs the agency DIGITS
• Follow Dave Glaza on LinkedIn
• Follow David Feinleib on LinkedIn
• Read my related articles:
  • What It Actually Takes to Build a Retail Media Federation
  • Meet The First Retail Media Federations & Consortiums
  • The Retail Media Doom Loop
• Join me and Jordan Witmer from Salt XC at 11am Thursday Jan 22 (today!) for a LinkedIn Live on how big brands and small brands MUST approach retail media differently. We'll be answering questions LIVE -- join us!
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn

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 shift I haven’t been able to stop thinking about: how AI-enabled commerce is fundamentally changing the shopping journey, and what that means for retail media as we know it.

If consumers are spending more time researching, comparing, and deciding with AI companions before they ever land on a retailer site, that has massive implications for sponsored products, display ads, and offsite retail media revenue. In this clip, I break down what’s changing, what surprised me most in 2025, and why the traditional funnel is basically over. If you care about the future of retail media, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] Why AI-enabled commerce has been top of mind for me

[01:24] The rise of AI companions in the research phase of the shopping journey

[02:03] New AI-driven mid-funnel and purchase capabilities

[02:45] What AI-led research means for onsite and offsite retail media revenue

[04:36] My advice to brands navigating agentic commerce and retailer partnerships

[06:00] The surprising rise of black-box algorithmic bidding in retail media networks

Links & Resources

• Listen to the full Inside Fashion Marketing episode - Kiri Masters on what’s next in retail media: US vs. Europe & the 2026 edge
• Read my related articles:
  • Amazon is playing agentic commerce chicken. Other retailers should not.
  • The Retail Media Doom Loop
• Join me and Jordan Witmer from Salt XC at 11am Thursday Jan 22 for a LinkedIn Live on how big brands and small brands MUST approach retail media differently. We'll be answering questions LIVE -- join us!
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn

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 retailers. Away from the main stage and marketing hype, the conversation picked up where the conferences usually leave off — candid, practical, and deeply honest discussions about what’s actually working (and not working) in retail media right now.

In this episode, I’m sharing anonymized insights from that dinner, including why in-store retail media has a built-in paradox, how retailers are really thinking about building versus buying their retail media tech stacks, and how evolving shopper behavior is reshaping the in-store experience. No silver bullets here, but plenty of real-world perspective you won’t hear on an earnings call!

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:48] Why the real value of NRF happens off-stage, and why private dinners matter more than keynotes

[01:30] The in-store media paradox: when shoppers themselves become the scalability problem

[02:58] Why placement matters more than impressions for in-store retail media

[03:30] Build vs. buy vs. partner: a “marry, kiss, or kill” moment for retail media tech stacks

[04:43] The “Uber model” of retail media tech: best-of-breed partnerships over monolithic platforms

[06:14] How mobile pre-shopping, social discovery, and AI are redefining the in-store customer journey

Links & Resources

• Read my related articles:
  • I'm back (Retail Media Breakfast Club blog post)
  • At NRF, retailers say ‘bring on all the bots’ (The Drum)
  • Costco just revealed its entire retail media tech stack. Why? (The Drum)
• Join me and Jordan Witmer from Salt XC at 11am Thursday Jan 22 for a LinkedIn Live on how big brands and small brands MUST approach retail media differently. We'll be answering questions LIVE -- join us!
• The real talk happening off-mic at NRF's 'Retail's Big Show' (Jason Del Rey, The Aisle)
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn

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 I saw, what I missed (including a genuinely historic announcement), and why that feeling of being left behind might actually be the most honest signal of where retail is heading in 2026.

From agentic commerce and AI-powered shopping, to candid perspectives from leaders at Home Depot, Wayfair, Dick’s, and beyond, this conversation is about letting go of false certainty. We’ll dig into why experimentation is beating confidence, why “wait and see” is riskier than it sounds, and what adaptability really looks like for retailers, brands, and the partners who support them this year.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] – My NRF opening session moment (and how I accidentally skipped a history-making announcement)

[00:45] – The introduction of Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and why it triggered real anxiety

[01:45] – Why even the most senior retail tech leaders admit they don’t know what’s coming next

[02:00] – Insights from Home Depot, Wayfair, and Dick’s on AI, experimentation, and uncertainty

[03:30] – Why 2026 is the year brash confidence dies and experimentation wins

[04:15] – Why “Strong opinions, loosely held” is a framework for how retailers should think about partnerships and tech

[05:17] – A personal note on burnout, creativity, and my fiction-reading habit

Links & Resources

• Read my related articles:
  • At NRF, retailers say ‘bring on all the bots’ (The Drum)
  • Costco just revealed its entire retail media tech stack. Why? (The Drum)
  • A deal with the devil, or co-opetition? Macy’s RMN chief shares an update on its deal with Amazon Retail Ads Service (LinkedIn post)
  • How Wayfair and Home Depot are thinking about agentic commerce (LinkedIn Post)
• Join me and Jordan Witmer from Salt XC at 11am Thursday Jan 22 for a LinkedIn Live on how big brands and small brands MUST approach retail media differently. We'll be answering questions LIVE -- join us!
• Find my top novels of 2025 at the bottom of this article
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn

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 passing 50,000 downloads, to realizing just how many smart, thoughtful people are paying attention, this episode is a moment to pause, reflect, and share what I’ve learned along the way.

I unpack some very personal lessons from running a near-daily newsletter/podcast in an industry that’s still very much being invented in real time. From embracing beginner’s mindsets and navigating burnout, to understanding why drama drives engagement (and when it’s not worth it), this is a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to show up consistently.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] – Reflecting on launching Retail Media Breakfast Club and hitting 50,000 downloads

[01:00] – What Vampire Weekend taught me about building a career in retail media

[02:25] – Why we’re all beginners in retail media (even the so-called experts)

[04:15] – My biggest blind spot: ad tech, and how I had to relearn the fundamentals

[06:45] – The reality of publishing content four days a week and managing burnout

[09:00] – Why “quantity is quality” and how consistency creates real momentum

[11:45] – Drama, debate, and drawing personal boundaries in public industry discourse

Links & Resources

• My tech stack flow diagram - How an RMN's tech stack impacts your advertising results
• Breakfast for Dinner with Retail Media Breakfast Club & Mirakl Ads in NYC. I am co-hosting a dinner for RMN leaders with the sponsor of this newsletter & Podcast, Mirakl Ads. Join me, Mirakl’s Chief AI officer Anne Baschet, and RMN leaders from Costco & CVS for Breakfast for Dinner on Saturday Jan 10, 2026. Senior leaders at RMNs may register their interest here.
• Retail Media Therapy Celebrity Death Match in NYC. I’m doing another debate, this time going to head-to-head with my frenemies-slash-industry legends Colin Lewis, Sarah Marzano (EMARKETER), and Claire Wyatt (The Trade Desk). Hosted by Zitcha, QSIC and Grace & Co. Monday Jan 12 - arrive at 5 for a 5:30 kickoff. Register your interest
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

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 thought leadership. I definitely don’t catch it all, and you shouldn’t feel bad if you don’t either. But I have built a rhythm and a process that helps me make sense of this fast-moving space without completely frying my brain.

In today’s ep, I share the tools, habits, and systems I use. From the podcast apps I separate for work vs. unwinding, to the newsletters and Substack ecosystem that function like “vegetables” in my content diet, to my favorite ways to capture and store insights so I can actually find them later. I also dive into why traditional trade media still matters, and how to make LinkedIn work for you, even with its currently maddening algorithm. If you’re looking to level up your own media diet in 2026, this one’s for you.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:15] – Why I still feel behind, even as a full-time content consumer/creator

[01:30] – The mega resource database I’ve pulled together for you

[02:15] – How I split my podcast listening between Apple Podcasts and Snipd

[03:30] – The Snipd → Notion workflow that saves my long-term memory

[04:50] – Why I chose beehiiv over Substack (and the network-effect dilemma)

[07:30] – The enduring value of traditional media and industry publications

[09:00] – My love–hate relationship with LinkedIn’s algorithm, and how to tame it

Links & Resources

• Get the full list of my favorite publications, newsletters and podcasts here
• Breakfast for Dinner with Retail Media Breakfast Club & Mirakl Ads. I am co-hosting a dinner for RMN leaders with the sponsor of this newsletter & Podcast, Mirakl Ads. Join me, Mirakl’s Chief AI officer Anne Baschet, and RMN leaders from Costco & CVS for Breakfast for Dinner on Saturday Jan 10, 2026. Senior leaders at RMNs may register their interest here.
• Retail Media Therapy Celebrity Death Match. I’m doing another debate, this time going to head-to-head with my frenemies-slash-industry legends Colin Lewis, Sarah Marzano (EMARKETER), and Claire Wyatt (The Trade Desk). Hosted by Zitcha, QSIC and Grace & Co. Monday Jan 12 - arrive at 5 for a 5:30 kickoff. Register your interest
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

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 embrace open agent interoperability means agentic shopping is doomed. This conversation was inspired by ad industry analyst Eric Seufert, whose skepticism about agentic commerce I genuinely value. But as I explain, there are several key assumptions baked into his argument I simply don’t buy.

I break down why Amazon’s structural advantages don’t automatically translate to veto power over agentic commerce, why grocery is the actual battleground to watch, why Walmart and other retailers hold more leverage than expected, and how interoperability economics make an agent-driven future increasingly inevitable. Most importantly, I share why retailers shouldn’t play a game of chicken with Amazon.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] Why Eric Seufert’s skepticism about agentic commerce is healthy.
[01:30] Breaking down Amazon’s structural advantages and the Rufus effect.
[03:36] The flaw in assuming agentic commerce requires Amazon’s participation.
[06:30] Why grocery — not general ecommerce — is the true agentic battleground.
[08:30] The signal that Amazon already sees lower-funnel risk ahead.
[10:46] Interoperability economics and why most retailers want agents to thrive.
[12:26] Why Amazon isn’t the only car in the agentic commerce “game of chicken.”

Links & Resources

• Eric Seufert threw down the gauntlet against agentic shopping a couple of months ago in his essay Agentic Commerce is a Mirage
• Recently, Eric revisited one of those arguments on LinkedIn: Amazon as gatekeeper
• Follow Eric Seufert on LinkedIn
• Read my related articles:
  • Unfiltered Thoughts From Unboxed
  • Have Retailers Lost Discovery to AI for Good?
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn