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5 of 187

Why 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 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 AdsTimeline[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 & ResourcesEric Seufert threw down the gauntlet against agentic shopping a couple of months ago in his essay Agentic Commerce is a MirageRecently, Eric revisited one of those arguments on LinkedIn: Amazon as gatekeeperFollow Eric Seufert on LinkedInRead my related articles:Unfiltered Thoughts From UnboxedHave Retailers Lost Discovery to AI for Good?Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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13:16
5 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 capital can teach retail media networks. Listening to Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Margit Wennmachers talk about how a16z deliberately broke VC’s long-standing “code of silence” reminded me so much of the paradoxes I saw back when I ran my Amazon agency. In short; everyone wanted transparency, but no one wanted to contribute to it.Today I'm breaking down five powerful marketing lessons from the world of VC that retail media networks can apply right now to stand out and build real relationships with brands. From redefining who the true customer is, to creating genuinely useful content, to bundling value in ways that go far beyond ad inventory — these highlights completely reframed how I think about RMN differentiation. This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:00] Why clients loved my agency's work but refused to give testimonials (and how this quandary mirrors retail media’s transparency problem)[01:11] Lesson 1: Redefining who the real customer is (and why retailers struggle with B2B motions)[03:04] Lesson 2: Creating content that actually serves brand advertisers instead of repeating the same three USPs[05:39] Lesson 3: Building direct channels instead of relying on trade-press-only PR strategies[07:36] Lesson 4: The “bundling” model inspired by Hollywood talent agencies (and its RMN equivalent)Links & ResourcesWatch full a16z episode on YouTube - The Secret Marketing Strategy That Built a16z: From Zero to Legendary VC FirmSubscribe to the a16z PodcastRead my related articles:Why RMNs Keep Their Tech Stacks SecretHow Can RMNs Tap Upper-Funnel Brand BudgetsSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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9:59
Amazon’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 more than Walmart or Home Depot. Despite fears that ad overload would harm the customer experience, Amazon maintains near-universal ad coverage while keeping relevance high, even on complex long-tail searches. That level of performance is only possible because Amazon invested early in sophisticated ad tech capable of matching ads to intent across every type of query.I also explore why Amazon’s high-density ad surface still works economically. By expanding formats and inventory, Amazon moderates CPC inflation while still driving huge revenue volumes—something most mid-tier retailers can’t replicate without upgrading their ad tech. For retailers, brands, and agencies, Amazon’s model is both a blueprint and a warning: dense ad monetization only works if relevance, user experience, and supply all scale together.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline00:00 – Amazon really is a sea of ads!00:30 – How Amazon’s ad load compares to Walmart and Home Depot01:35 – Why Amazon’s dense ad surface still works02:45 – Long-tail queries and why most retailers fail to monetize them04:00 – The “doom loop” for mid-tier retail media networks05:10 – Amazon’s Unified Campaign Manager and keeping relevance high06:45 – The economics of abundant inventory and moderated CPCs08:15 – What Amazon’s ad saturation means for everyone elseLinks & ResourcesRead my full article on The Drum - You're not imagining it: Amazon really is a sea of ads (and it still works)Get Pentaleap's H2 2025 Sponsored Products Benchmarks ReportRead my articles:The Retail Media Doom LoopBest Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMNSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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9:01
The 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 side is incentivized to fill every available ad slot, the other is responsible for driving product sales, and shoppers are the ones caught in the crossfire. As Charlie Munger said, “Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome,” and retail media is no exception.I share highlights from a recent LinkedIn Live with Andreas Reiffen, CEO and co-founder of Pentaleap, whose 2025 Sponsored Products Benchmark Report exposes cracks in the old model of separating organic search from sponsored placements. We unpack why retailers are finally beginning to merge these two systems into a single, relevance-driven engine, and how this “fluid” approach could end the long-running merchant vs. media standoff once and for all.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline02:15 — The incentive problem: why merchant and media teams often work against each other03:30 — Andreas explains why onsite search tech already solved relevance years ago05:12 — The consequences of running two ranking engines that don’t communicate05:56 — The Fifth Avenue analogy: how fixed ad slots waste precious digital real estate07:00 — How dynamic, margin-based ranking blends organic + sponsored into one algorithm09:13 — Macy’s and Home Depot shift from fixed to fluid sponsored product distribution10:45 — A key question brands should ask every retailer about their algorithm setupLinks & ResourcesWatch the full replay of my LinkedIn Live with Andreas ReiffenGet Pentaleap's H2 2025 Sponsored Products Benchmarks ReportFollow Andreas Reiffen on LinkedInRead my articles:3 New Developments In RTB (Real Time Bidding) For Retail MediaHave Retailers Lost Discovery to AI for Good?Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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11:43
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11:43
AI 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, specifically his comparison of AI to the invention of the iPhone. Not electricity. Not the Industrial Revolution. The iPhone. And the second-order effects of that comparison are much more relevant than you might think for retail media and the future of commerce.I explore what this platform shift means for retailers, retail media networks, and the shopping journey as we know it. From behavior resets to disappearing data moats, to the existential risk facing both onsite and offsite RMN revenue, I break down why AI-enabled shopping represents a genuine unbundling of the retail experience, and why the window to respond is rapidly closing.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:22] – Why Benedict Evans compares AI not to electricity, but to the iPhone (and why that matters).[01:37] – How early assumptions about mobile were completely wrong, and what that teaches us about today’s AI shift.[03:06] – What retailers are getting wrong by treating AI like a “feature” instead of a platform transition.[04:30] – Understanding the consumer behavior reset that threatens retail sites as the starting point for shopping.[06:11] – Why onsite retail media revenue is vulnerable when LLMs intercept the shopping journey.[10:20] – The shrinking window for retailers to build AI-native consumer habits before external agents capture them.Links & ResourcesWatch the full Benedict Evans appearance on The Knowledge Project Podcast - Why Everyone Is Wrong About AI (Including You) | Benedict EvansSubscribe to The Knowledge Project Podcast YouTube channelFollow Benedict Evans on LinkedInRead my related articles:Have Retailers Lost Discovery to AI for Good?Maybe Ads in AI Don't Have To Suck?I'll be diving into the findings of the Pentaleap H2 2025 Sponsored Products Benchmark report with Pentaleap co-founder and CEO Andreas Reiffen on Thursday December 4 at 11AM ET! Join us LIVE hereSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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