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 Show. His take? That retail media, outside of Amazon, isn’t exactly thrilling. But after three weeks of reflecting, engaging with community feedback, and digging into new data, I’ve come back ready to challenge that notion and show why retail media is evolving far beyond its Amazonian roots.I break down three key lenses—efficiency over wallet share, the changing advertising mix, and the rise of offsite media—that paint a much more dynamic picture of where the industry is headed. Whether you’re a marketer, retailer, or just trying to keep your finger on the pulse of digital media trends, this episode is packed with insights that’ll reshape how you think about the retail media landscape.Timeline Summary[0:00] - Revisiting Jason Goldberg’s “retail media is mid” take[1:12] - Introducing three new lenses to examine retail media’s potential[1:33] - Lens 1: Efficiency is beating share of wallet in media performance[3:07] - Surprising ROI insights from Keen Decision Systems’ data[4:00] - Lens 2: The ad format and inventory game is broadening[5:00] - How Best Buy’s brand carousels are changing the playing field[6:20] - The advertiser base is shifting: more torso and tail players[7:00] - Lens 3: Offsite media is retail’s next frontier[8:10] - Amazon’s offsite dominance is slipping—here’s why that matters[9:35] - What this evolution means for the future of retail mediaLinks & ResourcesPentaleap’s H1 2025 Sponsored Products Benchmark Report eMarketer's Retail Media Forecast Update H1 2025Keen Decision SystemsSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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10:42
Walmart's Sparky AI Shopping Assistant: My Hot Take
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 a smarter long game than it seems. In this episode, I share my hands-on experience with Sparky, highlight what’s working (and what’s not), and explore the broader implications for brands and retailers navigating an AI-driven future.We’ll explore Sparky’s unique conversational style, the role of transparency in building trust with shoppers, and the broader implications of Walmart’s AI ambitions. If you’re in the retail or brand space, you won’t want to miss what this means for discoverability in the age of AI-curated shopping experiences.Episode Timeline:[1:00] - My hands-on experience with Sparky and its current app limitations[2:13] - Key usability issues: inaccurate pricing, irrelevant results, and inconsistent fulfillment info[3:00] - Where Sparky shines: natural language queries and conversation memory[4:00] - Trust factor: Sparky’s approach to citing sources and where it falls short[6:00] - Walmart’s secret weapon: integrating Sparky with its unmatched data and service ecosystem[7:32] - The future of AI in retail: from site assistants to personal AI agents[8:00] - Why brands must optimize for AI to stay visible in the shrinking “top picks” economy[9:45] - Closing thoughts on the trust gap and Sparky’s chance to lead with transparencyLinks & Resources:Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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10:06
AI in real life: how retailers and brands are leveraging AI (real numbers)
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, but this episode is all about what AI has done. I’m sharing four real-world AI use cases from retailers and brands, breaking down how each initiative led to measurable impact. From spiking conversion rates to slashing production cycles and legal costs, these stories offer more than just inspiration—they show what’s possible.Tune in to hear how AlgaCal, Walmart, and Johnson & Johnson are applying AI to solve practical problems—and the results they’re getting. Plus, I’ve got a surprising story involving a $92,000 legal shortcut and a bonus tool that’ll help you assess your job’s resilience to AI. If you like this format, let me know, and I might just make it a regular thing!Timeline Summary[1:05] - How AlgaeCal used AI to analyze Amazon product reviews and improve conversion rates by up to 74%[2:29] - Walmart’s AI-powered “Trend to Product” tool cuts fashion production time by 70%[4:00] - How entrepreneur Andrew Wilkinson saved $92,000 using Claude to draft a legal contract[5:27] - Johnson & Johnson narrows 900 AI projects to the most valuable few, maximizing ROI[7:15] - Bonus: AI Job Resilience Self-Assessment from Danny Silverman—what it revealed for me🔗 LinksAI Job Resilience Self-Assessment by Danny Silverman Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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8:21
Career Sliding Doors: The Pivotal Moments That Changed These 4 Ecomm Leaders' Careers
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 “sliding doors” decisions that, in hindsight, changed the trajectory of some of the most impressive retail media leaders I know. You’ll hear real, raw stories from brand-side professionals who took chances, followed curiosities, or simply annoyed the right person at the right time—and it paid off.From mentorship programs that reshaped mindsets to the grind of early Amazon days, and serendipitous job ads in local papers, this episode is packed with career pivot moments that will inspire you to lean into your own opportunities—even the ones that don’t look glamorous at first. Whether you’re new to eCommerce or a seasoned pro, these stories are a reminder that the path to success in retail media is rarely a straight line.⏱️ Timeline Summary[1:28] - Julie Liu shares how mentorship with Sarah Hofstetter led her to rethink her career through a new lens of soft skill development.[3:30] - Josh Clarkson reveals how being persistently curious helped him land a role on the Amazon team—kickstarting his eCommerce journey.[4:59] - Todd Wegen recalls a bold leap from a dull project management role into a startup that pioneered eCom tools—and eventually Amazon.[7:00] - Jace Ree tells the story of how a chance conversation led him from shopper marketing into an Amazon Fresh role that changed everything.[9:33] - Reflections on the evolution of eCommerce and how early adopters paved the way for today’s specialized talent pool.🔗 Links & ResourcesSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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10:24
Retailers Hit 99% Ad Coverage Without Killing User Experience, New Report Shows
Today I’m digging into the latest insights from Pentaleap’s biannual Sponsored Products Benchmark Report—and it’s challenging some long-held assumptions about online advertising. Shoppers say they don’t love ads, but the data tells a different story. I’m sharing what Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot are doing right when it comes to high-volume sponsored product listings—and what mid-tier retailers can learn as they scale their retail media networks.We explore the delicate balance between ad inventory expansion and shopper satisfaction, and I highlight how smart retailers are mastering ad relevance to avoid click fatigue. I also break down why increasing sponsored product coverage doesn’t have to mean compromising user experience—and how it can actually unlock significant revenue potential if done right. Whether you’re building your retail media strategy or refining an existing one, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.🕒 Episode Timeline[0:36] - The surprising truth: heavy ad coverage doesn’t always hurt engagement[1:22] - Market leaders vs. mid-tier retailers: who’s winning at retail media[2:26] - Kroger’s leap in ad coverage and why it matters[3:18] - Why under-monetized search inventory is still a missed opportunity[4:24] - How Amazon keeps CTR high even with more ads[5:25] - Grid strategies: how Walmart, Staples, and CVS handle ad placement[6:39] - The risk of irrelevant ads—and how they can hurt both sales and trust[7:35] - A simple framework to decide how many ads are too many[8:00] - Key takeaways for maximizing retail media without annoying your shoppers🔗 LinksPentaleap's 1H25 Sponsored Product Benchmark reportRead the original post for this episode in my Forbes columnSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn
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