In this episode of Beyond the Shelf, host Dave Feinleib sits down with Manu Sareen, Founder & CEO of I2O Retail, to explore the evolving challenges of brand protection, unauthorized resellers, and AI’s role in retail transformation.

With deep experience at Amazon and Best Buy, Manu brings a sharp lens to the nuts and bolts of e-commerce—from the basics of availability, pricing, and PDP optimization to the power of automation and the realities of AI at scale.

You’ll hear how I2O Retail was born from real pain points in agency life, and how Manu’s team is helping some of the world’s biggest brands take back control of their online presence—boosting profitability and protecting brand integrity across marketplaces.

If you’ve ever struggled with rogue sellers, messy data, or disjointed teams, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Takeaways & Episode Highlights

• From Best Buy to Amazon to I2O Retail – Manu shares his winding journey through global sourcing, pricing analytics, and retail leadership—and how risk-taking led to building his own company.
• Why Most Marketplace Tools Fall Short – The story behind I2O’s launch: how solving internal agency frustrations sparked a broader platform to help other brands fight unauthorized sellers.
• The 4 Amazon Fundamentals Every Brand Must Nail – Availability, pricing, content, and discoverability—Manu breaks down the "retail basics" that brands often overlook in favor of flashy tactics.
• What Unauthorized Resellers Really Cost You – A brand protection masterclass, from image misuse to pricing violations—and how automation, enforcement, and policy alignment can clean it up.
• The Truth About AI in Retail – It’s not about pressing a button. Manu shares how I2O is using AI for scale and efficiency—not magic—and why clean data is the real foundation for success.

Rapid Rundown Questions

• Strangest e-commerce trend: The rise of TikTok Shops and influencer-driven buying
• Movie title that sums up e-commerce today: Inception – ever-evolving, hard to follow, but always moving
• Most impactful retail tech: Self-checkout and digital payments, streamlining the physical retail experience
• Book recommendation: Atomic Habits – small changes, big results
• Best career advice: Present multiple solutions—but always have a strong recommendation

Connect with Manu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manusareen/

Follow Beyond the Shelf: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyond-the-shelf-podcast

Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook: https://itsrapid.ai/creative-workflow-automation-playbook/

Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey: https://www.proprofs.com/survey/t/?title=ffgvd

Email us at [email protected] with code “BEYOND2025” to find out how you can save more than $1,000 on our Digital Sell Sheets and Retail Media Automation solutions

Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker