Despite the buzz surrounding in-store retail media, most retailers are still struggling to move beyond the pilot phase. But Sam’s Club? They’ve done it, and done it well. After touring one of their clubs in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with Harvey Ma, Head of Sam’s Club’s Member Access Platform, I witnessed firsthand how they’ve turned what’s typically a complex, fragmented endeavor into a well-oiled, data-driven ecosystem.

In this episode, I break down exactly how Sam’s Club is scaling its in-store retail media efforts, uniting their teams, and rethinking the shopper experience. From tech-powered measurement to their innovative “Retail Experience Network,” Sam’s Club is setting a new benchmark for what in-store retail media can achieve. If you’ve been curious about how physical retail can deliver digital-level insights and measurable sales impact then this episode is for you.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[01:12] – Why most in-store retail media programs get stuck in pilot purgatory.

[02:20] – The massive infrastructure and organizational hurdles that make scaling so tough.

[02:43] – Sam’s Club’s early investment and the simple principle guiding their approach: advertising exists to sell more things.

[03:07] – Introducing the “Retail Experience Network” and how it redefines in-store activations.

[04:00] – Behind-the-scenes of Sam’s Club’s IndyCar sponsorship and what made it a success.

[05:11] – How everyday tech like floor scrubbers and Scan & Go contribute to measurement and personalization.

[07:00] – Rethinking Joint Business Planning (JBP): how Sam’s Club integrates media and merchandising conversations.

[08:22] – A reality check on in-store media spend projections and why Sam’s Club’s model stands out.

Links & Resources

• Read my full article in The Drum, Sam’s Club shows how in-store retail media should really work
• Read my article Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMN
• Read my article The Last Mile of America: Inside Austin Leonard's Plan For Dollar General Media Network
• Read my article Brian Monahan's 'Bloody Obvious' Bets Are Shaking Up Albertsons Media Collective
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

I’m a total podcast junkie, and today I’m bringing you another episode in my 'Snips' series, where I share bite-sized highlights from fascinating conversations and add my personal commentary. This one’s a crossover between Commerce Media Matters and Mind the Model, a newer podcast that’s quickly made its way into my regular rotation (find both shows under 'Links & Resources' below).

The snips I’m sharing today tackle a fascinating and urgent question for our industry: What happens to a retailer’s data advantage when AI platforms like ChatGPT start processing transactions? Spoiler alert: the answer might not be as bleak as you think.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[01:07] – Who owns transaction data in an AI-driven world?

[03:28] – Retailers gaining new data signals

[04:15] – Losing exclusivity vs. gaining context

[06:38] – Content as a competitive advantage

[09:01] – Owning content, audience, and data

[09:45] – Not all doom and gloom

Links & Resources

• Listen to the Commerce Media Matters x Mind the Model crossover episode in full — AI: The New Face of Commerce
• Subscribe to Commerce Media Matters
• Subscribe to Mind the Model
• Read my article While We Debate What's 'Really' Agentic, Retail Media's Foundation Is Already Shifting
• Read my article Ads in AI Are Older Than You Think
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

Last week, I got a first look at groundbreaking new research from EMARKETER and Bain that flips the retail media conversation on its head. Instead of surveying brands and media buyers, this study goes straight to the source, the leaders of Retail Media Networks (RMNs), to uncover their honest perspectives on what’s working, what’s not, and where the industry is headed next.

In this episode, I unpack some of my personal highlights from the preview webinar. From the surprising honesty RMN leaders are showing about their measurement challenges, to their quiet anxiety about the impact of agentic AI on the retail media landscape. Simply put; we’re entering what I like to call the “awkward teenage years” of retail media. Plus, I draw a parallel between retail media’s growing pains and the iconic babyccino!

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[00:00] – A first look at new Bain & EMARKETER research that shifts the lens to RMN leaders.
[01:00] – What the humble babyccino can teach us about growing up (and retail media’s maturing phase).
[02:30] – Public confidence vs. private reality: the top challenges RMN leaders admit to behind the scenes.
[03:00] – Measurement and attribution: why nearly half of RMNs say it’s their biggest hurdle.
[03:30] – The “Retail Media Doom Loop” and how tech and talent gaps are keeping networks stuck.
[05:00] – Agentic AI and GenAI search: the top disruptive forces worrying retail leaders.
[06:00] – Bain’s Stephen Mewborn hints at new partnership models.
[06:30] – Retail media growing up, facing scrutiny, and learning to move beyond trade dollars.

Links & Resources

• Watch the EMARKETER & Bain webinar on demand, Retail Media, Unfiltered: What RMNs Told Us About Scaling, Struggling, and Succeeding
• Read my article The Retail Media Doom Loop
• Read my article The 3 Ways Agentic Commerce Could Destroy Retail Media
• Read my article Why Agentic Shopping Poses an Existential Threat to Retail Media (Part 1)
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

In my recent LinkedIn Live with Andreas Reiffen, co-founder and CEO of adtech company Pentaleap, we dove into one of the most intriguing shifts happening in retail media right now: the rise of multi-retailer ad networks. This isn’t just about another layer of technology, it’s about simplifying one of the biggest pain points for brands and media buyers: the crushing complexity of managing ad spend across dozens of disconnected retailer systems.

We explored how these syndicated and programmatic retail media models are reshaping the landscape. From Amazon’s new retail ad service with Macy’s, to Instacart’s Carrot Ads and Best Buy’s ambitions to become a true ad network. Andreas and I discussed the historical irony of retail media returning to its ad network roots (just with more sophisticated tech and better use of first-party retail data).

If you’ve been wondering where retail media is heading next, this conversation is a must-listen.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[0:15] - The problem with fragmented retail media and the promise of multi-retailer networks
[1:20] - Revisiting pre-Amazon ad network models and why they might be making a comeback
[2:15] - Andreas on how programmatic buying could transform retail media
[4:40] - Why even large CPGs hesitate to expand across multiple RMNs
[6:45] - Amazon’s partnership with Macy’s and the emergence of three network models
[7:23] - Instacart’s Carrot Ads and other players joining the race
[8:35] - The irony of Amazon fixing the fragmentation problem it helped create
[10:15] - How programmatic networks and direct retail relationships will likely coexist

Links & Resources

• Watch the full livestream replay on LinkedIn
• Follow Andreas Reiffen on LinkedIn
• Read my article Meet The First Retail Media Federations & Consortiums
• Read my article Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMN
• Read my article Underrated Ecommerce Metrics That Tell The Real Story
• Read my article How Alliances Could Solve Retail Media's Fragmentation Problem (Part 1)
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

We all know the usual suspects — ROAS, impressions, clicks — but what if the real indicators of retail media success are hiding in plain sight? In this episode, I ask four leading brand-side retail media experts a simple but revealing question: What’s the metric you’re obsessed with that everyone else seems to ignore?

You’ll hear why one leader swapped vanity metrics for incrementality and household penetration. Another reveals an underrated email metric that shows exactly what’s resonating with customers. We’ll also explore how branded search volume can be a crystal ball for future growth, and why new-to-brand might just be your most important indicator of scalable success.

If you’re ready to move beyond the same old KPIs and start measuring what really matters, this episode will broaden your perspective about retail media performance.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[0:00] – Why the most important retail media metrics might not be the ones you’re tracking
[1:00] – The power of “Revenue Per Recipient” in email campaigns
[2:00] – Turning influencers into brand ambassadors through “Posts Per Influencer”
[2:39] – Why branded search volume is a powerful leading indicator of brand strength
[4:25] – Why “New-to-Brand” reveals true growth, not just recycled buyers
[5:30] – Measuring incrementality, household penetration, and long-term brand salience

Links & Resources

• Follow Jyoti Malik, Senior Director of Ecommerce at Belkin on LinkedIn
• Follow Kelsey Knight, Chief Commercial Officer at Slumberkins, on LinkedIn
• Follow Neha Gupta Mallik, Head of Connected Commerce at Mizkan America, on LinkedIn
• Follow Chris Lowrey, Brand Director at Our Home, on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Brian Monahan of Albertsons Media Collective, for a profile in The Drum. And let me tell you, Brian isn’t your typical corporate executive. He’s unfiltered, entrepreneurial, and not afraid to say what everyone else in retail media is only thinking.

In this 'Snips' episode, I dive into some of the biggest insights from Brian’s recent appearance on The Snarketing Podcast, where he expanded on themes from our original conversation. Find links to my profile in The Drum and the full Snarketing episode under 'Links & Resources' below.

I explore Brian's bold takes on where retail media really stands, why alignment between advertisers and retailers matters more than ever, and how Albertsons is experimenting with ideas that most leaders wouldn’t dare to pitch in their first 60 days. If you think you know what retail media looks like, Brian might just convince you to think again.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[1:12] - Brian’s bold claim: Retail media is the only medium where buyers and sellers share the same goal.
[2:00] - Beyond ads: How gamified scavenger hunts and shoppable recipes could redefine in-store engagement.
[3:26] - The big money challenge: Why most retail media networks are still living off trade and shopper budgets.
[4:30] - The “do or die” moment: How retailers can tap into national brand dollars by integrating workflow and data.
[6:00] - Rethinking brand equity: What retailers like Safeway and Acme can teach us about customer loyalty and trust.
[7:27] - A bold experiment: Albertsons’ “BOGO for retail media” program that proves alignment with advertisers.
[8:30] - Looking ahead: Why Brian Monahan is just getting started.

Links & Resources

• Listen to the full Snarketing episode, Ep 51: Brian Monahan - SVP at Albertsons Media Collective
• Subscribe to The Snarketing Podcast
• Read my profile in The Drum, This former Dentsu exec’s ‘bloody obvious’ bets are shaking up Albertsons Media Collective
• Follow Brian Monahan, SVP at Albertsons Media Collective, on LinkedIn
• Read my article Trade vs. Retail Media: Who's Really Eating Whom?
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

The retail world is buzzing over OpenAI’s new Instant Checkout. But here’s the big question: is it truly agentic commerce, or just another slick integration? 

In this episode, I break down the debate between definition purists and pragmatists, unpack what 'agentic' really means in the context of AI-assisted shopping, and explore why this conversation might be missing the real story.

While the industry argues over semantics, I share why the ground beneath retail media’s most profitable foundation (its data) may already be shifting. From Walmart’s partnership with OpenAI, to new research showing that 78% of consumers have used AI for shopping in the past three months, the future of retail media is evolving fast. The real disruption might not come from autonomy definitions but from who owns the transaction data.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[0:12] – The new retail debate: what 'agentic commerce' really means and why everyone’s arguing about it.

[1:28] – Mastercard’s definition of agentic commerce and why some analysts say ChatGPT’s checkout doesn’t qualify.

[2:32] – The pragmatists’ view: seeing agentic commerce as a continuum of autonomy, not a binary state.

[3:00] – Why the Instant Checkout still matters, and how it’s quietly reshaping data ownership between AI platforms and retailers.

[4:30] – A refresher on the three pillars of retail media revenue: onsite, offsite, and in-store.

[6:57] – Why offsite retail media might be the first domino to fall in an agentic commerce world.

[8:19] – The Amazon vs. Barnes & Noble story from 1997 and what it teaches us about getting stuck in semantic debates.

[9:15] – What retailers need to start doing now to prepare for AI intermediaries owning transaction data.

[10:00] – Instant checkout may not be 'truly agentic,' but it’s already changing retail media forever.

Links & Resources

• Read my article Why Agentic Shopping Poses an Existential Threat to Retail Media (Part 1)
• Read Celeste Huang's article on WARC, Retail media growth momentum continues, set to lead in 2025
• Read Scot Wingo's articles on Retailgentic, Introducing the 5 Levels of Agentic Shopping Framework & ChatGPT Instant Checkout: Deep Dive Part I/III
• Read Acosta Group's article, AI is Retail’s New Gatekeeper: Personalization and Precision Marketing are Competitive Table Stakes
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

Today I’m doing something a little different! Instead of my usual trends and insights, I’m sharing a clip from my recent guest appearance on Scot Wingo’s podcast, Retailgentech. Scott flipped the script and let me ask him about his career journey, his perspective on where retail is headed, and one of the biggest questions in e-commerce right now: How will large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT make their money in the future?

Will they follow the traditional ad-based route we’ve seen from Google and Facebook? Or will they build marketplaces and take a cut from transactions, as we’re starting to see with new initiatives from Walmart, Instacart, and DoorDash?

In this conversation, we dive into how AI-driven commerce could reshape loyalty, customer ownership, and what it means to be a “merchant of record” in the next era of retail. Find the link to the full Retailgentic podcast below under 'Links & Resources'.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[1:01] – Will LLMs make money through ads, or through marketplaces?
[1:30] – Scot breaks down ChatGPT’s “checkout” model and why he views it as a marketplace, not an affiliate system.
[2:50] – How Google’s AI agent checkout experience compares and what that means for merchants.
[3:00] – The retailer concern: will AI intermediaries cause commoditization?
[4:00] – Why Scott believes this new wave of AI players won’t repeat the mistakes of Facebook–Google–Amazon.
[6:00] – What it means for retailers to be the “merchant of record” and how that unlocks loyalty opportunities.
[7:30] – The comeback of loyalty programs and non-price differentiators in retail.
[8:30] – How omnichannel experiences and brand identity will help retailers stay relevant in the AI-driven marketplace era.
[9:00] – Wrapping up: why the fundamentals of loyalty, differentiation, and customer connection still matter more than ever.

Links & Resources

• Listen to the full October 14, 2025 Retailgentic episode, Turning the Tables: Kiri Masters Interviews Scot Wingo on Agentic Commerce & AI Shopping
• Subscribe to Retailgentic
• Read my article The 3 Ways Agentic Commerce Could Destroy Retail Media
• Read my article Agentic Shopping Might Seem Crazy. So Did Self-Service Supermarkets.
• Follow Scot Wingo on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

In this episode, I start with a trip back to 1916, when Clarence Saunders launched the first self-service supermarket, Piggly Wiggly, and everyone thought it was a ridiculous idea. Customers serving themselves? Paying cash instead of running a tab? Madness. Yet, it reshaped retail forever.

I use that story as a lens to explore today’s 'crazy-sounding' innovation: agentic shopping (AI agents shopping on our behalf). Drawing from retail analyst Andrew Lipsman’s critiques, I unpack why skepticism toward new retail tech is healthy, but can also blind us to early versions of world-changing ideas. From Webvan to Amazon to TikTok, I show how many 'failed' technologies weren’t wrong — they were just early.

Then, I dig into what needs to align for AI-driven shopping to go mainstream: better tech, real consumer pain points, frictionless distribution, sustainable economics, and cultural trust. 

Will agentic shopping become the next self-service revolution, or just another voice commerce flop? Let’s find out.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[00:00] – The wild story of Clarence Saunders and how Piggly Wiggly reinvented grocery shopping.
[02:05] – The lesson: the future doesn’t arrive by request, it’s created by those who rethink inefficiencies.
[02:32] – Introducing today’s topic: why agentic shopping feels 'too weird' and why that’s familiar.
[03:13] – Andrew Lipsman’s skeptical take: retail tech hype cycles and a graveyard of failed innovations.
[04:17] – Why some 'failures' (like Webvan) were just early, not wrong — lessons from timing and execution.
[05:12] – Amazon’s early struggles: when buying books online seemed absurd until it wasn’t.
[07:24] – The TikTok lesson: from lip-syncing app to global phenomenon, how tech evolves beyond its first use case.
[08:14] – My firsthand experiment: buying a lavender candle through ChatGPT’s instant checkout (clunky but promising!).
[09:00] – What needs to align for agentic commerce to succeed: technology, pain, distribution, economics, and trust.
[12:33] – Back to Piggly Wiggly: irrational innovations often look crazy, until they become inevitable.
[13:28] – Final takeaway: better to prepare for possibility than assume limits based on early imperfections.

Links & Resources

• Read my related article from Tuesday, I Got Prime Deals. Or Did I? Why Consumer Distrust Is AI Shopping's Real Opening
• Read Andrew Lipsman's essay Agentic Commerce is a Collective Hallucination
• Read my article AI-Enabled Shopping Hits 74% Adoption
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

When you think about retail media, you probably picture shoppers scrolling through Instacart or Walmart’s app. But what about the millions of Americans living far from big-box stores? That’s exactly where Dollar General sees its biggest opportunity. And Austin Leonard, just three months into leading the Dollar General Media Network (DGMN), is on a mission to redefine what 'the last mile' really means.

In this episode, a recap of my recent article for The Drum (find the article link below under 'Links & Resources') I unpack how Dollar General is building the last mile of ecommerce for the last mile of America. I talk about how DGMN is leveraging 90 million shopper profiles, why rural customers are far more digitally engaged than the industry gives them credit for, and how data, delivery partnerships, and rigorous measurement standards are shaping a new kind of retail media network. Whether you’re a media buyer, retailer, or strategist, this conversation will challenge your assumptions about what’s possible outside urban markets.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[00:00] – Setting the stage: why Dollar General’s rural reach presents a massive untapped advertising opportunity.
[01:08] – Austin Leonard’s background across Epsilon, Walmart, and eBay, and how that dual retailer–advertiser experience informs his DGMN strategy.
[01:45] – The surprising data on DoorDash and Uber partnerships driving incremental customer acquisition.
[02:15] – Changing perceptions: how Dollar General’s delivery offerings are attracting new audiences who once saw it as “just a dollar store.”
[02:45] – Busting myths about rural shoppers’ digital habits, and why ad industry bias plays a role.
[04:00] – Inside DGMN’s data infrastructure: building 90 million shopper profiles despite high cash transactions.
[04:38] – A new standard for measurement: DGMN’s test-and-control methodology and push for transparency in retail media.
[05:45] – Austin’s vision for the future: collaboration, standardization, and building the most innovative, shopper-centric retail media network in America.

Links & Resources

• Read my original article on The Drum, Dollar General’s new media chief targets rural America’s ‘last mile’ ad opp
• Follow Austin Leonard, Vice President and General Manager of DG Media Network, on LinkedIn
• Read my article, Shopper Marketing & Retail Media Goes Together Like PB&J
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn