What is Unboxed, really? This week, I was in Nashville for Amazon’s signature advertising event — a showcase where the tech giant reveals its latest innovations in retail media, automation, and ad tech. After taking it all in (and chatting with a few familiar faces from the industry), I’m breaking down the key announcements, the unspoken messages, and what they mean for advertisers and partners moving forward.

In this episode, I unpack my biggest takeaways from Unboxed 2025. From Amazon’s relentless reinvention of its ad business to the curious silence around Rufus, and how new “agent” tools could both empower and threaten the partner ecosystem. If you’re navigating Amazon’s retail media landscape, this recap will give you the insights and context you need to understand where the company’s heading next.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:01:36] - How Amazon keeps evolving its advertising tools, making them simpler, smarter, and more accessible to advertisers of all sizes.

[00:02:42] - Why brands like Advantice Health say Amazon’s ad console outpaces competitors by simplifying data visualization and actionability.

[00:04:10] - A look at Amazon’s “paranoid” culture of continuous innovation, and why that mindset fuels their dominance in retail media.

[00:04:15] - Amazon takes aim at The Trade Desk with lower DSP fees, while still protecting its own walled garden.

[00:06:06] - Why Amazon’s much-hyped AI assistant Rufus went unmentioned during Unboxed, and what that silence might signal about its real-world performance.

[00:08:45] - The return (and rebranding) of agencies and tech vendors as “partners”, and how Amazon’s new AI tools could reshape that dynamic.

[00:12:14] - Reflections on Amazon’s fine line between democratizing ad tools and competing with its own partners.

Links & Resources

• Read my article Amazon Unboxed 2025: Key Announcements & Takeaways for Brand Advertisers
• Read my article for The Drum, Amazon bets on 'crystal box' transparency in ads product upgrade
• Check out the ADOTAT piece Prime Predator: Amazon DSP Takes a Bite Out of The Trade Desk
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

In this episode, I share snippets of my recent livestream with Andreas Reiffen, CEO and co-Founder of Pentaleap, to unpack one of the most debated topics in retail media today — Real-Time Bidding (RTB). Once dismissed as a messy, low-quality relic of early programmatic advertising, RTB is now being reimagined as the key to unlocking retail media’s next phase of scalable growth.

Note: I encountered unfortunate technical difficulties during my livestream with Andreas, resulting in choppy video and audio. I've done my best to use palatable snippets in this podcast, but regardless the audio quality is not perfect, please accept my apologies.

Andreas shares why he believes RTB will soon connect fragmented retail media ecosystems, make it easier for brands to access budgets at scale, and even open the door to programmatic innovation in the B2B sector. We cover everything from onsite vs. offsite ad opportunities to how retailers can tap into new revenue streams while maintaining control over their inventory.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00:00] – Introducing the debate: Why RTB still carries baggage in retail media

[00:01:00] – How real-time bidding connects platforms like Google and The Trade Desk directly to retailer inventory

[00:02:00] – Andreas’s bold prediction for how much retail media could eventually run through RTB

[00:03:40] – Exploring whether RTB can expand beyond onsite ads to offsite display and video

[00:05:00] – How retailer-led ad networks are evolving with RTB at their core

[00:07:45] – The surprising role RTB could play in B2B commerce and professional buyer targeting

[00:10:00] – Segmenting audiences and optimizing bids for professional vs. consumer shoppers

[00:11:00] – Wrapping up: Why RTB might finally be ready to scale responsibly in retail media

Links & Resources

• Rather than linking to the livestream replay which has choppy audio, here's the transcript of our conversation - Real Time Bidding: Retail Media's Savior Or Saboteur?
• Follow Andreas Reiffen on LinkedIn
• Read my article Some Retailers Want to Power Other Retailers' Ad Businesses. Will It work?
• Read my article for The Drum Why the arrival of advertising in AI Search may not be the catastrophe many fear
• Read my article Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMN
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

I’m coming to you fresh from Amazon’s Unboxed event in Nashville, where Amazon dropped a wave of updates that show just how far their advertising ambitions are reaching. Beyond retail, beyond search, and even beyond reality itself!

In this episode, I unpack the biggest product launches and innovations revealed at the event including AI-powered campaign tools, creative automation for Prime Video, and Amazon’s intriguing new “Crystal Box” transparency positioning. I also share my early reactions and what these changes could mean for advertisers, agencies, and third-party software providers.

If you want to stay ahead of what’s next in Amazon Ads — from AI-native analytics to the future of full-funnel campaigns — this recap will bring you right inside the action at Unboxed.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] – Remembering the early days of Amazon Ads and reflecting on how far the platform has come.
[01:11] – Unified Campaign Manager – merging DSP and Sponsored Ads into one seamless platform for cross-format buying and measurement.
[02:30] – Ads Agent – Amazon’s new AI-powered campaign assistant that allows natural language queries, leveling the playing field for advertisers of all sizes.
[04:17] – Creative Agent – generative AI tools for display, audio, and video ads, with outputs now good enough for Prime Video inventory.
[07:30] – “Crystal Box” positioning – Amazon’s transparent alternative to the “black box” automation approach from Meta and Google.
[09:13] – Preview of full-funnel optimization campaigns coming in 2026, closing the loop between awareness and performance.
[10:00] – AI-native analytics – conversational data exploration within Amazon Marketing Cloud, no SQL skills required.
[10:45] – Final thoughts and teaser for my full column in The Drum on Amazon’s “Crystal Box” approach.

Links & Resources

• Find the link to my new article about transparency within Amazon's new ad ecosystem on my profile for The Drum
• Read my article Retail Media's Measurement Problem: It's Not Just the Retailers
• Read my article Managing a Multi-Retailer RMN Stack: The Operational Reality
• Are you based in Atlanta or be in the ATL area on Weds Dec 3rd? Join me and a couple dozen of your new retail media industry besties for a festive happy hour! Register here
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

I first met Molly Hjelm, Head of Retail Media at Ace Hardware, during a panel at the RMN Ascendant Event in Silicon Valley, and right away I was struck by her candor and data-driven mindset. In this episode, I share the highlights from our conversation that didn’t make it into my full profile piece for The Drum.

We dive into how Ace Hardware has intentionally taken its time entering retail media, what it means to integrate retail media into a merchant’s P&L, and how Molly’s pragmatic approach to data, partnerships, and culture is helping Ace build Red Vest Media the right way. From leveraging Epsilon as a transparent tech partner, to bringing print back into in-store media, Molly’s perspective challenges a lot of industry assumptions, and offers a refreshing blueprint for sustainable growth in retail media.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[01:01] – The #1 theme: retail media should show up in the merchant’s P&L (not as a tax, but as a tool to hit business KPIs).

[02:07] – How data storytelling and reporting shifted internal conversations from “you’re cluttering my site with ads” to “let’s solve this problem together.”

[02:45] – Why Ace Hardware went all-in with Epsilon as a full-stack tech partner (and why transparency and simplicity matter to advertisers).

[04:39] – Red Vest Media’s unconventional start with print-based in-store media, and how independent Ace operators are already innovating locally.

[06:03] – Molly opens up about the toxic dynamic of unrealistic growth projections, and why breathing room to set your own targets is game-changing.

[07:12] – Wrapping up with Molly’s guiding principle: retail media should be a precision tool, not a revenue tax

Links & Resources

• Read my full Molly Hjelm profile for The Drum - Here’s how Ace Hardware is breaking down the silos between merchants and retail media teams
• How a former agency founder is pushing grocery retail media beyond sponsored product ads - Brian Monahan's 'Bloody Obvious' Bets Are Shaking Up Albertsons Media Collective -
• Why rural America's 90 million shoppers represent retail media's next frontier - Inside Austin Leonard's Plan For Dollar General Media Network
• How category specialists can become infrastructure for the entire industry - Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMN
• Follow Molly Hjelm on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

A lot of brands are focused on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) right now — making sure their products surface when consumers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude for recommendations. That’s a great first step. But as I explain in this episode, the next frontier isn’t just about being found — it’s about being bought.

We’re entering an era where AI agents won’t just recommend products, they’ll actually complete transactions on behalf of consumers. And that’s where Agent Commerce Optimization (ACO) comes in. I walk through how ACO differs from GEO, what consumer brands need to know to prepare for agent-driven commerce, and what’s in your control (versus what’s in your retail partner’s hands).

If you’re a CPG brand selling primarily through retailers, this episode is for you. I’ll break down the nine-step ACO framework from Retailgentic and share actionable advice for how brands can start these crucial conversations with their retail partners today.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] - The rise of generative engine optimization (GEO) and why it’s only half the story
[01:34] - Introducing Agent Commerce Optimization (ACO) aka preparing for AI agents that buy on behalf of consumers
[02:12] - GEO vs. ACO: discovery versus transaction
[03:15] - Why CPG brands need retailers to open their sites to agent crawlability
[05:00] - The nine-step ACO framework — what’s in your control and what isn’t
[06:00] - Expanded attributes and contextual data: helping AI agents understand how and why products are used
[07:30] - Tracking product cards and digital shelf analytics for AI-driven search
[09:00] - How to collaborate with retailer partners to ensure your products are agent-ready
[09:56] - Where to learn more: Retailgentic ACO framework and other resources

Links & Resources

• Check out Scot Wingo's original Agentic Commerce Optimization (ACO) framework at Retailgentic
• Read the blog version of this podcast - Why GEO Isn't Enough: What CPG Brands Actually Control in Agentic Commerce
• Subscribe to Retailgentic
• Read my article Commerce GPTs Explained—And Why Retail Media Professionals Need to Pay Attention
• Read my article AI-Enabled Shopping Hits 74% Adoption
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Scot Wingo on LinkedIn
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

In this episode, I dive into one of the biggest questions facing retail media leaders today: how can retailers and brands adapt as AI-driven shopping agents and zero-click discovery start reshaping how consumers buy? With sponsored search revenue under pressure and growth slowing across the industry, it’s time to look at creative alternatives to the traditional onsite, offsite, and in-store ad models.

I spotlight three fascinating companies that are doing just that: Rokt, Swish, and Nift. Each of them is monetizing overlooked customer moments in fresh, high-impact ways, from post-purchase offers to AI-driven gifting experiences. These companies are turning everyday customer touchpoints into new opportunities for engagement, brand discovery, and long-term loyalty — proof that innovation still thrives even as the industry shifts beneath our feet.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] – Retail media’s new threat: how AI shopping agents and zero-click search are changing ad revenue dynamics.
[02:16] – Why 200+ retail media networks are all fighting for just 16% of ad dollars, and why differentiation is key.
[02:45] – Company #1: Rokt – Turning post-purchase moments into premium ad inventory.
[05:00] – Company #2: Swish – Treating the product itself as media through full-size sample placements in online grocery orders.
[06:45] – Company #3: Nift – “Gifting as acquisition” by using AI to match consumers with brand gifts after key customer actions.
[07:54] – Why these innovations could be more “AI-proof” than traditional retail media strategies.
[08:45] – My closing thoughts on the importance of thinking beyond ad slots to build meaningful brand-retailer partnerships.

Links & Resources

• My original article, Beyond Banner Ads: How Retailers Are Monetizing the Moments That Actually Matter was published in The Drum on October 21. Read the full piece for deeper analysis on why these approaches work now and what it means for mid-tier networks trying to escape the doom loop.
• Read the new research from eMarketer and Bain
• Learn more about Rokt
• Learn more about Swish
• Learn more about Nift
• Read my article The Secret Hopes & Dreams of RMN Leaders
• Read my article While We Debate What's 'Really' Agentic, Retail Media's Foundation Is Already Shifting
• Read my article 2 Ways Retailers Can Compete In An AI-Enabled Shopping Future
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

How many times have you not hit publish, not applied, or not shared your achievements because of fear of what others might think? In this episode, I’m diving into the concept of Tall Poppy Syndrome - a cultural tendency to cut down those who stand out - and how it feeds into FOPO, the fear of other people’s opinions.

After being named one of the National Retail Federation’s 2026 Top Retail Voices, I found myself wrestling with the same insecurities so many of us face: “Will people think I’m full of myself if I share this?” This episode is a candid, honest look at why it’s so hard to own our success, and why we need to do it anyway. Whether it’s hitting publish on your next blog post, launching your podcast, or applying for that award, I’m here to remind you: apply for the damn award!

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] – Reflecting on imposter syndrome after being named a National Retail Federation 2026 Top Retail Voice.

[01:00] – Introducing Tall Poppy Syndrome and how it affects ambitious professionals.

[02:15] – Understanding FOPO: the fear of other people’s opinions.

[03:05] – Why applying for awards feels uncomfortable—and how to reframe it.

[04:30] – My five practical steps for getting past FOPO and putting yourself out there:

[06:00] – Access my Notion database of retail media industry awards to help plan your 2026 goals.

[06:30] – Closing reflections and what’s coming next on the podcast.

Links & Resources

• Check out the full list of 2026 Retail Voices by NRF honorees
• I have compiled a living database of awards relevant to the retail media industry, with dates, rules, and how to apply. You can access it here.
  The database is open-source: if you work for a company that hosts industry awards which are relevant for people & companies in the retail media & ecommerce space, please feel free to add your award (or update any out-of-date info I have here!)
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

In this 'Snips' episode, I’m adding commentary to clips of one of my favorite ecommerce podcasts: Cocktails & Commerce with Brian Walker and Bill Friend. These two industry veterans bring on some of the sharpest minds in digital commerce, and in this snippet, they’re joined by John Andrews, co-founder and CEO of Cimulate, a generative AI company focused on commerce platforms.

If you’ve been seeing the term 'CommerceGPT' floating around and wondering what it actually means (like I was), this is the perfect primer. John breaks down the idea behind CommerceGPTs: what they are, how they might transform the way brands connect with customers, and why they could soon become the “brains” behind future retail experiences. We also hear fascinating insights into the rise of “answer engines” like ChatGPT and Perplexity, how they’ll change product discoverability, and what brands can do right now to stay visible in this new era of AI-driven commerce.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[01:00] – John Andrews explains the concept of a CommerceGPT and how it represents a new layer in the commerce technology stack.
[02:15] – What it means for a model to truly “understand” customer behavior and use that knowledge to enhance shopping experiences.
[03:00] – Imagining a focused AI model that knows everything about a product category or retailer (and uses it to drive smarter engagement).
[05:00] – The rise of answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and what that means for product discoverability.
[06:15] – How brands can position themselves to be seen by these AI systems, and why visibility will require new kinds of data accessibility.
[08:05] – The future of “agent-to-agent commerce” — where AIs talk directly to each other to fulfill transactions.
[09:30] – Brian Walker’s perspective on consumer trust, behavioral change, and how long it may take for AI-powered commerce to go mainstream.
[11:15] – My takeaway: perfection isn’t the goal. Brands that experiment now will be best positioned for what’s next.

Links & Resources

• Listen to John Andrew's full Cocktails & Commerce episode
• For more info about CommerceGPTs check out Brian Walker's essay Surf’s Up! The Next Wave of Commerce is Here - Amplified and Shaped by AI
• Subscribe to the Cocktails & Commerce podcast on Spotify
• Subscribe to the Cocktails & Commerce newsletter on Substack
• Read my article While We Debate What's 'Really' Agentic, Retail Media's Foundation Is Already Shifting
• Read my article Meet The First Retail Media Federations & Consortiums
• Follow John Andrews, CEO and Co-Founder of Cimulate on LinkedIn
• Follow Brian Walker from Cocktails & Commerce on LinkedIn
• Follow Bill Friend from Cocktails & Commerce on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn