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Retail Media Breakfast Club: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Kiri Masters
10 minutes of expert insights every weekday. Your morning ritual for staying ahead in retail media.
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- 3 days ago11 min
Rocks, Pebbles, Sand: Retail Media Eras (Part 2 of 2)
Why do good retailers make bad ad tech decisions? In part two of my series on the different eras of retail media, I’m expanding on my recent article for The Drum, and exploring why choosing the right technology is only part of the equation. The bigger question is: What role does your retail media network actually play in the media plan?Drawing on insights from Co-op Media Network’s Dean Harris and Ace Hardware’s Molly Hjelm, I look at the different end states for retail media networks, from scaled walled gardens to specialist players and low-cost reach extensions. I also explore why some networks get stuck in the squeezed middle, how technology decisions can create organizational headaches, and why retailers need to think about their proposition before rushing to launch a product.If you're building a retail media network, evaluating ad tech, or trying to understand what advertisers actually want, this episode is about taking a step back and asking the right questions before investing in the next big technology solutionThis episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline00:00 – Revisiting the different eras of retail media technology and why technology alone doesn't explain the market.01:39 – Rocks, pebbles, and sand: Dean Harris's framework for understanding the different end states of retail media networks.03:15 – The squeezed middle: why networks without scale or differentiation struggle to attract agency attention and repeat investment.04:16 – Tech composability versus the all-in-one solution: understanding which strategies are realistic for different retail media networks.06:49 – Why Ace Hardware's Redvest Media puts its proposition first, and why retailers need different technology strategies.08:13 – The organizational cost of retail media technology: why pre-integrated solutions can't solve internal inertia and infrastructure challenges.10:00 – What media buyers actually want, and why retailers need to acknowledge their place in the media plan.Links & ResourcesA version of this piece originally appeared in my column at The DrumI've split it into two parts for RMBC. This episode is part two of two. You can listen to or read part one.Co-op Media Network — the UK's first convenience retail media networkCo-op's network is run by Threefold, whose parent SMG launched a retail media exchange of its own this year.Follow Dean Harris, Head of Co-op Media Network, on LinkedInRead my related articles:Retail media's four eras (Part 1 of 2)The UK Takes A Run At Retail Media AggregationThe Retail Media Doom LoopAce Hardware's RedVest Media: Notes From My Interview With Molly HjelmCheck out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series talking shop: latest episodeI'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 4 days ago10 min
Retail Media's Four Eras (Part 1 of 2)
Retail media technology has already gone through several major reinventions. From retailers building their own ad tech stacks, to point solutions, cloud-based composable technology, and now AI-ready data infrastructure.In this episode, I’m recapping my recent article for The Drum, and exploring the four eras of retail media tech. More importantly, why these eras aren’t necessarily sequential. Across retail media networks today, you can find very different technology architectures operating at the same time, and I dig into what led up to this moment. Tomorrow, in part two, I’ll look at another framework for thinking about retail media technology investment and what all of this means for the brands actually buying retail media.This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline00:00 — Why legacy ad servers are still holding retail media networks back02:35 — The four eras of retail media technology03:25 — How economic cycles influence build vs. buy decisions04:22 — The rise of cloud and composable retail media technology04:51 — Why AI is changing the requirements for retailer data07:18 — Why the four “eras” are actually happening simultaneously08:40 — The budget clock vs. the career clock in retail mediaLinks & ResourcesA version of this piece originally appeared in my column at The Drum last week. I've split it into two parts for RMBC; this is part one of two.On 20 August 2026, current RMBC sponsor GrowthLoop launched an end-to-end commerce media network solution that's pre-integrated with The Trade Desk, Moloco, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks and identity provider Audience Acuity.Read my related articles:Costco Is The First US RMN To Reveal Its Entire Tech StackAce Hardware's RedVest Media: Notes From My Interview With Molly HjelmHow an RMN's tech stack impacts your advertising resultsCheck out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series where we talk shop.I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 5 days ago10 min
What It Now Takes For a Shopper To Switch Brands, Using AI
Most shoppers are now using AI tools to shop, and they’re increasingly discovering new brands and products inside a chat window. That raises a practical question for anyone buying or selling commerce media: what does it actually take to get a shopper to switch to a brand they’ve never heard of when an AI assistant recommends it?In this episode, I’m sharing highlights from the new consumer study I collaborated on with Bazaarvoice, What Is a Brand Worth When AI Does the Shopping? We looked at price sensitivity, brand familiarity, consumer trust, product reviews, category risk, private label, and what happens when AI puts incumbent and challenger brands side by side. The findings suggest that AI shopping may be less of a race to the bottom than brands fear — but it does raise the bar for proving that a premium is actually worth paying.This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline[01:41] - How much of a discount does it really take to make shoppers switch to a dupe?[02:30] - Why shoppers aren’t automatically choosing the cheapest option when AI presents them with multiple products[04:15] - The surprising strength of brand familiarity when AI makes the recommendation[06:15] - Why category risk changes how willing shoppers are to try an unfamiliar brand[07:30] - The role of reviews, photos, and video in making an unfamiliar AI-recommended brand credible[08:31] - What private label can teach challenger brands about competing against established national brands[09:11] - Why brands and retailers need to make their proof points findable by both shoppers and AI modelsLinks & ResourcesHere's the link to download the full Bazaarvoice consumer study that I co-authored: What Is a Brand Worth When AI Does the Shopping?Learn about Bazaarvoice, a platform that collects, syndicates, and optimizes UGC across retailers, all in one place.Read my related articles:AI Makes Shopping Easier. But Shoppers Still Check The Receipts.AI-Enabled Shopping Hits 74% AdoptionAI Agents & The Evolving Path to Purchase: How Brands Must AdaptCheck out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series where we talk shop.I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 6 days ago12 min
Amazon Extends Its DSP Into ChatGPT Ads
Amazon is extending its DSP into ChatGPT, giving brands that already advertise through Amazon Ads a new way to reach consumers inside the ChatGPT app. But the headline isn’t actually the most interesting part of this announcement. The bigger story is what Amazon is doing with its DSP, and why it increasingly looks less like an Amazon advertising product and more like an advertising aggregation strategy.In this episode, I’m sharing Jo Lambadjieva's analysis of the Amazon–OpenAI advertising deal, along with a few of my own takeaways for enterprise brands and retailers operating retail media networks. Points raised include Amazon’s growing offsite advertising footprint, the role of first-party shopping data, why measurement could determine the future of AI advertising, and what this move means for retailers that may want to participate in ChatGPT advertising themselves.This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline[01:00] - Amazon Ads placements inside the ChatGPT app and why the mechanism matters more than the headline[02:15] - Why Amazon is positioning itself as the “buying pipe” across an expanding range of advertising surfaces[03:35] - Amazon’s two-part DSP pitch: lower fees and powerful first-party shopping data[05:00] - What deeper Amazon advertising concentration could mean for sellers and advertisers[05:37] - Why measurement and credible performance attribution will be critical for advertising on AI surfaces[08:05] - Could other retailers replicate Amazon’s ChatGPT advertising strategy, and what role does The Trade Desk play?[09:45] - Why offsite advertising is becoming such an important growth opportunity for retail media[11:00] - How every new surface strengthens Amazon’s USP as a DSP, and why this particular pilot still needs to be kept in proportionLinks & ResourcesJo Lambadjieva writes AI for Ecommerce and Amazon Sellers, a newsletter read mostly by people running businesses on Amazon. I highly recommend subscribing!Read Jo's original piece in full: Amazon's Move Into ChatGPT Advertising Is a Bet on the Middle, Not the SurfaceFollow Jo Lambadjieva on LinkedInRead my related articles:DSPs Wanted: The Retail Media Revolution 96% of Advertisers CraveChatGPT Ads Are Here. I'm Not Panicking.Why OpenAI's Ad Network Should Concern RMNsI'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 1 weeks ago8 min
Why Do Brand Marketers Love To Hate On Retail Media?
There’s a new beef in marketing, and this one hits close to home: can retail media actually build brands, or is it really just trade promotion with a fancy name and a dashboard? Mark Ritson kicked off the debate by arguing that retail media is fundamentally a bottom-of-funnel, defensive investment. Andrew Lipsman pushed back, making the case that retail media can do something brand marketers have wanted for decades: reach people who aren’t currently buying your brand.In this episode, I dig into both sides of the argument, including the role of retailer data, off-site audiences, CTV, incrementality, ROAS and brand lift. I also look at some fresh Kantar data and ask a bigger question: are we actually debating what retail media is, or are we debating how marketers are choosing to spend their retail media budgets?This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline[00:00] - The new marketing beef over whether retail media can actually build brands[01:47] - Mark Ritson’s case against retail media as a brand-building channel[02:28] - How retailer data can reach lapsed, competitive and completely new buyers[05:45] - The surprising truth about where retail media budgets are really coming from[06:20] - What Kantar’s 1,500+ campaign analysis says about retail media and brand lift[07:30] - Why search and branded search dominate retail media spending, and why that matters[08:09] - The measurement question: ROAS vs. holdout studies and incrementalityLinks & ResourcesOn August 27, Mark Ritson published a column in ADWEEK called "Don't Let Retail Media Tell You It's Brand Building."Andrew Lipsman answered in his own ADWEEK op-ed five days later: "Retail Media Can Build Brands—Including Ways Other Media Can't."Josh Clarkson, who runs global retail media at Mars, attacked Ritson's retail media definition on LinkedInBrian Spencer, marketing director at Kroger Precision Marketing, explained on LinkedIn that brands use retail media audiences across CTV, audio and social, not just onsite on a retailer's website.Across 1,589 campaigns in their LIFT database, Kantar finds that retail media beats the average channel on unaided awareness (0.9 versus 0.6), online ad awareness (7.6 versus 6.5), brand favorability (3.9 versus 3.6) and purchase intent (3.8 versus 3.4)Read my related articles:How retail media could become 'mid'Brands Are From Mars, Retailers Are From VenusThe ‘How Brands Grow’ Dogma Wants To Have A Word With Retail MediaCheck out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series talking shop: latest episodeI'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 1 weeks ago11 min
Retail Media Isn’t a Cart.
Today, I’m digging into a question that has been coming up more and more as retail media expands into a broader commerce media ecosystem: does commerce media really need to be tied to the cart?I’m narrating a guest contribution essay from Tom Limongello of The Middlemen Podcast that got me thinking differently about the distinction between retail media and commerce media. Specifically why SKUs and assortments are useful ways to understand retail media, but may not actually define it (and why the more important concept could be the shopper mission). Tom's essay also looks at travel media, where the network may own the audience and the moment of attention without owning the products ultimately purchased. And that raises some fascinating questions about measurement, attribution and who gets credit when multiple commerce media networks influence the same customer journey.This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline[01:45] - Questioning why the definition of commerce media is so focused on the cart[02:15] - Why a retail media ad can influence an in-store purchase even when the exposure happens on social[03:15] - Introducing “assortment” as a key piece of the retail media vocabulary[04:30] - Why SKUs are useful for operating retail media, but don’t necessarily define it[05:45] - How travel media demonstrates the value of shopper missions beyond a retailer’s own assortment[08:45] - The measurement challenge when one network owns the media exposure but another business records the transaction[09:45] - A broader definition of commerce media, and the questions this creates for travel, financial services and mobilityLinks & ResourcesToday's post is a guest contribution from Tom Limongello, host of The Middlemen Podcast. Read Tom Limongello's essay on Substack: Retail Media Isn’t a Cart. Commerce Media Can’t Mean EverythingSubscribe to The Middlemen PodcastSubscribe to Tom's Substack Shopper MissionsFollow Tom Limongello, host of The Middlemen Podcast, on LinkedInListen to Collin Colburn from the IAB on The Middlemen: What Does Commerce Media Look Like Beyond Amazon? – Collin Colburn, IABRead my related articles:Offsite vs onsite retail mediaDid we overcook in-store retail media measurement?The retailer magazine: commerce media's most defensible surface?Check out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series where we talk shop.I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 1 weeks ago10 min
FTC v Amazon: Nothing Changes
By now, you’ve probably read plenty of coverage about the FTC’s case against Amazon’s ad auction (last week I shared an article on The Drum). But the question I’m more interested in is the one that actually matters if you’re managing an advertising budget or running a retail media network: does any of this change where the money goes?My prediction, sadly, is no. Though I’d be very happy to be proven wrong. In this episode, I break down why cheaper clicks probably wouldn’t mean less money for Amazon, why advertiser outrage may not translate into budget shifts, and why this case gives other retail media networks a short window to make transparency and auction mechanics a competitive advantage. I also dig into some fascinating arguments from the LinkedIn comments, including whether Amazon’s auction practices may have distorted industry benchmarks far beyond the individual advertisers involved.This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline[00:55] - Why cheaper Amazon ad costs could actually lead advertisers to spend more[01:46] - Why advertiser budgets are unlikely to leave Amazon anytime soon[02:12] - The opportunity for other retail media networks to win on transparency and trust[03:05] - The questions advertisers should be asking about auction mechanics, reserve prices, and pricing changes[04:05] - Why the FTC’s Amazon case may be simpler to explain than the Google ad-tech case[07:20] - How potentially inflated clearing prices could have contaminated retail media benchmarks and bidding tools[09:35] - Why Amazon can disappoint advertisers morally and still be the best place to spend a performance dollarLinks & ResourcesMy article on The Drum: The FTC says Amazon put a thumb on its ad auctions. What happens next?Read all the comments on my LinkedIn postFollow Bryan Gildenberg, Managing Director of Retail Cities North America, on LinkedInFollow Katharine McKee, Fractional Head of Growth (CMO, CRO, CGO) of Morphology Consulting, on LinkedInFollow Tom Limongello, host of The Middlemen Podcast, on LinkedInRead my related articles:Amazon Unboxed 2025: Key Announcements & Takeaways for Brand AdvertisersReal Time Bidding: Retail Media's Savior Or Saboteur?Walmart’s Push For 25% Ad Spending Highlights Retail Media’s Trust ProblemCheck out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series where we talk shop.I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
- 2 weeks ago10 min
The UK Takes A Run At Retail Media Aggregation
Retail media has a fragmentation problem. We have better dashboards, better reporting, and better measurement than we did a few years ago. But media buyers are still being asked to navigate an ever-growing number of retail media networks and walled gardens.In this episode, I look at what’s happening in the UK, where two major retail media aggregation plays launched over the summer: RMX by Plan-Apps from SMG and the dunnhumby network alliance, involving Tesco, B&Q, John Lewis and Waitrose. I also share snippets of a conversation from the Retail Media Therapy podcast with Co-op Media Network’s Dean Harris about why these platforms are emerging now, and why the real driver may have less to do with retailers wanting to collaborate and more to do with what advertisers and agencies increasingly expect.But there’s a bigger question underneath all of this: what is retail media aggregation actually for? Is the value simply having one place to buy across multiple networks, or is it about being able to reach a particular audience in one place? And if competing retailers put their audiences into the same marketplace, do we risk turning retail media audiences into commodities and pushing CPMs down, just as programmatic advertising did to publisher audiences? That tension could determine whether retail media aggregation becomes a genuine solution to fragmentation or creates an entirely new set of problems for retailers.This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoopTimeline[00:00] - Why retail media federations have suddenly become a much bigger story in the UK[01:35] - Dean Harris on the advertiser pressures driving retail media aggregation[03:18] - Why media buyers increasingly want simplicity, not another retail media platform[04:49] - The real value of aggregation: buying audiences across an entire retail sector[07:17] - The programmatic lesson: could retail media aggregation drive CPMs down?[08:19] - The strategic risks retailers need to consider before joining an aggregator[10:04] - What the publishing industry's history can teach us about retail media consolidationLinks & ResourcesListen to the full Dean Harris episode of Retail Media Therapy with Viv Craske and Colin Lewis.Subscribe to Retail Media TherapyFollow Dean Harris, Head of Co-op Media Network, on LinkedInRead my related articles:How Alliances Could Solve Retail Media's Fragmentation ProblemMeet The First Retail Media Federations & ConsortiumsWhat It Actually Takes to Build a Retail Media FederationCheck out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series talking shop: latest episodeI'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn
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