Unlocking Retail Media

James Avery sits down with Elizabeth Neubauer-Donovan, EVP and Global Head of Retail and Commerce Media Networks at Acxiom — a 60-year-old data and identity company now operating inside the world's largest global ad agency, Omnicom. Elizabeth brings a rare vantage point: she sits squarely between brands, retailers, agencies, and the data layer, giving her a uniquely clear view of what's actually w...

In this special live episode of Unlocking Retail Media, recorded on stage at the Retail Media FC Summit in São Paulo, Brazil, James Avery sits down with Sam James, VP of Ads at iFood — the dominant food and grocery delivery platform commanding roughly 80% market share in Brazil. Sam breaks down how iFood scaled from basic seller ads to a full-funnel retail media powerhouse, why Brazil is the faste...

James Avery sits down with Grant Steadman, retail expert and former President of North America at dunnhumby, to explore the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence and generative shopping on the commerce landscape. Drawing on his extensive 16-year tenure at dunnhumby—the data science pioneer behind Tesco's Clubcard and early loyalty frameworks—Grant offers a rare look at the data-led history of...

James Avery sits down with Austin Leonard, VP and General Manager of DG Media Network, to break down how Dollar General is transforming America’s general store into a retail media juggernaut. With more than 21,000 physical locations deeply embedded in rural and suburban communities, Dollar General reaches a critical shopper base that traditional digital platforms often miss. Austin shares the insi...

James Avery sits down with Andrew Lipsman, independent analyst and former eMarketer principal, to challenge the industry's dangerous obsession with "magical black boxes" and short-term KPIs. Andrew explains why ROAS is a fundamentally flawed metric that often rewards "cookie stuffing" and branded search rather than true business growth, urging brands and retailers to graduate toward incrementality...

James Avery sits down with Paulo Cunha , Kevel’s VP of Product, to explore the historical convergence of data infrastructure and ad tech. Drawing from his journey as the founder of Shift Forward (later Velocity), Paulo recounts the early days of building foundational first-party data tools in Europe and how his team’s expertise in real-time segmentation and forecasting became the backbone of Kevel...

James Avery welcomes Sean Cheyney , EVP of Global Business Development at QSIC, to discuss the untapped potential of the physical store as a high-performance media channel. Drawing on his deep background at Triad and CitrusAd, Sean explains how modern AI-driven in-store audio is solving legacy pain points by providing closed-loop measurement, incremental ROAS, and hyper-localized creative that can...

James Avery sits down with Michael Schuh, Global Head of Media at dunnhumby, to explore the evolution of one of the most sophisticated retail media ecosystems in the world. Drawing on his extensive experience building Kroger Precision Marketing, Michael discusses the shift from off-site and loyalty-driven data to the current surge in digitized in-store media. The conversation delves into the strat...

James Avery is joined by Melissa Burdick , Co-founder and President of Pacvue , to discuss the complex, multi-touchpoint journey of the modern consumer. Melissa breaks down the three pillars of commerce media: discovery, retail media, and the emerging world of agentic commerce. She also explains why brands are shifting their focus from basic ROAS to sophisticated incrementality (iROAS) models. The...

James Avery sits down with Andrew Covato , founder of Growth by Science , to demystify the complex world of advertising measurement. With a career spanning leadership roles at Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Snap, Andrew explains why traditional attribution is no longer enough and why sophisticated brands are moving toward incrementality (iROAS) and Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM).

James Avery talks with James Borow, advisor and lead for Universal Ads at Comcast, about the convergence of premium TV and digital self-serve advertising. Borow discusses how Universal Ads is making TV inventory approachable for brands of all sizes by removing traditional barriers like high minimum spends and complex creative requirements. The conversation covers the shift toward incrementality in...

James Avery sits down with Ben Johnson, Senior Director of Chewy Ads, to discuss the critical role of product management in building a successful retail media network. Drawing from his experience at both Chewy and Coupang, Ben explains why retailers must move beyond "cookie-cutter" playbooks to develop bespoke ad solutions that reflect their unique customer behaviors—such as Chewy’s high-growth su...

James Avery is joined by Sam Wright, Kevel’s strategic advisor, to discuss the essential steps for launching and maturing a retail media business. Drawing from his experience globalizing Klarna Media, Sam breaks down how businesses of all sizes—from small startups to billion-dollar enterprises—can diversify their revenue through targeted advertising. The conversation explores critical growth strat...

In this episode, James Avery talks with Gareth Menton of Carwow about his journey through retail media, moving from the transactional, spur-of-the-moment food delivery space at Just Eat to the high-value, long-consideration automotive marketplace. Gareth shares how Carwow uses rich first-party data for effective offsite advertising, proving sales attribution for brands. A key takeaway for all RMNs...

Lee Dunbar, SVP and Head of Retail Media at Starcom, joins the show to provide a crucial agency and brand-side perspective on the evolving retail media landscape. Having seen retail media transform from old-school shopper marketing to a critical part of modern advertising, Lee discusses what major brands like P&G and Kraft Heinz truly seek from Retail Media Networks (RMNs), emphasizing the nee...

Host James Avery welcomes serial entrepreneur Scot Wingo to dissect the rapid rise of Agentic Commerce and its imminent impact on Retail Media Networks (RMNs). Wingo, the founder of Channel Advisor, explains how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Perplexity have evolved from simple search tools to "answer engines" and full-bore marketplaces, completing the "research, find, and buy" shop...

In this episode, James Avery and Matt Nichols discuss the evolving landscape of retail media, investment trends, and the impact of AI on consumer behavior. They explore how retail media has grown significantly, especially post-COVID, and the importance of integrating AI into retail strategies. The conversation also touches on supply chain innovations and the future of shopping, particularly in rel...

Retail media success hinges on giving brands what they truly need: measurable, incremental sales growth. This episode of Unlocking Retail Media with expert Mark Mannino—from VidMob, Amazon Ads, and Flywheel—focuses on strategic RMN packaging and measurement. Key takeaways include moving beyond simple ROAS to prioritize incremental ROAS and new-to-brand metrics. Retailers must clarify how they hand...

In this conversation, James Avery and Mark Grether discuss the innovative advertising strategies being developed at PayPal, leveraging unique transaction data to create a differentiated advertising business. They explore the challenges faced by retail media networks, the importance of measurement and incrementality, and the future of commerce media in the context of AI advancements. Mark shares in...