{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Retail Media Breakfast Club","title":"AI Is Stealing the Browse: How Retail Media Wins the Data War in the Age of ChatGPT","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/3eed1733\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":728,"description":"A year ago, just 7% of website referrals to U.S. retailer sites came from ChatGPT. By October 2025, that number had more than doubled to 16%. And it’s not just ecommerce: nearly one in five shoppers used LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity while shopping in-store over Thanksgiving weekend last year. That’s not a trend. That’s a shift.In this episode, an expansion on a recent piece I wrote for The Drum, I share a personal story about how AI completely reshaped my own purchase journey (yes, it involves a Shark hair tool and zero browsing on a retailer site!). Then I break down what this “cosmic reset” means for retail media networks. If AI is claiming the early shopping journey, how do commerce media players compete? I walk through four strategic moves retailers must make now to protect their data advantage, strengthen their media moat, and win in an AI-shaped shopping world.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:00] – ChatGPT referrals to retailer sites double in a year, and 18% of shoppers use LLMs in-store.[01:22] – My “hair rut” story: How AI replaced my browsing and narrowed my purchase to one SKU.[02:51] – The real problem: Fewer signals, fewer surfaces, and less sponsored product exposure.[04:23] – Strategy #1: Fueling the inspiration stage with offsite commerce media.[07:15] – Strategy #2: Data collaboration and clean room partnerships across commerce networks.[08:45] – Strategy #3 & #4: Product truth as a media lever, and why in-store is the most defensible arena.Links & ResourcesCheck out my full article on The Drum: Kiri Masters: Retailers, here’s how your media network can still thrive in an AI-shopping eraRead my related articles:Why OpenAI's Ad Network Should Concern RMNsRetail Media's Measurement Problem: It's Not Just the RetailersWhile We Debate What's 'Really' Agentic, Retail Media's Foundation Is Already Shifting'The Biggest Change in My Lifetime' — Marketecture CSO on AI Shopping7 Ways to Break the Retail Media Doom LoopJoin me...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/leXjG3eX2Oionus255cCT4ARULtDc4JRA6cGjzbnYvM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hNDU3/ODBmMzkwODY0NDEx/ZGJhNDk2NDc0MWY4/NzcwMS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}