ecommert Podcast

Mert Damlapinar
  • 4.9 (63)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosted by Mert Damlapinar, recognized as a Top Voice on LinkedIn and the #1 source in global eCommerce, retail media, artificial intelligence, digital shelf, and actionable insights.

  1. 12H AGO

    How Smart Brands Are Rethinking Retail Media with Rishika Choumal from Henkel Part 1

    In this episode of the ecommert® Podcast, we sit down with Rishika Choumal to explore how retail media is evolving into a measurable, full-funnel growth driver for modern CPG brands. As digital and in-store worlds continue to merge, Rishika shares how leading companies like Henkel are redefining success through smarter measurement, sharper investment strategies, and deeper integration across channels. From breaking down silos to connecting media spend with real business outcomes, this conversation dives into what it truly takes to win in today's commerce landscape. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 Measurement in a Blended World: How brands connect online performance with in-store sales impact. 🔹 Smarter Media Investments: Why CPG companies are becoming more selective and data-driven. 🔹 Retail Media Beyond Silos: Integrating retail media into overall brand and marketing strategy. 🔹 Short-Term vs Long-Term Impact: Balancing performance marketing with brand building. 🔹 First-Party Data & Personalization: Unlocking growth through better targeting and consumer insights. 🔹 The Future of Retail Media: Why measurement, accountability, and integration will define the next phase. About the Guest: Rishika Choumal is the Global Retail Media Lead at Henkel, where she drives global strategy across retail media, performance marketing, and digital commerce. With a strong background in consumer psychology and full-funnel media planning, she brings a unique perspective on how brands can connect data, media, and real business impact. 🌐 More insights: https://www.ecommert.ai Mert Damlapinar | ecommert About ecommert: We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels. 🎧 Thanks for tuning in to the ecommert podcast.

    19 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Part 2 : Omnichannel Transformation and Connected Experiences with Alberto Kechler, Arla Foods

    In this episode of the Ecommert Podcast, we sit down with Alberto Kechler, Global Head of E-commerce for Arla Foods, at their Utrecht offices in the Netherlands. We explore the massive shift from e-commerce hypergrowth to a mature, omnichannel landscape—where breaking down organizational silos is the key to creating a channel-less consumer experience. Alberto shares his journey from 15 years in digital commerce across giants like Nestle and Mondelez to leading the omnichannel transformation at Arla Foods. We discuss why the future of e-commerce isn't just about standalone digital teams—it's about embedding e-commerce expertise directly into local business units. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 The Omnichannel Shift: Why the industry is moving away from siloed e-commerce teams toward a fully integrated, channel-less approach. 🔹 "Click and Cook" Case Study: How Arla successfully turned 35 million recipe searches into 1 million shoppable carts in Denmark using API integration. 🔹 Retail Media ROI: Why every retail media investment must have a positive impact on sales, and how to navigate fragmented retailer data. 🔹 Mastering the Digital Shelf: Why perfecting the basics of content, imagery, and availability remains vital before adopting advanced AI and conversational search. 🔹 The JBP Advantage: How clear budget allocation, data, and cross-functional collaboration empower brands during Joint Business Plan (JBP) negotiations with retailers. About the Guest: Alberto Kechler is the Global Head of E-commerce for Arla Foods. With over 15 years of experience in the digital commerce space, including leadership roles at Nestle and Mondelez, Alberto is now focused on driving omnichannel transformation, retail media excellence, and seamless consumer experiences for one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives. 🌐 More insights: https://www.ecommert.ai Mert Damlapinar | ecommert About ecommert: We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels. Thanks for tuning in to ecommert podcast.

    34 min

  3. APR 9

    Reduce the Click: How Instacart Reaches You Everywhere with Jeong Woo from Instacart

    In this episode of the Ecommert Podcast, we sit down with Jeong Woo, Director of Brand Partnerships at Instacart, at Instacart's headquarters in New York. We explore the transformation of Instacart from a grocery delivery platform into a full-scale retail media and ad tech ecosystem powering over 240 retail partners. Jeong shares her journey across Microsoft, Amazon, and Pinterest, and how those experiences shaped her perspective on digital media, data, and commerce. We dive into how Instacart is helping CPG brands reach consumers both on and off the platform, and why the industry is moving toward a world where everything is shoppable and friction in the shopper journey is minimized. We also discuss how retail media is evolving beyond lower-funnel tactics into full-funnel strategies, powered by first-party data, advanced targeting, and closed-loop measurement. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 The Evolution of Instacart: From last-mile delivery to a grocery technology company powering over 240 retailers with white-label retail media solutions. 🔹 Retail Media at Scale: How brands can reach consumers across on-site and off-site channels, including social, CTV, and programmatic. 🔹 Everything Is Shoppable: Why CPG brands are pushing for frictionless experiences and how reducing clicks is reshaping the consumer journey. 🔹 First-Party Data & Targeting: How Instacart leverages its data to help brands reach high-intent, lapsed, and new-to-brand consumers. 🔹 Incrementality & Measurement: How brands can measure true impact through lift studies, closed-loop attribution, and third-party partnerships like Circana. 🔹 From Search to Discovery: The rise of inspirational formats like shoppable recipes, bundles, and occasions to drive awareness and new customer acquisition. About the Guest: Jeong Vu is the Director of Brand Partnerships at Instacart, where she leads strategic relationships with CPG brands, primarily in the beverages category. With a career spanning Microsoft, Amazon, and Pinterest, Jeong brings deep expertise in digital advertising, retail media, and commerce strategy, helping brands drive measurable growth through data-driven solutions. 🌐 More insights: https://www.ecommert.ai Mert Damlapinar | ecommert About ecommert: We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels. 🎧 Thanks for tuning in to the ecommert podcast.

    27 min
  4. The AI Tsunami in Here: Will You Dive In Or Get Left Behind? with Stephen Howard-Sarin from Criteo

    MAR 26

    The AI Tsunami in Here: Will You Dive In Or Get Left Behind? with Stephen Howard-Sarin from Criteo

    In this episode of the Ecommert Podcast, we sit down with Stephen Howard-Sarin, Managing Director of North America for Criteo , at the Commerce Media Brands Summit in Atlanta . We explore the massive reinvention happening in the retail media landscape—from solving buy-side fragmentation to the explosion of AI-driven conversational commerce. Stephen shares his journey of over a decade in commerce media, having built giant advertising businesses at eBay, Walmart Connect, and Instacart before joining Criteo . We discuss why the industry is shifting away from trade spend constraints, the reality of shopping within Large Language Models (LLMs), and how brands must prepare for a future where product discovery starts with a picture rather than a keyword. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 The Retail Media Reinvention: Why the industry is shifting toward buy-side tool consolidation, allowing brands to seamlessly manage campaigns and reach audiences across multiple retail networks. 🔹 Trade Spend vs. True Media: The defining line of retail advertising—"it's not advertising if the advertiser can't say no"—and how brands are capping trade investments to focus on real media ROI. 🔹 The AI Checkout Delusion: Unpacking the Silicon Valley myth around LLM checkouts, with predictions that only 2% of e-commerce transactions will actually happen inside an AI chat by 2029. 🔹 Picture vs. Keyword: How multimodal AI is fundamentally changing product discovery, moving from traditional search terms to contextual, image-based conversations. 🔹 The AI "Black Box": The new challenges of closed-loop attribution when consumer discovery and consideration happen through ambiguous chatbot conversations before the actual purchase. About the Guest: Stephen Howard-Sarin is the Managing Director of North America for Criteo . With over a decade of pioneering experience in the commerce media space, Stephen has played pivotal roles in building and scaling giant advertising businesses at eBay, Walmart Connect, and Instacart . At Criteo, he focuses on turning complex retail media fragmentation and the rise of conversational AI into scalable growth strategies for brands and retailers alike. 🌐 More insights: https://www.ecommert.ai Mert Damlapinar | ecommert About ecommert: We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels. Thanks for tuning in to ecommert podcast.

    38 min

  5. MAR 11

    Part 1 : Omnichannel Transformation and Connected Experiences with Alberto Kechler, Arla Foods

    In this episode of the Ecommert Podcast, we sit down with Alberto Kechler, Global Head of E-commerce for Arla Foods, at their Utrecht offices in the Netherlands. We explore the massive shift from e-commerce hypergrowth to a mature, omnichannel landscape—where breaking down organizational silos is the key to creating a channel-less consumer experience. Alberto shares his journey from 15 years in digital commerce across giants like Nestle and Mondelez to leading the omnichannel transformation at Arla Foods. We discuss why the future of e-commerce isn't just about standalone digital teams—it's about embedding e-commerce expertise directly into local business units. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 The Omnichannel Shift: Why the industry is moving away from siloed e-commerce teams toward a fully integrated, channel-less approach. 🔹 "Click and Cook" Case Study: How Arla successfully turned 35 million recipe searches into 1 million shoppable carts in Denmark using API integration. 🔹 Retail Media ROI: Why every retail media investment must have a positive impact on sales, and how to navigate fragmented retailer data. 🔹 Mastering the Digital Shelf: Why perfecting the basics of content, imagery, and availability remains vital before adopting advanced AI and conversational search. 🔹 The JBP Advantage: How clear budget allocation, data, and cross-functional collaboration empower brands during Joint Business Plan (JBP) negotiations with retailers. About the Guest: Alberto Kechler is the Global Head of E-commerce for Arla Foods. With over 15 years of experience in the digital commerce space, including leadership roles at Nestle and Mondelez, Alberto is now focused on driving omnichannel transformation, retail media excellence, and seamless consumer experiences for one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives. 🌐 More insights: https://www.ecommert.ai Mert Damlapinar | ecommert About ecommert: We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels. Thanks for tuning in to ecommert podcast.

    31 min

  6. FEB 6 ·  VIDEO

    How Agentic Systems Will Soon Impact E-commerce Sales (w/ Germán Loewe, CEO of Shalion)

    In this episode of the Ecommert Podcast, we sit down with Germán Loewe, Founder and CEO of Shalion, at their New York offices. We explore the massive shift from descriptive analytics to prescriptive AI—where "agentic systems" don't just show you data, but tell you exactly what to do next. Germán shares his journey from academic decision science and consumer intelligence to building Shalion, a global leader in retail media and digital shelf analytics. We discuss why the future of e-commerce isn't about more dashboards—it's about closing the loop between insight and execution. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 The Shift to Prescriptive AI: Why the industry is moving from "monitoring KPIs" to AI that recommends specific commercial actions. 🔹 "Maestro" & Agentic Systems: How Shalion's new LLM agents allows brands to query data conversationally and generate charts on the fly. 🔹 Holistic Share of Voice: Why scraping search results isn't enough, and how Shalion captures the "consumer view" by integrating paid, organic, and retail media signals. 🔹 Closing the Loop: How AI can identify underperforming content and automatically suggest improvements to your PIM system. 🔹 The JVP Advantage: How to use AI to build business cases for tough negotiations with top-tier retailers. About the Guest: Germán Loewe is the Founder and CEO of Shalion. With a background in decision science and a successful exit in the consumer intelligence space (NetQuest), Germán is now focused on helping global brands master e-commerce performance through advanced data architecture and AI. 🌐 More insights: https://www.ecommert.ai  Mert Damlapinar | ecommert About ecommert We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels.    Thanks for tuning in to ecommert podcast.

    26 min

  7. JAN 26 ·  VIDEO

    The key enemy of AI enterprise adoption is FOMO - Insights from Bastien (Reckitt's CIO/CDO)

    Episode 2 is live with Bastien Parisot (CIO/CDO, @Reckitt). In this conversation, we explore what it really takes to scale AI inside a global CPG, from data foundations to agentic workflows and execution at speed. This episode goes beyond buzzwords and into the hard parts: integrating legacy systems, enabling adoption, and building AI capabilities that deliver measurable business outcomes. What you'll learn in Episode 2: 🔹Agentic workflows: how to get performance insights in under a minute 🔹 Agents vs autonomous agents: what "closing the loop" really means 🔹 Why SAP and ERPs won't disappear, and why the bridge is the hardest part 🔹 Cloud as the testing engine (when data is in the right place) 🔹 AI transformation is execution, not experimentation If you're leading digital commerce, retail media, data, or transformation in CPG, this is a must-watch. #EcommertPodcast #Reckitt #AIinCommerce #DigitalTransformation #CPG #RetailMedia #FMCG #AIAdoption Mert Damlapinar About ecommert We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. Our expertise spans e-channel strategy, retail media optimization, and digital shelf analytics, ensuring smarter and more efficient operations across B2C, eB2B, and DTC channels. Thanks for tuning in to ecommert podcast.

    22 min

  8. JAN 12 ·  VIDEO

    The Future of CPG The Retail Media Revolution

    The Future of CPG Retail Media | ecommert Podcast   Retail media is rapidly evolving from a performance channel into a core growth engine for CPG brands. In this episode of the ecommert Podcast, we dive deep into what's next for retail media, data integration, and shopper-centric measurement.   🎙 Featured Guests   Celia Van Wickel Director of Digital Commerce, Russell Stover   Maria Fernanda Gil Tamayo Former Senior Marketing & Digital Integration Manager, Coca-Cola FEMSA   💡 What we cover in this episode:   How retail media is reshaping the CPG go-to-market model The challenges of real-time data, attribution, and post-purchase analytics Why "more data" doesn't always mean better decisions Aligning media, commerce, and shopper behavior across retailers What the next phase of retail media maturity looks like     This conversation goes beyond buzzwords, focusing on practical realities, organizational challenges, and the decisions CPG leaders must make as retail media becomes central to growth.   🔔 Subscribe for more insights on CPG, retail, AI, and commerce transformation. 📩 Follow ecommert® for weekly insights from industry operators and leaders.

    17 min
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4.9
out of 5
63 Ratings

About

Hosted by Mert Damlapinar, recognized as a Top Voice on LinkedIn and the #1 source in global eCommerce, retail media, artificial intelligence, digital shelf, and actionable insights.

Information

  • Creator
    Mert Damlapinar
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2024
  • Show Website
    ecommert Podcast

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