AI-Fueled Shopping for The Holidays

This week, I’m breaking down a fascinating shift I’ve been watching closely: the moment AI-enabled commerce finally tips from novelty to norm, just in time for the holiday shopping rush. After a near-disaster of traveling without my wallet (which somehow wasn’t a disaster at all), I couldn’t help but notice how quickly behavior changes when technology quietly becomes infrastructure. And based on fresh Salesforce data, AI is hitting that same inflection point in retail.In this episode, I dig into what’s different this year, why AI shopping tools are suddenly actually useful, and how shoppers are blending personalized AI agents with retailer-owned chat experiences. Plus, I share some surprising insights about Gen Z’s in-store resurgence, and why the most AI-proof part of retail media might just be happening in the physical aisle.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:00] – The “forgot my wallet” travel moment and how quickly new behaviors become normal[01:06] – Why this holiday season marks AI’s first real commerce stress test[02:24] – The most meaningful new AI shopping tools consumers didn’t have last year[03:52] – Are shoppers using retailer chatbots, or bringing their own LLM sidekick?[06:29] – Salesforce data: retailers with AI chatbots are seeing 7× higher growth[07:28] – The gap between retailer chatbots and personal AI assistants[08:22] – Gen Z’s unexpected return to in-store shopping (with AI in hand)[10:12] – What I’m watching as $73B in projected AI-influenced sales plays out this weekLinks & ResourcesRead my articles:Maybe Ads in AI Don't Have To Suck?Vibe Marketing in Retail MediaWhy GEO Isn't Enough: What CPG Brands Actually Control in Agentic CommerceWhile We Debate What's 'Really' Agentic, Retail Media's Foundation Is Already ShiftingAre 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 hereSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri on LinkedIn