The Jason & Scot Show - E-Commerce And Retail News Retailgentic crossover: Sucharita Kodali - VP and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
Jun 6, 2025
Sucharita Kodali, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, shares valuable insights into the future of retail. She discusses the rise of agentic shopping and the pivotal role of generative AI in commerce. The conversation highlights the explosive growth of retail media networks post-COVID and the comeback of marketplaces. Sucharita also explores the competition posed by TikTok and AI against traditional search engines like Google. Vibrant debates on consumer-driven purchases and the influence of social commerce make for an engaging listen.
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Retail Media Networks Soar Post-COVID
- Retail media networks boomed post-COVID as retailers embraced online digital ads and agile commerce models.
- Agencies promise easy revenue, making retail media networks more attractive than marketplaces initially.
Current GenAI Use Cases in Retail
- Large retailers primarily use GenAI for chatbot support, personalized marketing, product augmentation, and IT coding assistance.
- These uses currently generate incremental but not transformational business impact.
Social and AI Search Threaten Google
- TikTok and Instagram challenge Google as dominant product search alternatives due to integrated influencer content.
- GenAI search tools like ChatGPT and Amazon's Rufus are growing but remain niche compared to social media search.