Agentic Commerce & the Marketplace Boom with Mirakl’s Scott Eckert
Retail Remix
· with Scott Eckert
· March 9, 2026
· 23 min
Summary
Third-party marketplaces have moved from optional to essential for retailers seeking offensive growth. This episode reveals how brands like Ulta and Best Buy are expanding their offerings without diluting their identity. Learn why clean, machine-readable catalog data is becoming more critical than traditional SEO for AI-driven product discovery and how retail media intersects with marketplace strategies.
Key takeaways
Curated marketplaces are a strategic offensive growth tool, not just a defensive play against Amazon, allowing retailers to expand assortment without brand dilution.
The future of product discovery is shifting from traditional SEO to clean, machine-readable catalog data optimized for AI answer engines (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic).
Retail media networks and marketplace strategies are increasingly intertwined, creating new revenue opportunities and enhancing overall commerce ecosystem.
Traditional retail can leverage marketplaces to competitively counter the dominance of Big Tech by controlling their commerce platforms and data.
Disruptive products and services in the AI commerce era will prioritize seamless orchestration across new AI-driven channels and superior structured data for discoverability.
Themes
ai in retaildata optimizationmarketplace strategyretail media
In less than five years, launching a third-party marketplace has gone from a questionable move to a strategic imperative for many major retailers. Recorded live at NRF 2026, this episode of Retail Remix digs into that shift with Scott Eckert, CEO of the Americas at marketplace operator Mirakl.Scott explains why retailers are embracing curated marketplaces as an offensive growth strategy — no longer just as a defensive reaction to Amazon — and how brands like Ulta Beauty, Best Buy and Lowe’s are expanding assortment without diluting brand identity.The conversation also dives into how AI answer engines are reshaping product discovery, and why clean, machine-readable catalog data may soon matter more than traditional SEO. Plus, Scott shares Mirakl’s growing role in retail media and the company’s vision of becoming an orchestration layer across emerging AI-driven commerce channels.Key TakeawaysHow the proving power of Amazon and, perhaps more importantly, Walmart has completely shifted retailers’ attitude toward online marketplaces;Why retail media and marketplace strategies increasingly go hand in hand;The important role marketplaces will play in the world of AI commerce, when done right;Why product data must be optimized differently for different AI platforms like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic; andThe essential quality of a truly disruptive product or service. Related LinksLearn how Mirakl powers enterprise marketplaces and retail mediaRelated reading: Mirakl CEO: Marketplaces are ‘Arming the Rebellion’ of Traditional Retail Against Big TechRelated reading:<a href="https://
Curated marketplaces are a strategic offensive growth tool, not just a defensive play against Amazon, allowing retailers to expand assortment without brand dilution.
What does this episode say about data optimization?
The future of product discovery is shifting from traditional SEO to clean, machine-readable catalog data optimized for AI answer engines (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic).
What does this episode say about marketplace strategy?
Retail media networks and marketplace strategies are increasingly intertwined, creating new revenue opportunities and enhancing overall commerce ecosystem.
What does this episode say about retail media?
Traditional retail can leverage marketplaces to competitively counter the dominance of Big Tech by controlling their commerce platforms and data.
What does this episode say about ai in retail?
Disruptive products and services in the AI commerce era will prioritize seamless orchestration across new AI-driven channels and superior structured data for discoverability.
