Stop Trusting the Algorithm: How To Actually Own Your E-Commerce Data and 10x Profit | Rita Zahir

Rita Zahir is a VP of Marketing & E-commerce, Growth Consultant, and Author with over two decades of experience in the industry. She has led marketing at companies like Shoes.com, Famous Footwear, and Trans-American Auto Parts, and has been on the front lines of every major e-commerce shift, from the early dot-com days to today's AI-powered agentic commerce revolution. In this episode, Rita breaks down what agentic commerce really means (without the buzzword fluff), why most AI agents today still fall short, and what brands need to do to actually win with them. She also shares behind-the-scenes stories from being 1 of only 5 companies globally testing Meta's voice AI ads, why dynamic product ads are now outperforming retargeting, and why "owning your data" is the single biggest unlock for profitable growth. Here's what you'll learn: [00:00] - What agentic commerce actually means in plain English (and why it's just a buzzword) [03:00] - Where e-commerce is heading: hyper-personalization, trust, and brand relationships [06:55] - The tools brands should actually be using (data enhancement, site search, ID resolution) [09:33] - Inside Meta's voice AI beta: how Rita's team was 1 of only 5 companies globally testing it [13:48] - How voice AI ads work on Instagram and why they're a game-changer for top-of-funnel [23:04] - Why dynamic product ads are now outperforming retargeting (even for cold prospects) [29:10] - Why brands need to "own their data" and how BARK AI helped optimize for profit [31:05] - Pinterest, Reddit, TikTok Shop: ranking the ad platforms beyond Meta and Google [34:45] - LA vs New York: where the e-commerce industry actually lives [37:07] - The best e-commerce conferences: Shop Talk, E-tail, NRF, and Commerce Next [38:32] - Remote vs hybrid: the future of work in e-commerce [41:05] - Rita's career lessons: how to jump on new tech early without taking the train to the station Links: Linkedin:   / matt-laker   - connect with me! Need more help? https://acemakers.io/acemakers-it-con... - We make it easy and fun to grow your IT consulting company, instead of complex and boring!