209. The Future of Ecommerce: AEO, AI, and One-to-One Personalization

In Episode 209 of the Programmatic Digest Podcast, Hélène Parker sits down with Avani Oswal, founder of Catalyst, to explore what retail and ecommerce leaders need to know as AI reshapes discovery, technology decisions, and customer experiences. Avani shares how her career moved from finance and consulting at EY to strategy at Macy's, operational roles across ecommerce brands including IPSY, and eventually building Catalyst, a community that connects retail operators with emerging technology companies. She explains why understanding the numbers, listening closely to operators, and building real relationships are essential when evaluating technology. The conversation examines the shift from SEO to answer engine optimization, or AEO. Avani explains how brands can improve their visibility inside AI-generated answers by combining structured product data with insights from ecommerce, creative, data, and paid media teams. She also breaks down the build-versus-buy decision for SaaS tools, including the factors teams often overlook: speed, resources, customization, ownership, and ongoing maintenance. Hélène and Avani close with a look toward 2027 and the promise of true one-to-one personalization across websites, merchandising, email, text, CRM, and marketing. Avani's final reminder is simple: believe in yourself, trust the experience you already have, and take the bet on yourself. ## About Us The Programmatic Digest Podcast makes programmatic advertising, ad tech, and the future of digital media easier to understand. Hosted by Hélène Parker, the show brings together operators, traders, founders, and industry leaders for practical conversations about the technology, strategy, and people shaping our industry. Through Hélène Parker Consulting, we help media and ad-tech companies grow revenue while building stronger programmatic teams through sales growth, go-to-market strategy, workshops, consulting, and training. Access the programmatic training library: https://www.heleneparker.com/library ## Timestamps • \[00:00] - Welcome and introduction to Avani Oswal • \[01:12] - From EY and Wharton to Macy's, IPSY, and ecommerce operations • \[02:50] - Why Avani created Catalyst and began connecting brands with tech companies • \[04:07] - Building value through community, trust, and relationships • \[05:30] - Using finance and business outcomes to evaluate technology • \[06:39] - Cutting through AI hype and finding tools that move the numbers • \[08:02] - Why in-person relationships still matter in a digital industry • \[09:39] - The biggest changes in ecommerce and SaaS over the past year • \[10:44] - From AI-first companies to answer engine optimization • \[12:19] - How brand, creative, ecommerce, data, and paid teams can collaborate on AEO • \[15:30] - What a PDP is and how product data can become more useful to LLMs • \[16:07] - SaaS versus building in-house: the core decision factors • \[17:40] - The maintenance cost companies forget after building a tool • \[18:45] - What large and small brands are choosing today • \[20:01] - The programmatic comparison: white-label support versus hiring in-house • \[20:49] - Avani's 2027 prediction for agentic, one-to-one personalization • \[23:01] - Avani's advice: believe in yourself and take the bet • \[24:54] - How to connect with Avani and closing remarks ## Meet Our Guest ### Avani Oswal – Founder of Catalyst Avani Oswal works at the intersection of AI, ecommerce, retail, and emerging technology. Her background includes finance and consulting at EY, an MBA from Wharton, strategy work at Macy's, and ecommerce and operational roles across consumer brands, including IPSY. As the founder of Catalyst, Avani connects retail and ecommerce leaders with one another and with technology companies. She helps operators evaluate emerging solutions, helps founders understand real industry needs, and creates communities where leaders can exchange practical insights. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avanioswal/ Catalyst: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecatalystclub/ ## Meet The Team ### Hélène Parker – Host of the Programmatic Digest Podcast Website: https://heleneparker.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-parker/ ### Manuela Cortes – Co-Host, Programmatic Digest en Español LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-cortes-/ ## Learn Programmatic Programmatic Training Library: https://heleneparker.com/library Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://heleneparker.com/newsletter Join the Workshop Waitlist: https://www.heleneparker.com/waitlist/ ## Follow Us LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/programmatic-digest-podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@programmaticdigest