Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast The Endless Aisle: Infinite Assortment to Real-Time Relevance—and Beyond | Reimagining Retail
Mar 25, 2026
Bennett Carroccio, CEO of Rokt Catalog and serial entrepreneur, helps retailers connect buyers with relevant products using AI and marketplace integrations. He traces the evolution of the endless aisle, explores choice overload versus curation, and explains how AI, conversational search, and the Transaction Moment unlock real-time relevance and personalized storefronts.
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Transaction Moment Is Prime Real Estate
- The transaction moment is a high-intent attention window ideal for merchandising additional relevant offers.
- Rokt sees post-purchase focus as an opportunity to surface non-endemic items like subscriptions that convert better than simple cross-sells.
Outlet Boxes And The Hidden Inventory Analogy
- Bennett describes furnishing his Tribeca apartment and getting overwhelmed by outlet boxes, relying on store associates to find hidden inventory.
- The hidden back-room inventory is a retail analog for the endless online assortment.
Search-First Assortment Converts Far Better
- Amazon proved that search-first endless assortment dramatically raises conversion (search sessions ~12.9% vs typical 2–3%).
- Nailing endless aisle + discovery lifts value by surfacing the right item when intent is shown.