Future Commerce

Zia Daniell Wigder, Global President of Shoptalk and Groceryshop, joins Brian and Alicia to mark Shoptalk's 10th anniversary and unpack the themes defining the spring show in Las Vegas. (Hint: AI isn't the headline, it's the backdrop.) A week before one of retail’s biggest, most beloved shows, Zia maps the tensions, the conversations, and the hot topics shaping the next era of retail events. The More We Automate, the More We Meet Key Takeaways: more Key Quotes: [00:05:00] "In-person human connections are even more important today than they have been in the past, because we have all of this operational efficiency, all of this streamlining and optimization happening in the background in some cases, taking away some of the interactions we might've had before." — Zia Daniell Wigder [00:11:52] "You've got the huge champions that say yes, [AI] is going to change everything about the world of product discovery as we know it. And then you've got the other side saying, this is way over-hyped." — Zia Daniell Wigder [00:23:01] "Brands aren't necessarily asking about [social commerce] per se, but it almost feels like they should be." — Zia Daniell Wigder [00:24:04] "Brands are still having briefs shoved at [creators] and telling them what they should be doing, as opposed to working with them in a more collaborative way." — Zia Daniell Wigder In-Show Mentions: Shoptalk Spring 2026POSSIBLEGroceryshopManifest Associated Links: Visit Future Commerce’s Shoptalk hubApply to attendFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As ChatGPT pulls back on native in-app checkout, malls becomemainstream again. Is agentic commerce ready for primetime, or are consumers seeking more analog experiences? PLUS: Dick's Sporting Goods' loyalty loop that turns steps into spending power, and a dystopian new platform that rents out humans for AI agents that can't operate in the physical world. Everything old is new again. Granny’s Favorite Store Goes to TikTok Shop Key takeaways: In-Show Mentions: How 2,000 consumers used AI to shopGen Z Is Going to the Mall Again — WSJRent-a-HumanJoin us at Shoptalk Spring 2026! Associated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Phillip and Brian get deep on a week when everything felt a little unhinged: Shopify's AI sidekick started building custom apps, Iran allegedly took out AWS data centers mid-Claude-outage, and the McDonald's CEO went mega-viral just days after Phillip prophesied it. Underneath the chaos, a throughline emerges: the things we've used to measure value (view counts, credit card rewards, third-party apps, and AI contracts) are quietly expiring. Culture is first. Then comes commerce. This SKU Is Delicious Key takeaways: In-Show Mentions: How MrBeast Dominated 2025 Using AdvertisingPhillip’s Big Arch burger virality predictionGet on the list for the Future Commerce x Shoptalk After Party Associated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re live and poolside at the close of eTail Palm Springs. This year’s conference brought less theory and more proof, from agentic platforms doing actual operational work to the quiet rise of go-to-market tooling among merchants. One thing is clear: AI stopped talking and started shipping. Brian and Phillip break down the sessions, hallway conversations, and briefings that mattered most, and dive into their marathon week of discussions with companies including CommerceIQ, Attentive, Resolve AI, Decile, Modem, and more. The Year AI Stopped Talking and Started Working Key takeaways: Quotes: In-Show Mentions: Listen to Kristin Flor Perret’s episode on Future Commerce Associated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Cohen, CMO of Onyx Global Group (Pure Daily Care & Aquasonic), joins Phillip and Alicia to trace the arc from Amazon-first launches to TikTok Shop dominance. This week, we unpack the unmeasurable and explore what it actually means to cede your marketing playbook to a creator economy that doesn't need your permission. Control Is Overrated, Anyway Key Takeaways Associated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In just one year, Daily Harvest was acquired by Chobani, dropped its subscription requirement, and launched a campaign calling out the wellness hype machine. CEO Ricky Silver joins us to talk about the facts in an industry dominated by fiction. Selling Food, Not Fiction Key takeaways: Associated Links: Daily HarvestFuture Commerce’s 2026 predictionsFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most Super Bowl ads failed before they aired. Dr. Marcus Collins explains why. We break down the Super Bowl as a cultural spectacle: the ads, the Bad Bunny halftime show, and the Levi's strategy that no one is talking about. Key takeaways: Associated Links: From the CultureFor the CultureFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LIVE from Manifest 2026: Shipium CEO Jason Murray reveals why AI transformation isn't about making old processes faster but fundamentally rethinking workflows. From turning three-day analytics tasks into minutes with Orca to exploring adjacent areas such as auditing and consulting, Phillip, Brian, and Jason unpack how domain-specific AI creates competitive moats in an era when traditional advantages are dissolving. Some Kid In His Dorm Room Is Coming For Your Company Key takeaways: In-Show Mentions: Learn more about ShipiumLearn more about ManifestAssociated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join us at SoCom 2026, the Social Commerce Conference. February 26 in Venice Beach and save 20% with code FCSC2026 Damon Berger, Head of Consumer Digital Engagement at Gap Inc., joins the show to share the strategy behind the brand's comeback. He unpacks the playbook for rebuilding an iconic brand, why it worked for Barbie, and why creator capital is the new north star. Plus, he reveals how Gap moved from "chasing relevance” to driving it, and why brand distinction is the new survival strategy against the sea of AI slop. Gap is Back, Baby. Key Takeaways: Damon Berger [03:33]: "Creators are the conduit to what is kind of cool out in the world...the idea for us is that we have a variety of relationships with them." Damon Berger [12:14]: "That was really why one of the reasons that it was so popular and shared and viral...people started taking that video and doing all their own dances and doing their own interpretations to it and expressing themselves and joining a larger conversation." Damon Berger [15:14]: "We were just being ourselves. We were just living our own brand values, where we believe in the value of diverse voices. We believe in people being themselves no matter what." Damon Berger [29:26]: "In the sea of sameness and the sea of AI slop and all of these worlds of not really knowing who you're buying from…[brand distinction] is what people care about, and that's how we've won over the last couple of years." In-Show Mentions: Gap's "Better in Denim" CampaignGet Blue InitiativeAssociated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew McLuhan (The McLuhan Institute) and Paulo Ferreira (co-founder, Barrons Brand Publishing) join us to dissect the seismic shift from persuasion to publication. As institutions crumble and audiences demand transparency, brands are discovering they don't need platforms—they need publishing strategies. From Brazil's brand publishing revolution to venture capital as the ultimate gamble, this conversation explores how commerce and culture collapse into a single, trust-driven narrative where every brand becomes its own campfire. Content Is Dethroned, Context Is King Key Takeaways: Key Quotes: "A good brand doesn't fear a well-informed client. A good brand wants a well-informed client." — Paulo Ferreira [00:58:52] "With our new media, people have the freedom to find it themselves. Brands are becoming their own campfires, allowing people to crowd around and exchange stories." — Andrew McLuhan [00:10:11] "‘The medium is the message’ was telling radio people to calm down about TV. Being obsolete doesn't mean death, it means rebirth." — Andrew McLuhan [00:23:53] "Trust is built through transparency. The scroll is infinite now. The stakes have never been higher for laying our cards on the table." — Andrew McLuhan [01:00:22] Associated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Theory meets tarmac. Sushmitha "Sushi" Radhakrishnan runs finance and operations at Birddogs, the men's apparel brand born from a Shark Tank moment that's now selling through Dick's Sporting Goods. She breaks down what cash flow actually looks like when summer—not holidays—is your Super Bowl, tariffs hit mid-growth, and every trend cycle could make or break a season. Key takeaways: Key Quotes: Sushi Radhakrishnan [00:14:49]: "Because we are a seasonal business, having access to credit cards like a Brex where we have charge cards—in those situations when we're in our cash flow troughs, having that extra flexibility is really critical to us. There's a six month period where we have to have really good months because that's what funds the business in the lower months." Sushi Radhakrishnan [00:20:28]: "This is my first foray into apparel and selling it online and trends change so quickly. A winning product—it's definitely a very dynamic environment to operate in." Sushi Radhakrishnan [00:18:12]: "We move really fast. Getting that feedback loop shortened is really important when we're managing cash. That's been refreshing with Brex—the support we're getting from a credit card provider. I don't have that same level of one on one service with American Express." Sushi Radhakrishnan [00:23:22]: "People buy apparel based on emotion, not just because they see it come across their Instagram reel. It's really important that we continue to appeal to our buyers in a way that's more than just selling the value prop of our product." Associated Links: BrexMelioFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The old retail calendar is dead. Between TikTok virality, celebrity sightings, and ChatGPT-powered discovery, brands face a new reality: commerce runs on culture’s clock. Nicole Thomas (Brex) and Anand Mehta (Melio) break down how this shift from predictable peaks to perpetual possibility demands radical financial agility. Key takeaways: Key Quotes: Nicole Thomas [00:06:27]: "Seasonality is kind of taking shape in the way that it's less of like these ebbs and flows maybe twice a year to maybe once a month. If your product goes viral or if a celebrity endorses something, your consumers are now expecting to get those products when they want it." Anand Mehta [00:22:17]: "Costco managed to have a very low, if not negative cash conversion cycle because their store is the warehouse. They've already sold and converted their inventory to cash before they even have to pay it out." Nicole Thomas [00:37:06]: "Commerce is definitely making a big shift to flattening out, but not flattening out enough to where you can actually predict those peaks and valleys. We're definitely shifting from a calendar economy to more of a cultural economy." Anand Mehta [00:32:14]: "This use case of extending cash flow isn't just for businesses who are struggling. If you're a brand that is very liquid, having that cash buffer allows you to be a brand that's jumping in on a trend in the early stages of the trend, not chasing a trend." In-Show Mentions: BrexMelioFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce+SubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cash flow isn't just spreadsheets—it's survival. In an era of tariffs, currency swings, and supply chain whiplash, small businesses face a paradox: grow fast while everything shifts beneath you. Corinne Boonstra (Brex) and Aharon Naveen (Melio) unpack how payment independence becomes the ultimate competitive advantage. Key takeaways: Key Quotes: Corinne Boonstra [00:08:11]: "Brands are having to reach out to their consumer base to communicate with them why prices are increasing or using that as kind of a pivotal point of, say, buy these goods now while they're this price." Aharon Naveen [00:12:06]: "Switching vendors is complex. It comes with an operational overhead of different net terms, different currency conversions, different shipping time, different payment acceptance." Aharon Naveen [00:19:45]: "Giving the control back to small business, putting them in a position that they can overcome the relationship dynamic or the power dynamic of a new vendor—that is what technology brings to play." Corinne Boonstra [00:23:10]: "These tools need to be able to be leveraged by your CMO, your head of digital, your founder—whoever is ultimately making these decisions might not have an accounting background." Associated Links: BrexMelioFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce+SubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CEO of Optimove, Pini Yakuel, returns to explore the roots of positionless thinking and how AI pushes us to visionary methods over specialization. We explore how breaking departmental siloes unlocks 88% faster campaign cycles, and why a refreshed mindset will be your strongest tool in 2026. Key takeaways: Key Quotes: [00:09:20] "The biggest compliment you get is something called ‘rosh gadol’...It means, I want your head to think about more things than it's currently thinking.” – Pini Yakuel [00:21:26] "Consumption and making decisions are the work. If you can't make decisions for yourself, you can't work with AI." – Brian Lange [00:28:44] "We have access to knowledge on every field...we have the best personal tutor in our pockets available 24 over seven." – Pini Yakuel [00:38:10] "It's very, very difficult to scale personalization. That's the bottom line. It's almost impossible to scale it." – Pini Yakuel In-Show Mentions: Closing the Gap Between Promise and PerformanceMarketing Fatigue ReportAssociated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus newest analysis feature for members, Field Notes,Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fresh from the Javits Center, Phillip, Brian, and Alicia unpack NRF 2026's dominant themes, from AI's omnipresence to its curiously low adoption among the very professionals championing it. The conversation moves beyond technology theater to explore what truly drives commerce: cultural connection, intentional brand heritage, and multiplayer engagement that treats customers as collaborators rather than data points. 2026 Brought Us An AI Wake-Up Call Key Takeaways: In-Show Mentions: Holiday AI ReportMore detailsPhillip’s conversation with Dane MathewsMultiplayer Brand bookAssociated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The future of commerce hinges on agility, but most brands remain stuck at spreadsheet speed. Louis Camassa, Director of Product Management at Rithum, breaks down findings from the 2026 Commerce Readiness Index and reveals why data quality, inventory latency, and algorithmic visibility matter more than channel expansion. We’re uncovering the infrastructure bottlenecks threatening AI's potential, and what it actually takes for brands to compete when algorithms decide what gets discovered. Your 2026 Resolution: Get Unstuck Key takeaways: Key Quotes: Associated Links: 2026 Commerce Readiness IndexLearn more about Rithum’s offerings.Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shipping frozen premium meats and prepared meals requires precise logistics that most marketplaces aren't built to handle. But Denys Gorbatiuk saw an opportunity where others saw impossible complexity. Grumpy Butcher became Temu's first frozen food seller and proved that operational excellence can break down expansion barriers and create a competitive advantage. Within five weeks, Temu accounted for over 12% of Grumpy Butcher's online sales. Yet the real story isn't just about velocity, it's about reaching younger demographics and using real-time data to fundamentally rethink product creation and curation. From corporate attorney to food industry innovator, Denys shares how mastering the operational challenges of frozen logistics, leveraging platform analytics, and partnering strategically with Temu transformed Grumpy Butcher from a pandemic-era startup into a fast-growing business that redefined how Americans shop for gourmet perishables. Shipping the Impossible – With **Operational Excellence Key takeaways: In-Show Mentions: Learn moreExploreAssociated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jessica De Gennaro didn't know what a succulent was when she launched Shop Succulents. But she knew how to solve operational challenges, work agilely, and move product quickly on marketplaces. She tapped into the pandemic’s succulent boom and built a multi-marketplace operation shipping hundreds of thousands of live plants every year. But how do you scale across regions when you’re shipping succulents to consumers across different time zones with varying expectations, living in different climates? And what happens when Temu’s scale and network efficiencies across third-party logistics partners help make fulfillment more cost-effective and sustainable for low-cost products that were previously constrained by fulfillment economics? Jessica shares how Shop Succulents grew from 50 to 500 SKUs on Temu in months, leveraging platform-specific catalogs, vertical integration of growing operations, and continuous creative innovation to stay ahead in the highly competitive marketplace landscape. Creativity Is a Competitive Moat When Marketplaces Commoditize Everything Else Key takeaways: Associated Links: Learn moreFuture Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce+SubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After being laid off in 2014, Toyiah Marquis turned her passion for patches into a thriving business built on cultural representation and authentic connection. Patch Party Club started as an in-store experience and single-product experiment on Temu. But it quickly evolved into a scalable business model that now reaches audiences Toyiah never expected to serve. How do you transform personal passion into global reach? And what happens when a marketplace's algorithm becomes your best marketing tool? We sit down with Toyiah to explore how she leveraged Temu's platform to test, learn, and scale strategically, while sticking with her mission and vision as a founder. From creating a special patch for customers battling cancer to discovering unexpected demographic opportunities, Toyiah's journey shows how marketplace success comes from staying true to your brand ethos while remaining flexible enough to evolve. Connection Wins Every Time Key takeaways: In-Show Mentions: Learn moreExploreAssociated Links: Future Commerce on YouTubeFuture Commerce PlusSubscribeFuture CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.