Future Commerce

Phillip Jackson, Brian Lange
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Future Commerce is the culture magazine for Commerce. Hosts Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange help brand and digital marketing leaders see around the next corner by exploring the intersection of Culture and Commerce. Trusted by the world's most recognizable brands to deliver the most insightful, entertaining, and informative weekly podcasts, Future Commerce is the leading new media brand for eCommerce merchants and retail operators. Each week, we explore the cultural implications of what it means to sell or buy products and how commerce and media impact the culture and the world around us, through unique insights and engaging interviews with a dash of futurism. Weekly essays, full transcripts, and quarterly market research reports are available at https://www.futurecommerce.com/plus

  1. [DECODED] The Future of Omnimodal: When Commerce Unlocks New Opportunities

    2 DAYS AGO · BONUS

    [DECODED] The Future of Omnimodal: When Commerce Unlocks New Opportunities

    The brands that will thrive in the next era of commerce understand that context drives everything, from platform choice to storytelling and trust formation. As a result, success hinges on a brand’s ability to serve customers across multiple contexts rather than controlling single experiences. For the season finale, Commerce CEO Travis Hess joins Phillip and Lindsay to explore what it means when "the customer is the channel." The conversation tackles designing for AI agents alongside humans, reaching customers across surfaces independent of purchase location, and balancing data-driven marketing with authentic storytelling. Travis shares why brands must embrace agentic commerce now, and the mindset shifts required for 2026, synthesizing the season's insights into actionable guidance. The Customer is the ChannelKEY TAKEAWAYS Omnimodal commerce shifts focus from channels to surfaces where customers engage across contexts.Design for agents, not just humans. Agentic intermediaries will shape future commerce experiences."The customer is the channel" requires reaching consumers wherever they want to engage.Balance data-driven performance marketing with authentic human storytelling to preserve brand equity.[00:37:35] "Brands need to go where their customers want to engage them across different surfaces—whether they're buying through that channel or it's influencing purchase through a different channel you may or may not own."[00:39:15] "Brands need to design for agents, not just humans and agent intermediaries. They're the ones who are going to show up and ultimately win. It's not like the old days, where we just assumed humans were coming to our channels."ibution and surface and signal more than probably the traditional commerce side."[00:33:55] "There's nothing more important than the brand, than the narrative, than the story, than the equity that is there. That is the power. I very much see that being controlled still by humans and maybe informed by AI."Associated Links:New Modes Research: How AI is Shaping New Commerce Contexts and ExpectationsCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    45 min
  2. Predictions 2026: Prepare for the Age of Autonomy

    5 DAYS AGO

    Predictions 2026: Prepare for the Age of Autonomy

    Phillip and Brian forecast the year ahead, from Walmart becoming America's healthcare provider to prediction markets reshaping news, autonomous vehicles hitting critical mass, and the consumerization of everything. 2026 brings economic correction, political realignment, and consumers seizing control from institutions. Our Vision:Walmart will emerge as America's front-line health system through accessibility and affordabilityPredicted losers in 2026: Target, Family Dollar, and middle-class brick-and-mortar retailersSelf-sovereign health brands will win as consumers self-diagnose and optimizePrediction markets will replace traditional polls as the new pulse of public sentimentAutonomous vehicles will reach an inflection point with infrastructure support comingOpenAI will lose enterprise ground to Anthropic and Gemini as trust erodesEconomic correction will trigger a political anti-AI platform for midtermsCraft and analog work will become a cultural rebellion against synthetic content saturationKey Quotes:"2026 is the year that consumers and companies are shifting from relying on institutions to relying on themselves." – Phillip [00:06:21]"John Furner was the head of Sam's Club. You know who Sam's Club had to compete with? Costco. This is the guy who had to build a business that was up against the best business in the world and was successful at it." – Brian [00:12:26]"Walmart is that front door for most Americans because you can diagnose your own health issues...It's going to be the point of most convenience for you. It's also gonna be the place that's most affordable." – Phillip [00:16:22]"The consumerization of health care is the trend of the year." – Brian [00:16:52]"Brands dependent on borrowed authority—any brand whose legitimacy depends on that credentialed expert or an editor or celebrity or institutional validation rather than measurable outcomes will suffer." – Phillip [00:37:38]"We have become the United Pottersvilles of America. The idea that communities are at the center of things is the fairy tale." – Brian [00:53:16]Associated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    1h 53m
  3. Predictions Victory Lap: How We Called 2025's Commerce Upheaval

    17 DEC

    Predictions Victory Lap: How We Called 2025's Commerce Upheaval

    In their ninth year of annual predictions, Philip and Brian revisit bold calls made in late 2024 that proved remarkably prescient. From mega-brand consolidation and Costco's international dominance to Google's stunning comeback and the rise of Anthropic, they dissect what they got right (most of it), what they got wrong (GameStop stands stubborn), and why being months ahead of conversations about tariffs, de minimis rules, and AI supremacy matters.  It is no surprise that culture drove commerce’s biggest shifts. Costco Reigns Supreme, Again2025 Outcomes & Highlights:Mega-brand M&A dominated 2025 as regulatory shifts enabled massive retail restructuring (+10 pts to Phillip!)Costco expanded internationally while battling Trump administration on tariffs and DEI (+10 pts to Brian!)China-direct retail faced existential crisis as de minimis loophole closed (+10 pts to Brian!)Creator-led brand exits to holdcos marked parasocial commerce era (+10 pts to Phillip!)Gamestop survived (-10 pts to Phillip!)Google executed the comeback of the decade with Gemini's ascent (+10 pts to Brian!)Associated Links:LORE - Future Commerce's 280-page book on brand worldbuildingCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    1h 35m
  4. [DECODED] The New E-Commerce Wars: When Brands Need to Earn Their Place in Consumers' Lives

    15 DEC · BONUS

    [DECODED] The New E-Commerce Wars: When Brands Need to Earn Their Place in Consumers' Lives

    In an era where consumers gather inspiration everywhere else, branded eCommerce sites face an existential crisis: prove your utility or become irrelevant. This episode examines how consumer expectations have shifted toward "get me what I want, when and how I want it," with 58% finding returns the most frustrating aspect of online shopping. We dissect why guest checkout remains a universal pain point and how brands can differentiate through seamless utility rather than flashy features. The Foundational Basis Matters MostKey takeaways:eCommerce sites have evolved from discovery engines to confirmation engines—customers arrive with pre-baked decisions seeking reassurance, not persuasion.Speed, clarity, and consistency are the new table stakes. Flashy features mean nothing if your site is slow, your checkout is clunky, or your shipping policy is unclear.Personalization should be engagement-based, not identity-based. Customers want relevance without creepiness—focus on their behavior in the moment, not invasive tracking.AI is an enabler, not the answer. Use it to understand cross-platform touchpoints and customer frustrations, not as a magic bullet for conversion.  [00:04:06] "By the time they land on your site, they have pretty much created an idea of who you are, of what you offer, of what your product is. It's more on the choice confirmation bias...they don't want to be challenged. They just want to be reassured that they made the right decision." – Felipe Pose[00:14:00] "The role of the website has become more about clarity and reassurance, and not about communicating everything that you are, everything that you do, everything that you provide." – Felipe Pose[00:20:33] "I think that is one of the most powerful insights that we have gathered from many reports...they don't want to be really over targeted. They don't want identity based personalization. It's more based on what I want in this moment. What do I need from you? It's personalization based on engagement." – Felipe Pose[00:29:11] "If you are playing like a Jenga game...if you don't have a really strong foundation, if you don't have a site that is working correctly, a site that has some really slow pages, you have an unclear shipping policy...those are the things that will end up moving the needle the more." – Felipe Pose[00:32:46] "It's all about being prepared for the future and really understanding. Do I have everything I need today to be prepared for that? Because if you are on a really slow platform, something that is not scalable, you will not have a good experience today, even more so in 2026." – Felipe PoseAssociated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    36 min
  5. Where Culture Happens, Commerce Follows

    12 DEC

    Where Culture Happens, Commerce Follows

    As retail sheds its four walls, technology must follow. Jason James (CIO, Aptos) and Nikki Baird (VP of Strategy & Product, Aptos) join us to explore how brands like New Balance deploy 90+ registers at the NYC Marathon—then dismantle them just as quickly. The conversation reveals how point-of-sale systems built on next-generation databases enable everything from parking lot pop-ups to van-based fitting experiences, all while maintaining enterprise-grade security in environments where network connectivity is more hope than guarantee. Set Your Associates FreeKey takeaways:New Balance transforms NYC Marathon into 100-store chain for one weekendOffline capability: transactions continue when networks fail, sync when connectivity returnsIn-person acquisition yields stickier customers with higher lifetime valueRetail ranks third most-attacked sector; mobile commerce increases threat surfaceStore associates need intuitive systems for high-pressure, temporary deployments"If they're able to pull this off in the middle of a parking lot, I'm probably a hell of a lot more likely to go in the store next time." – Jason James on how ephemeral retail builds store trust"A customer acquired through an in-person, in real life experience is stickier, has longer lifetime value, is ultimately more loyal than a customer that's acquired online." – Nikki Baird on the power of physical engagement"God forbid a retailer gets hit back at headquarters with ransomware and it takes down their core network. We can still transact." – Jason James on offline resilience"It's not just you put products on racks or on shelves and you wait for people to walk in the door. Events are coming into stores too." – Nikki Baird on stores as experience hubsAssociated Links:Learn about AptosCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    56 min
  6. Shopify ‘26 Winter Editions: Tools for the Commerce Renaissance

    11 DEC · BONUS

    Shopify ‘26 Winter Editions: Tools for the Commerce Renaissance

    Mani Fazeli, VP of Product at Shopify, joins the show to explore how agentic commerce is fundamentally transforming retail. From Sidekick's co-founder capabilities to Sim Gym's buyer simulations, Shopify is democratizing enterprise-level AI tools for merchants of all sizes. The conversation reveals why friction isn't always the enemy, how discovery is evolving beyond blue links, and why structured data is the new SEO. The Irreducible Human Meets Humanlike IntelligenceKey takeaways:Discovery has evolved from a one-shot search to multi-turn conversationsFriction has value: Some purchases deserve complexity, others need speedStructured data becomes critical for agentic commerce success[00:32:56] "Let's make special what's actually worth being special. And then let's be okay with the fact that the rest of it gets streamlined."[00:49:57] "Structured data becomes the new SEO. Every brand is going to have to worry about whether they have clean, well-structured, and well-understandable schemas."[00:04:20] "Utility above being flashy. Go right for the heart of what makes a difference in the merchant's life every single day."[00:33:39] "Until these systems become emotion aware, it's highly unlikely that they are completely eradicating the entire idea of manual human intervention in commerce."In-Show Mentions:Shopify Winter '26 EditionsAssociated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    54 min
  7. [DECODED] Three-Party Commerce: Trust in the Age of Agents

    8 DEC · BONUS

    [DECODED] Three-Party Commerce: Trust in the Age of Agents

    A quarter of Gen Z and Millennial consumers now trust AI recommendations more than human ones, marking the arrival of retail's first post-human interface. Sharon Gee, SVP of Product at Commerce, joins us to explore the paradox of digital intimacy: why consumers will bare their souls to ChatGPT about shopping needs yet abandon carts when brands ask them to create accounts, how LLMs are becoming intimate commerce companions, and what this means for the collapse of traditional commerce funnels and brand discovery in an AI-mediated world. The New Game Is Intelligibility Key takeaways:27% of millennials trust AI recommendations more than humans, yet abandon carts when forced to create accounts: the trust paradox.Merchants must shift from channel management to model management: optimizing for how AI interprets your brand, not controlling distribution.Answer engine optimization isn't gaming algorithms. It's ensuring your brand shows up with authority when AI agents search on behalf of consumers.Three-party commerce is here: consumer, brand, and AI intermediary. The customer is the channel, and data is the new storefront.[00:01:42] "Our customers are having to shift their mindset from channel management to model management... The old game was distribution. The new game is intelligibility. And brands that win are gonna be the ones that understand the model and understand how they can adapt their message to the new modes of interacting with consumers." – Lindsay Trinkle[00:41:02] "Customers are the channel and the data is the storefront. And so what we need to be able to do is make sure that we understand at each interaction point when you show up with your brand. How is your data representing you?" – Sharon GeeAssociated Links:New Modes Research: How AI is Shaping New Commerce Contexts and ExpectationsLearn more about CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    45 min
  8. Coach’s Big Store Move: Make You Forget You’re Shopping

    5 DEC

    Coach’s Big Store Move: Make You Forget You’re Shopping

    Coach's SVP of Global Visual Experience Giovanni Zaccariello reveals how the brand transformed from heritage accessory house to Gen Z cultural force by treating retail as community infrastructure. From hospitality-infused Coach Play stores to strategically sustainable holiday displays, the conversation explores how physical experience became Coach's competitive advantage in an increasingly digital marketplace. Why Shop When You Can Play?Key takeaways:Gen Z seeks human connection and community, not just product transactionsCoach studied consumers in their homes to understand life, not just buying behaviorsExperience per square foot matters as much as sales per square footUsing the same holiday tree for five years reduced waste while building brand consistencyPhysical and digital spaces should converge, not replicate each other"Putting bags on shelves was no longer an option because everybody during the pandemic, including my mom who is 89, can buy online. They're coming to the stores and they want more." - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:06:37]"The next few years are going to be years of what I call experience maximalism where literally new things are going to be mundane because consumers are so much more connected now on social, and they see what's going on." - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:44:50]"It's about the consumer talking to us instead of Coach talking to the consumer. It's a much deeper dialogue." - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:45:46]"When things don't work, we don't just move on. We've created this honest feedback loop where we learn from things. If we don't learn, what's the point of testing and learning?" - Giovanni Zaccariello [00:41:17]Associated Links:Explore Coach Play conceptsCoach coffee shopsCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    47 min
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About

Future Commerce is the culture magazine for Commerce. Hosts Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange help brand and digital marketing leaders see around the next corner by exploring the intersection of Culture and Commerce. Trusted by the world's most recognizable brands to deliver the most insightful, entertaining, and informative weekly podcasts, Future Commerce is the leading new media brand for eCommerce merchants and retail operators. Each week, we explore the cultural implications of what it means to sell or buy products and how commerce and media impact the culture and the world around us, through unique insights and engaging interviews with a dash of futurism. Weekly essays, full transcripts, and quarterly market research reports are available at https://www.futurecommerce.com/plus

Information

  • Creator
    Phillip Jackson, Brian Lange
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    600
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2025 Future Commerce
  • Show Website
    Future Commerce

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