Shop Shock: Retail After AI

Chuck Palmer and DeAnn Campbell
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

Shop Shock is what happens when retail has to get back to profitable business in the aftermath of the AI apocalypse. Two retail nerds dig into what's working, what's weird and what's evolving, minus the hype. It's smart talk about the shop floor, the sales floor and everything in between. It's insight through laughter. Because the future of retail is here, and it's finally getting fun again. And our Retail Be Crazy segment proves it with the lighter - and sometimes stranger - side of retail.

  1. Jul 8

    Store To Store: An honest review of our walk through Wayfair's two flagship stores

    Chuck and I explored Wayfair's two flagship stores, one in Chicago, the other in Atlanta and what we found was surprising. For a company born online, Wayfair's leap to physical retail has avoided some of the mistakes most D2C retailers suffer. But what they did get wrong was fascinating, and more than a little unusual. We take you through a our top findings, complete with pictures and videos to see what Wayfair's stores predict for their future.

    Store To Store: An honest review of our walk through Wayfair's two flagship stores

  2. May 11

    Agentic Commerce: What's Real, What's Hype

    Everyone is talking about Agentic Commerce, but few are separating reality from speculation. In this episode of Shop Shock we get into what retailers are actually implementing right now, why and what results they're already seeing. We also bring real evidence to the table of what real consumers are truly using, and where Agentic AI is driving some pretty incredible results (some incredibly good, one incredibly bad!). From AI powered product discovery, to the benefits of renting vs owning, we explore the first real wave of agentic commerce, with hype removed. If you're wondering if Agentic is a flash in the pan, this episode will tell you why it's not, and why it won't look like what the experts are expecting.

    Agentic Commerce: What's Real, What's Hype

  3. Apr 7

    ESL & A.I. - When Stores Start Thinking

    Electronic Shelf Labels promise smarter, faster, more dynamic stores, yet no retailer has yet to scratch the surface - or to fully implement across an entire chain. We take a realistic look at where ESLs deliver actual ROI, and where execution falls apart. ESL isn't for everyone, and even State legislators are butting into the conversation. Plus we have two most excellent Retail Be Crazies to share!

    ESL & A.I. - When Stores Start Thinking

  4. Mar 18

    Retail + Culture: Celebrated vs. Commoditized

    Is your favorite brand celebrating culture, or just cashing in on it? In this episode of Shop Shock, we dive deep into the uncomfortable reality of modern retail, where profound cultural events like Black History Month, Lunar New Year and Cinco de Mayo, are often viewed as seasonal sales rather than communities. How profitable is year-round cultural support really? Can AI help retailers capture the nuances of local cultures to capture hearts, minds and wallets of the fastest growing consumer segment in the U.S. And of course, Retail Be Crazy!!

    Retail + Culture: Celebrated vs. Commoditized

  5. Mar 9

    Our A.I. Future: History's Pattern of Distruption

    Featuring Special Guest: David Staley, Historian, Futurist and multi-book author. David is currently Associate Professor at Ohio State University, and a leading authority on digital history and future impacts of A.I. This fascinating conversation takes us through some surprisingly reassuring, and some less than reassuring scenarios for retail, society and civilization as we know it. David was awarded Best Freelance Writer for his "Next" futures column, and has authored several highly worthwhile reads, including "Visionary Histories", "Knowledge Towns: Colleges and Universities as Talent Magnets", "Historical Imagination", "Brain, Mind and Internet" A Deep History and Future", "Computers, Visualization and History" and "History and Future: Using Historical Thinking to Imagine the Future".

    Our A.I. Future: History's Pattern of Distruption

  6. Jan 28

    NRF Recaps & Store Walks

    After spending 4 days in the Big Apple walking 12 miles a day, we saw some interesting things that portend a brighter - and very achievable - future for the retail industry. We also walked off the networking dinners with tons of great store tours and insights to share with you, complete with images. It's getting interesting out there!

    NRF Recaps & Store Walks

  7. 12/26/2025

    A.I Rewrites Retail Media: Why A.i. makes stores essential

    Retailers have chased the promise of retail media as a revenue stream for years, but have yet to see the money. CPGs are frustrated by lack of visibility to how their ads are working now, and no clue whether they generate sales later. Consumers hate being inundated by ads for products that are out of stock, irrelevant, or just down right annoying. We've done our homework and found out that A.I. can cure these ails, but only for retailers with a physical presence! The rest must might be eaten by A.I. rather than helped. And stay to the end for our always fun Retail Be Crazy segment!

    A.I Rewrites Retail Media: Why A.i. makes stores essential

  8. 12/04/2025

    Cannabis Retail: Precision retail and a constantly moving rulebook

    Cannabis retail is retail's toughest league. In this episode we're joined by Josh Wilson, GM of Culture House and Co-Founder of The Farmer's Cup, and Barney Stacher, a Rethink Advisory expert, to go inside the high-wire world of cannabis retail. Here precision isn't optional, regulations keep changing, and forecasting is impossible. After listening to Josh and Barney you'll realize that once you've mastered cannabis, you've mastered retail.

    Cannabis Retail: Precision retail and a constantly moving rulebook
See All (15)

About

Shop Shock is what happens when retail has to get back to profitable business in the aftermath of the AI apocalypse. Two retail nerds dig into what's working, what's weird and what's evolving, minus the hype. It's smart talk about the shop floor, the sales floor and everything in between. It's insight through laughter. Because the future of retail is here, and it's finally getting fun again. And our Retail Be Crazy segment proves it with the lighter - and sometimes stranger - side of retail.

Information

  • Creator
    Chuck Palmer and DeAnn Campbell
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Chuck Palmer and DeAnn Campbell
  • Show Website
    Shop Shock: Retail After AI