Future Commerce

Phillip Jackson, Brian Lange
  • 4.9 (83)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED DAILY

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. Everything Is Trained On You: Inside the World Model Layer

    2H AGO

    Everything Is Trained On You: Inside the World Model Layer

    Evelyn Mora, founder and CEO of VLGE, joins Phillip and Brian to challenge how we think about AI training data, brand identity, and the coming era of individual-first commerce. We move from the mechanics of world modeling to the cultural philosophy of what it means for brands to let go, adapt, and become an ingredient rather than the star of the show.  PLUS: Strata Volume 001 is available for purchase now!  Key Takeaways: Good AI agents are trained on embodied, human data, not synthetic simulations. Brands' training data pipelines will become their most competitive IP. The "personal economy" is shifting commerce from generational boxes to radical individuality. Brands must become an adaptable story that’s recognizable but infinitely mixable. The future of AI is expensive. Data sovereignty and consent economics are coming. Key Quotes: [00:06:46] "A good agent would know my budget, my personality, my preferences." — Evelyn Mora [00:21:08] "When you have humans going and playing and reacting with their free will and their freedom and their personality and identity... that to me is the ultimate high signal data." — Evelyn Mora [00:40:06] "Brands should kind of evolve into these different mediums... into a flavor that can really be mixed into everyone's lives." — Evelyn Mora [00:53:54] "In this agent Hunger Games, it really does matter how you train and what kind of training data you capture." — Evelyn Mora Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    57 min
  2. The Blueprint for Independent Brands with eComFuel

    APR 8

    The Blueprint for Independent Brands with eComFuel

    Andrew Youderian joins Phillip and Brian to break down the 2026 eCom Trends Report: a decade in the making, 300 brands surveyed, and a lot of conventional wisdom overturned. The data reveals a diverging landscape where gross margins are climbing but net margins are shrinking, Amazon's dominance is quietly unwinding, and AI's productivity promise hasn't quite arrived – yet. Key Takeaways: Paid advertising isn't the problem, but your P&L structure might be Amazon's share of community revenue has fallen to 2017 levels, despite record seller counts AI adoption isn't moving the financial needle. 2026 may be the inflection point Lean operations (sub-20% overhead) consistently separate the optimistic from the pessimistic Raising prices remains the fastest, highest-impact lever operators chronically underuse Andrew's thesis: we're entering the era of the small, durable brand — slower, sturdier, built to last Key Quotes: [00:12:14] "Quality product is no longer the moat. Attention is the moat. But the problem is attention is expensive and easily diverted." — Brian [00:14:22] "The future is going to be the era of the small, durable brand — fewer brands that scale quickly, more brands that build slowly the old-fashioned way." — Andrew Youderian [00:27:24] "I think 2026, 2027, we're going to see those AI-adopting brands start to pull away — but I don't think it has delivered yet on what it's promised." — Andrew Youderian [00:35:34] "There's nothing I have done across multiple businesses that has ever had as much impact, as quickly, and that I have regretted waiting as long to do, as raise prices." — Andrew Youderian In-Show Mentions: eCommerceFuel 2026 eCom Trends Report (Blueprint) eCommerceFuel Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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!   This episode is sponsored by Criteo. Get $1,500 in free ad credit with Criteo Go now! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    43 min
  3. LIVE at Shoptalk Spring: Architecting a 360° Wedding Ecosystem with David's Bridal

    APR 3

    LIVE at Shoptalk Spring: Architecting a 360° Wedding Ecosystem with David's Bridal

    How does a 76-year-old legacy retailer reinvent itself as a tech-powered ecosystem? Lisa Horton, Chief Communications & Creative Officer at David’s Bridal, dishes on the company’s grand modernization and how they’ve expanded to accommodate the next generation’s Gen-Z-sized aspirations.  Here Comes the Algorithm Key takeaways: David's Bridal's "Aisle to Algorithm" pivot puts AI at the center of everything — from merchandising to internal communications. The Style Squad ambassador program bridges employee creators ("Dream Makers") and external influencers, offering the most aggressive affiliate commission in retail at 20%. David's captures 90% of brides who enter their ecosystem — a first-party data advantage few retailers can match. The definition of "influencer" is broadening: word of mouth is influence, and everyone is influential. David's is building beyond bridal — eyeing the post-wedding household, where the majority of purchase decisions are made. [00:00:54] "We're basically a startup inside of a 76-year-old retailer." - Lisa Horton [00:12:09] "We have shifted in the last 12 months from being a legacy retailer to a 360 degree wedding planning ecosystem." - Lisa Horton [00:13:12] "Word of mouth is influence. And everyone is influential." - Lisa Horton [00:22:06] "Everything that we do moving forward is always going to come from a place of how do we mitigate her stress? How do we make her feel excited and seen and celebratory in every moment." - Lisa Horton Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    24 min
  4. LIVE at Shoptalk Spring: Retail Media Confessions, Hype Cycles, and the Creator Reckoning

    APR 2

    LIVE at Shoptalk Spring: Retail Media Confessions, Hype Cycles, and the Creator Reckoning

    Recorded live on the Shoptalk Spring show floor, Phillip and Alicia sit down with Leah Logan, VP of Retail Media Transformation for Inmar Intelligence, and Andrew Lipsman, Founder & Chief Analyst at Media, Ads + Commerce, fresh off a spirited on-stage debate about agentic commerce. We debunk AI Traffic Apocalypse predictions and make the case for creators as a critical yet overlooked retail media channel.  The AIpocalypse, Explained Key takeaways: AI referral traffic currently accounts for just 0.1–2% of retailer traffic; it has also led to eCommerce site traffic growth, not decline.  Consumer intent data, not bottom-funnel ads, is where LLM advertising will find its footing. Creators are a media channel that predates the hype, and the measurement has been there for years. Retail media's growth depends on graduating from ROAS to incrementality — the sooner, the better. [00:11:08] "The next big trend already exists. People just haven't really wrapped their heads around it yet." — Andrew Lipsman [00:26:09] "We have to stop looking at CPMs and start looking at investments." — Leah Logan In-Show Mentions: Retail Confessions Podcast Buy STRATA Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube See our in-depth analysis of Shoptalk’s theme: “Retail in the Age of AI”  Read our post-event digest in The Senses Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    27 min
  5. LIVE at Shoptalk Spring: Wing’s Heather Rivera on Five-Minute Futures

    APR 1

    LIVE at Shoptalk Spring: Wing’s Heather Rivera on Five-Minute Futures

    Recorded live at Shoptalk, Phillip and Brian sit down with Heather Rivera, Chief Business Officer at Wing (an Alphabet company), to talk about how Wing has crafted our five-minute delivery future. Spoiler: the novelty of drones wearing off might be the best thing that ever happened to the industry. Building the Drone While We’re Flying It Key takeaways: Wing's fastest recorded delivery: 2 minutes, 37 seconds. Average is under five minutes. 25% of Wing customers order three times a week – habit, not novelty. Wing just announced its largest residential drone delivery expansion yet, with Walmart, covering 270+ store locations. ~70% of Walmart SKUs fit in Wing's current delivery box – roughly 50,000 products. Wing recently doubled its payload capacity from 2.5 lbs to 5 lbs, opening new SKU and category possibilities. [00:20:39] "I want this technology to become unremarkable for people because it just becomes part of the way they go about their lives." – Heather Rivera [00:13:09] "I predict there's gonna be whole sets of new companies that design existing products to fit into the five pound baskets." – Brian Associated Links: Get STRATA Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    26 min
  6. *TEASER* Baptist Oreos, Anglican Biscotti

    MAR 31 ·  BONUS

    *TEASER* Baptist Oreos, Anglican Biscotti

    Oreos are Baptist, Biscotti are Anglican, and we're losing our minds. Cookie theology, meme reality, mass hallucinations, the price of attention, and more on the full After Dark episode – accessible to Future Commerce Plus members.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    7 min
  7. Shoptalk Spring Recap: STRATA, Snoop Dogg, & the Simulacra

    MAR 30

    Shoptalk Spring Recap: STRATA, Snoop Dogg, & the Simulacra

    Recording LIVE from the show floor of Shoptalk Spring 2026, the Future Commerce team brings our hottest takes and deepest insights from this year’s event. PLUS: We celebrated the launch of our newest zine, STRATA Vol. 001, with over 150 of our favorite people (including Snoop Dogg?). Get your copy at futurecommerce.com/strata.  Our Week In the STRATAsphere Key takeaways: AI was the headline theme, but the humanity angle landed harder with attendees. In-booth content creation has become the industry standard; Future Commerce pioneered it in 2017. FedEx's Jason Brenner reframed logistics as a brand trust moment, not just a last mile. Victoria's Secret CEO Hillary Super showed what vision-led turnarounds actually look like. Curious people will always find leverage. AI just multiplies what they were already doing. “Maybe by this time next year, we will see OpenClaw-specific agencies on the show floor.” – Phillip  "If you're inherently curious and someone who likes to problem solve...AI is gonna help you, totally, without a doubt." – Alicia In-Show Mentions: Get STRATA FedEx: Same-Day Local Subscribe to catch our full recap on Insiders Associated Links: See more post-show coverage in The Senses Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    41 min
  8. The Live Commerce Window Is Open Now

    MAR 25

    The Live Commerce Window Is Open Now

    Armand Wilson, Chief Revenue Officer at Whatnot, joins Phillip and Brian to unpack why live shopping finally took hold in the West. Drawing from Whatnot’s recent 2026 State of Live Selling Report, we trace the platform's origin from a niche Funko Pop marketplace to an $8B GMV juggernaut after landing $225 million in Series F funding. Main Street Went Live Key Takeaways: The barrier to entry for live selling is far lower than traditional eCommerce. 80% of Whatnot buyers return the following month, compared with approximately 30% in traditional eCommerce. Live selling lets brands tell their story in ways a static product page never can. Whatnot raised $225M in Series F; the platform did $8B in GMV last year. Live commerce is quietly revitalizing small businesses and local brick-and-mortar. Key Quotes: [00:09:00] "It's clienteling in almost a digital way, blurring the line between parasocial relationship and actual relationship between seller and buyer." — Brian Lange [00:12:00] "It could cost you a hundred thousand dollars to open up a comic bookshop. It costs you $0 to open up a comic bookshop on Whatnot." — Armand Wilson [00:31:45] "It's really hard to tell your story in an authentic way when you're just telling it on a couple of lines of text on a product page." — Armand Wilson [00:41:30] "80% of our customers come back the next month, whereas traditional eCommerce is, on average, maybe 30%." — Armand Wilson In-Show Mentions: Whatnot’s State of Live Selling Report Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future 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.

    44 min
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Trailer

4.9
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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 - 2026
  • Episodes
    600
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2025 Future Commerce
  • Show Website
    Future Commerce

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