The Digital Edge: Inside Retail and Ecommerce with Ellie Ronning

📈 Ellie at Signifyd
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The Digital Edge cuts through the noise of modern retail and ecommerce. Host Ellie Ronning breaks down AI adoption, digital commerce, personalization, unified commerce, and the technology shifts reshaping how brands operate. Real insights, real frameworks, and real conversations from inside the industry.

Episodes

  1. Jun 9

    Ecommerce Strategy 2026: Consumer Spending, Tariffs, AI and the Barbell Economy

    Ecommerce strategy in 2026 looks very different depending on who your customer is — and Signifyd Chief Customer Officer Bennett has the data and the conversations to prove it. In this episode of The Digital Edge, Bennett joins host Ellie Ronning to break down the state of the consumer, what enterprise retailers are actually doing about tariffs and supply chain disruption, and why agentic commerce is the biggest brand discovery opportunity since the rise of Google SEO. Topics covered: The barbell economy: why the middle market is hollowing out and what it means for retail strategyConsumer spending trends: credit card debt, falling purchase frequency, and the limits of trading downTariffs and supply chain: how enterprise ecommerce brands are absorbing costs and building resiliencePersonalization as margin defense: how to serve price-sensitive and affluent consumers differently — and why it matters for profitabilityAgentic commerce and AI: how AI-driven product discovery is reshaping ecommerce and what brands need to do now to show upPricing segmentation: why it's the most important fundamental for ecommerce leaders in the current economic environmentBennett is the Chief Customer Officer at Signifyd, where he works directly with enterprise ecommerce and retail leaders across every major vertical. He brings together firsthand conversations with executives and access to some of the most comprehensive transactional data in commerce. The Digital Edge is Signifyd's monthly podcast for ecommerce leaders and retail executives. Signifyd is the Commerce Protection Platform helping the world's leading ecommerce brands approve more orders, improve the customer experience and protect against fraud and abuse. Learn more at signifyd.com.

    43 min

  2. Jun 4

    How AI Is Reshaping Ecommerce Discovery and the Future of Agent Commerce

    The hype around agent commerce is loud. But what's actually happening for ecommerce operators right now? In this episode, host Ellie Ronning sits down with Javier Marimon, VP of Ecommerce at Felina — a 40-year-old intimate apparel brand navigating the very real challenges of AI adoption without a large tech team behind them. Javier brings a rare blend of product management depth and hands-on ecommerce operations experience, having led digital at Hudson's Bay, Hot Topic, and Aloe before landing at Felina. Together, they unpack the gap between the media narrative around agent commerce and the on-the-ground reality for merchants — and where the real opportunities are hiding. In this episode: - Why product data quality is now your most important AI readiness factor — and how Javier is reverse-engineering customer search intent to close the gap at Felina - How Shopify's integration with ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude is changing what small and mid-sized brands need to think about today - The three stages of agent-assisted commerce — from AI-informed discovery to fully automated transactions — and why most merchants are still in stage one - Why first-party data and customer opt-ins become a real concern as AI agents sit between shoppers and your storefront - The returns data opportunity that most merchants are sitting on but haven't yet figured out how to make actionable - How brand loyalty and emotional purchase categories like apparel and lingerie will likely resist full agent automation — and what that means for your channel strategy - Where Javier is already using AI inside Felina's operations, including building an inventory planning tool himself in less than a day If you're an ecommerce leader trying to cut through the noise and figure out where to actually focus your energy over the next 18 to 24 months, this is a conversation worth your time. Javier's parting advice: be curious, get your hands dirty, and before you buy another vendor solution, ask yourself if AI can just do it. --- The Digital Edge is brought to you by Signifyd, the Commerce Protection Platform trusted by some of the world's leading ecommerce brands. Learn more at signifyd.com.

    47 min

  3. May 6

    Agentic Commerce Is Reshaping Ecommerce Discovery — Here's What Merchants Need to Know

    Agentic commerce isn't coming — it's already here. And for ecommerce executives, the window to get ahead of it is now. In this episode, host Ellie Ronning sits down with Kelli Lin, VP Commerce at Glance, for one of the most grounded, no-hype conversations on AI agents and ecommerce you'll find anywhere. Kelli brings 20+ years of perspective from owning a retail store in NYC, to launching in-store tech at Macy's and Bloomingdale's, to eight years at Google Shopping and she knows exactly where the reality ends and the buzzword begins. Here's what's on the table: 50% of consumers say they're likely to try a new or different brand if an AI agent recommends it. That's not a small number. That's a brand loyalty earthquake and most merchants aren't ready for it. In this conversation, Ellie and Kelli get into the evolution of agent search and discovery, why today's agent interfaces are only about 20% of the way to where shopping experiences need to go, what merchants should actually be doing right now to prepare, and why agentic commerce is less a new channel and more a collision of search and social with AI at the center. If you're an ecommerce or retail executive trying to cut through the noise on AI—this one's for you.

    46 min

  4. Mar 12

    The Whale Economy: Why Retailers Can No Longer Rely on Volume

    The retail landscape has officially fractured into a K-shaped recovery. Welcome to the "Whale Economy." With fewer customers spending more money, the old retail playbook is dead. Merchants can no longer make up lost margins through sheer volume. In this episode of The Digital Edge, host Ellie Ronning breaks down the brutal truths of the 2026 State of Commerce Report. Ellie is joined by Grace Olson-Davidson (Partner Marketing Manager), Mike Cassidy (Head of PR & Storytelling), and Vito Petruzzelli (Ecommerce Risk Consultant). They explore the widening gap between high and low spenders, why luxury surged 19% while beauty tanked, and why decision accuracy matters more now than ever before. 👇 WHAT WE COVER: 🔹 The K-Shaped Shift: Unpacking the massive divide in consumer spending. 🔹 Decision Accuracy: Why you can't survive the "Whale Economy" without flawless risk models. 🔹 AI & Agentic Consumers: How technology adoption is separating the retail winners from the laggards. ⏳ EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00 - Intro: Welcome to The Digital Edge01:30 - Meet the Panel: Mike, Vito, and Grace04:15 - Breaking Down the "Whale Economy"09:20 - The K-Shaped Retail Recovery (Luxury vs. Beauty)15:45 - Why Merchants Can't Make it Up in Volume Anymore22:10 - Decision Accuracy and the Margin Crisis28:30 - How Agentic Commerce Separates Winners from Laggards34:35 - Outro: The Future of Ecommerce Partnerships 🔗 Connect with Ellie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellieronning/ 🔗 Connect with Grace on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceodavidson/ 🔗 Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecassidy/ 🔗 Connect with Vito on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitoatsignifyd/

    36 min

  5. Mar 3

    The Attribution Crisis: How AI Agents Are Blinding Retail Data

    The Attribution Crisis: How AI Agents Are Blinding Retail Data Search has changed forever, and it is quietly stripping retailers of their most valuable asset: customer data. When shoppers bypass Google to search directly through AI agents like ChatGPT or Claude, merchants are left completely blind to the referral source. In this episode of The Digital Edge, host Ellie Ronning is joined by Grace Olson-Davidson, Mike Cassidy and Vito Petruzzelli to break down the urgent data ownership problem created by the rise of Agentic Commerce. The panel unpacks how losing referral visibility renders traditional marketing attribution models useless, forces brands to cannibalize each other in shared inventory pools, and drives up customer acquisition costs. If you cannot track where your customers are coming from, you cannot optimize your spend. Key Takeaways: The Agentic Commerce Blind Spot: Why you have zero visibility into orders referred by AI chatbots.How syndicating inventory forces brands into direct competition for the same searches.The Journalist’s Imperative: How to reclaim your data by mastering exactly who your customers are and how they arrive.🔗 Connect with host Ellie Ronning on LinkedIn to access the resources and join the conversation: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellieronning/

    23 min

  6. Feb 17

    How to Make Your Brand AI Agent Ready (w/ Alicia Chaffee)

    Brands now face a critical challenge - they must "code their vibe" so AI agents can understand and recommend their products. Alicia Chaffee, Head of Strategy at Dôen, breaks down how retailers are navigating agentic commerce and what it really takes to succeed in this new landscape. While everyone talks about agentic commerce, most retailers are still figuring out what it actually means. The reality is brands need to translate everything that makes customers feel connected - from website energy to product personality - into data tags that AI can process. This feels clinical compared to the emotional brand experiences retailers want to create. The shift from traditional search to agent-powered discovery changes everything. Instead of optimizing for Google keywords, brands must ensure their unique differentiators are clearly defined and accessible to AI systems. The companies that can articulate what makes them special offline will have the easiest time translating that into the digital agentic world. Unified commerce becomes essential as retailers prepare for agent interactions. Unlike omnichannel, which focuses on consistent customer experiences across channels, unified commerce pools all data and inventory into one system. This eliminates silos between online and brick-and-mortar operations, creating a single source of truth that AI agents need to function effectively. The conversation also covers how AI can transform internal operations beyond customer-facing applications. From demand forecasting to dynamic pricing, AI enables more precise, predictive decision-making rather than reactive responses. The key is connecting data insights directly to the people who can take action and test new approaches. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [04:42] Retailers embrace AI but lack readiness [08:51] Coding brand vibes for AI discovery [11:28] Brand loyalty changes agent shopping behavior [16:22] Unified commerce versus omni channel strategy [18:01] Inventory accuracy challenges for AI agents [20:39] Brand differentiation beats keyword stuffing [23:29] AI optimism over workforce replacement fears [25:05] Forward looking metrics beat hindsight analysis [27:17] Breaking silos between data and decisions [28:42] Test brand uniqueness with AI assistants Subscribe for more retail and ecommerce insights that matter to your business.

    31 min

  7. Jan 26

    Agentic Commerce Hype vs Reality at NRF

    Ellie Ronning from Signifyd breaks down the reality of agentic commerce after NRF 2025, where 40,000 retail professionals gathered to discuss the future of shopping. Despite all the AI hype, most merchants are still in baby phases when it comes to implementing agentic commerce solutions. The biggest revelation: there's a massive gap between AI-powered product discovery and actual purchasing. While consumers can search for leather jackets on ChatGPT and get personalized recommendations, they can't complete the transaction in that same session. This disconnect is costing retailers attribution and revenue. Shopify made waves with their major announcement about product syndication across agentic platforms, automatically including their merchants in AI shopping results. But this creates new challenges around brand adjacency and competition that many retailers haven't considered. Meanwhile, larger brands like Target are developing their own agentic commerce solutions through partnerships with ChatGPT, while smaller merchants feel abandoned by Shopify's push upmarket. Some are even leaving for competitors like Storeline that focus on SMB relationships. The personalization opportunity extends beyond purchase behavior into returns experiences, where merchants have rich data but aren't leveraging it effectively. The key is treating best customers consistently throughout their entire journey, not just at point of sale. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [00:43] Merchants confused by agentic commerce [01:25] NRF networking beats scheduled meetings [02:22] Merchants overwhelmed by tech options [04:31] Agentic commerce becomes new buzzword [05:31] Retailers still in AI baby phase [06:49] Discovery to transaction gap exists [08:47] Shopify announces product syndication strategy [10:35] Brand adjacency creates competition concerns [11:23] Target partners with ChatGPT directly [13:07] Agentic commerce as fourth sales channel [14:17] Estee Lauder migration signals enterprise shift [15:23] SMB brands abandon Shopify platform [17:29] Scaling issues plague enterprise merchants [18:52] Returns personalization drives customer retention [20:26] Retail adapts despite constant challenges Despite the challenges and confusion around agentic commerce, retail continues to adapt and evolve. Merchants always find ways to move forward, even when facing new technologies they don't fully understand yet. Subscribe for more insights on retail technology, ecommerce trends, and the future of shopping from industry leaders.

    21 min

  8. 12/22/2025

    Personalized returns are the new customer strategy

    Returns peak is the new reality retailers face every January and February, creating bigger operational challenges than holiday shopping season itself. After years of offering free returns to compete during the COVID boom, retailers are discovering these policies are unsustainable as sales normalize but return costs remain high. Ellie Ronning breaks down why 72% of retailers are rethinking their return strategies and moving toward personalized approaches. She explains how smart retailers are using customer segmentation to offer different return experiences - from "keep the item" policies for low-value products to prepaid return fees bundled with shipping insurance. The shift represents a fundamental change from the 2020-2022 era when massive sales growth masked return processing costs including labor, shipping, packaging, and fraud prevention. Now retailers must balance customer satisfaction with profitability using data-driven decisions about which returns to approve, which customers to charge fees, and how to reduce controllable return factors. Key strategies include AI-powered fraud detection, selective appeasement based on customer history, and upstream photo verification to catch fraudulent claims before processing. The most successful retailers are analyzing daily sales data right now to refine their return policies for 2025, rather than waiting for post-holiday reports. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [00:46] Returns peak follows holiday peak [02:20] COVID trained consumers to expect free returns [04:02] Hidden costs of processing returns [05:17] Tariffs drive retailers to recoup costs [06:18] Keep the item strategy saves money [07:13] Prepaid return fees through insurance [08:12] Personalized returns without customer backlash [11:18] Merchandising insights reduce return rates [12:21] Controllable versus uncontrollable return factors [14:05] Selective appease prevents claim abuse [16:19] AI deflects manual review workload [17:35] Photo proof technology catches fraud [19:34] Daily data synthesis informs return strategy [20:30] Refining policies for 2026 peak Learn more about intelligent returns solutions at signifyd.com Subscribe for more retail strategy insights and ecommerce operational best practices. Hit the notification bell to stay updated on the latest trends shaping digital commerce. The Digital Edge brings you inside conversations with retail and ecommerce leaders navigating the evolving landscape of digital commerce, customer experience, and operational excellence.

    21 min

  9. 12/10/2025

    Black Friday Exposed This Shocking Retail Reality

    Black Friday 2025 revealed a major shift in consumer behavior that some retailers may have missed. While average order values increased year over year, transaction volumes stayed flat - meaning shoppers are consolidating their spending into fewer, more strategic purchases. Ellie Ronning breaks down the most surprising trends from this holiday season, including why traditional discount strategies failed, how mobile shopping hit 70% of all transactions, and why gift-with-purchase promotions outperformed standard price cuts across every vertical. The Shopify outage during Black Friday created a perfect storm for small businesses who had been positioning themselves as alternatives to higher-priced retailers. This technical failure highlighted just how critical reliability becomes when consumers are being more selective with their spending. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [00:05] AOV rises but transactions stay flat [00:43] Shopify outage hits small businesses hard [02:00] Consumers hunt for value alternatives [03:23] Cyber Week reveals surprising spending patterns [04:27] One stop shopping drives consolidation [05:24] Customer loyalty becomes critical survival tool [06:14] Vendors shift to pure support mode [07:29] Precision over fancy new solutions [08:28] Proactive partners see around corners [09:40] Discounts lose their promotional power [10:24] Gift with purchase beats price cuts [11:19] Mobile transactions hit 70 percent [11:43] AI segmentation targets mobile shoppers The data shows consumers aren't spending more money overall - they're just being more intentional about where and how they shop. For retailers, this means customer loyalty and operational excellence are more important than ever. This analysis covers the real numbers behind Black Friday 2025, the mobile commerce explosion, and what these trends mean for retail strategy heading into 2026.

    13 min

  10. 11/17/2025

    From In-House Builds to Digital Twins: How AI Is Transforming Retail Operations and CX

    Retail is evolving fast, and Ellie Ronning explains the shifts every ecommerce team needs to understand. Learn how AI elevates consumer experience, strengthens operations, and speeds up holiday read-and-react cycles. Ellie also dives into personalization trends, digital commerce strategy, partner selection, and the path toward unified commerce. A must-listen for anyone navigating the next era of retail.

    16 min
  • 10 Episodes

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The Digital Edge cuts through the noise of modern retail and ecommerce. Host Ellie Ronning breaks down AI adoption, digital commerce, personalization, unified commerce, and the technology shifts reshaping how brands operate. Real insights, real frameworks, and real conversations from inside the industry.

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