In this episode we bring a review of the best and brightest from the show floor at NRF 2019 - we talk Innovation Lab, "Ingredient Brands", Shoppable AR, and much more. Listen now! Main Takeaways: Phillip and Brian podcast twice live from NRF Body data is still in vogue in retail-tech company spaces, but has anyone learned to implement it properly? Want a 3D rendering of Brian's face? Take our survey. Will Walmart finally impress Gen Xers? Clothes that fit the customer, not the creator's specific...
Jan 25, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 91
Products that are sharable are all the rage - in part 1 of our recap of NRF we come to you live from the show floor and talk about how retailers are using customer engagement to shape how their product assortment and marketing are crafted. Listen now! Main Takeaways: Walmart is stepping up its technology game in a serious way. 2018 really was the year of open source, and sneakers, and content. Content continues to be king of community creation, and retailers are finally picking up the mantle. Be...
Jan 17, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 90
"Stores within stores" is a concept often spoken but seldom understood. With retail closures on the rise we look at how real estate is adapting to new digitally native brands, how flagships are shifting focus, and how companies like Cushman and Wakefield are helping brands get to market faster than ever. Listen now! Guest Brandon L. Singer , Managing Director @ Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. Show notes Main Takeaways: A perfect storm in physical retail vacancies has led to an emerging retail rena...
Nov 27, 2018•36 min•Ep. 89
Main Takeaways: "We are now at the beginning of the experience economy". Retailers are looking for a way to turn mobile browsers into mobile buyers. Millennials seem to be at the forefront of a data revolution. Mobile customers tend to commit to a purchase when they feel that their personal information is secure. Can mobile-commerce really beat out desktop conversions? How to Win Customers and Influence People to Purchase Mobily: Paypal (Braintree) , Magento , and Hi Conversion are working toget...
Nov 20, 2018•33 min•Ep. 88
Main Takeaways: Wayfair has curated in-house brands and has seen success due to its focus on customer experience and lack of awareness of brand. Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to customer experience. Wayfair understands that investment in its own teams is the best way to fill gaps in talent. Wayfair is popping up in two physical locations this holiday season. Wayfair: E-commerce Ahead of Its Time: When Wayfair (then called CSN Stores) was launched in 2002 , online shopping was...
Oct 31, 2018•56 min•Ep. 87
Main Takeaways: Retail consolidation is happening, and it really is survival of the best fit. Phillip really wants Alexa to stop trying to figure him out. Amazon raises its minimum wage to $15, but are workers really benefiting? Shopify launches a glorified Apple Genius Bar in Downtown LA. Adobe has an uphill battle in integrating its acquisitions into a seamless ecosystem. Traditional Retail is Making Moves in Pretty Much Every Direction: DSW, (everyone's favorite place to buy trendy ankle boot...
Oct 25, 2018•34 min•Ep. 86
Main Takeaways: Amazon takes a third (actually more like fifth) leap into physical retail. Phillip takes a trip down memory lane, was Service Merchandise the original Amazon? This episode would make it into Amazon's 4-star store. Retailers may want to jump on the Amazon copycat train for better in-store curation. Amazon Opens Yet Another Retail Space: Is Brick and Mortar Back? Amazon adds another retail store to its collection, Amazon 4-Star will join Amazon Books and Amazon Go . This is the fir...
Oct 16, 2018•27 min•Ep. 85
Main Takeaways: California bans bots from pretending to be human. Finally, brands are getting on board will real-size fashion. Brian and Phillip banter over "chose your own ending" episodes. California Passes Law to Stop Bots From Behaving Badly: Bots have earned themselves quite a nasty reputation lately. Sneaker bots specifically have people (especially Phillip) aggravated with how they buy up sneakers, forcing sneakerheads to purchase sneakers after the fact at ridiculous prices. Retailer KIT...
Oct 09, 2018•50 min•Ep. 84
Main Takeaways: Salesforce CEO Benioff goes on a multi-million dollar shopping spree. Amazon is setting up a new headquarters; Will it be in DC? Why doesn't anyone want to work for Target? Apple is creating lifestyle products that you can't (or won't) live without. Highlights from Shop.org 2018: The innovation lab outpaced last year's conference by far. Body related technology was a major focus. Amazon's acquisition of Body Labs earlier this year seems to have paved the way for a lot of new tech...
Oct 01, 2018•50 min•Ep. 83
Main Takeaways: Fitzroy Toys manages to operate as B2B company with a B2C feel. The retail apocalypse is really just the end of boring retail. Big brands are having to get scrappy to keep up with start-ups. From 4th Grade to Fitzroy: CEO Stefanie Botelho's entrepreneurship journey actually began in toys: she started her first business venture in the 4th grade where she sold finger puppets to her classmates. The first ever version of Fitzroy Toys was created as a project in a coding class when St...
Sep 26, 2018•42 min•Ep. 82
Show Notes Main Takeaways: Brian gets to visit all the cool exhibits with all the cool toys in the Innovation Lab at Shop.org 2018. Personalization seems to be the name of the game in emerging technology. Avatars with a user's exact measurements may just be the preferred shopping experience of the future. Is it time to drop the E in e-commerce? Can Body Scanning with 3D Models Make Clothes Fit Better? While body scanning is always a hot topic, 3D Look invested 18 months of research and found tha...
Sep 21, 2018•38 min•Ep. 81
Show Notes At the forefront of innovation: B-A-N-A-N-A-S. The One-A-Day Banana nearly broke the internet. One package, six bananas varying in ripeness so you can have the perfect ripeness each day. This could be a good solution for grocery delivery services because produce is a big challenge for them. It's tough to get the perfect avocado or banana when you order online. Rent the Runway has received a $200 million loan This will lead to even bigger growth for the growing clothing subscription se...
Aug 24, 2018•48 min•Ep. 80
According to Allen Nance email has transcended from a communication platform to a global source of identity for consumers the world over. The CMO of Emarsys sits down with us to talk about how this communication medium has a globally accepted protocol which may unlock the key to identity in a social and mobile commerce future. Listen now! Show Notes About Allen Nance (an "Email OG") Allen Nance was person in his family to graduate high school. He then attended Georgia Institute of Technology. Af...
Aug 17, 2018•54 min•Ep. 79
"Voice is dead", Hema launches experiential grocery, cast your votes with the blockchain! Also - which online mattress retailer is opening 200 stores in the USA? One guess, and it rhymes with "blasper". Listen now! Show notes Phillip's wife received a package from Care/Of Vitamins and it had someone else's pills in it (!!!!) When new companies enter the pharmaceutical and health space, how can we trust that they are being diligent in their quality assurance? RIP Voice Shopping? The Information h...
Aug 10, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 78
Sucharita Kodali of Forrester Research joins us to talk about the unfortunate demise of Toys 'R Us and her new book, "Toys 'R Bust: Reasons One of the Country’s Most Revered Retailers Collapsed". Show Notes About Sucharita Kodali Sucharita is a retail analyst at Forrester Research with a focus on online retail and technology. She once worked at Toys"R"Us and is writing a book called "Toys R Bust" chronicling the rise and fall of the retail giant. Half the pay and a third of the productivity The ...
Aug 01, 2018•50 min•Ep. 77
Show Notes About Monika Kochhar Monika Kochhar is the co-founder of Smartgift , a gifting platform that is working to solve the complexity of shopping for others. About Smartgift Consumer brands use Smartgift's platform to let gift recipients customize their gifts or swap them for other gifts of their choice from comparably priced recommendations. Gift senders pay for the item after the recipient has made their pick. A deeper look into the "Science of Gifting" Smartgift is taking rich qualitativ...
Jul 25, 2018•50 min•Ep. 76
Show Notes We're turning two! After 7 years and 2 billion dollars Magic Leap created... Snap Spectacles? Magic Leap is a U.S. startup company that is working on a head-mounted virtual retinal display, called Magic Leap One , which superimposes 3D computer-generated imagery over real-world objects, by "projecting a digital light field into the user's eye", involving technologies potentially suited to applications in augmented reality and computer vision. After 7 years of funding and almost 2 bill...
Jul 16, 2018•50 min•Ep. 75
"FREAKING PRIVACY? HOW DOES IT WORK?" We dig into the privacy impacts of advancements in facial recognition software and how it has vast impacts on Global Commerce. PLUS: Brian has a huge announcement! Listen now! Show Notes Brian said "Sayonara" to Amazon. Now he's allowed to say Amazon. Amazon! Amazon! Amazon! Pills Prime Amazon acquired online pharmacy PillPack If your health food and supplements from Whole Foods don't work, now you can get your pills from Amazon too. This will likely play in...
Jul 06, 2018•53 min•Ep. 74
LIVE from IRCE 2018! The Supreme Court of the United States is about to make a decision in a landmark case which may affect how sales tax nexus is calculated for merchants in all 50 states. Dave Pelton, Product Line Leader at Vertex, breaks down how this decision could affect retail and how - regardless of the outcome - online merchants may be impacted going forward. Show notes LIVE from IRCE 2018 with Dave Pelton, Vertex Hi Dave Dave Pelton is the Product Line Leader at Vertex. Vertex is the le...
Jun 18, 2018•30 min•Ep. 73
Community-building is powering everything from product innovation to commerce platforms. In this episode we dive into how to build a community and how to do it with authenticity. Plus: how did Kanye West's Yeezy brand shape the entire footwear industry in just 5 years? Show Notes Main Takeaways: Phillip realizes that some content ages better than others. Retail renaissance will always be relevant. How does community impact the world around us? Adidas vs Nike: Battle of the User Experience: Adida...
Jun 08, 2018•38 min•Ep. 72
Main Takeaways: Adobe moves to acquire Magento Commerce, an e-commerce platform with a massive community. Netflix manages to beat out everyone in a battle of the best content. If users agree to pay for social media, would Facebook ever change its ad-based model? Social media advertising may of turned Phillip into a sneakerhead. America's Second-Hand Economy: A Tale as Old as Time. Phillip and Brian celebrate landing in the for "second-hand commerce." Second-hand commerce is not a new concept, ev...
May 31, 2018•43 min•Ep. 71
Main Takeaways: The sharing economy is helping regular people lead their best lives. Real-sized model diversity is actually becoming a reality with big brands In 2018 retail pretty much runs our lives Levi Jean jackets + Google enabled tech= less impressive than expected The Retail Apocalypse is as likely as a Zombie Apocalypse The Sharing Economy: Aspirational Luxury Goes Mainstream: The sharing economy is now allowing consumers unprecedented access to products and services , with a much lower ...
May 25, 2018•57 min•Ep. 70
Main Takeaways: Instagram discovers that Phillip has a thing for sneakers. Facebook wants to venture into matchmaking, and they certainly have enough data to do it. Can data-rich companies step up their security game? Retailers are using real-time data to put employees in the right place at the right time. Personalized wellness packs: The future of health? Professors are leaving the classroom for a better paycheck. Facebook Uses AI to Mine Data it Already Owns: Facebook has decided to use artifi...
May 21, 2018•55 min•Ep. 69
Main Takeaways: Baked by Melissa gives away 100,000 cupcakes to prove love and sugary treats really do win. Oculus Go is better than a party trick. Instagram decides that they want more than just dopamine-fueled likes from their users. Amazon vs. Alibaba, who will win the battle of the commerce giants? Did the world peak in the mid 90's? Now we can all recognize all the Royal Wedding guests. Magento Imagine: Coolest Kids on the E-Commerce Block: Phillip was the MC for Magento Imagine , which is ...
May 16, 2018•59 min•Ep. 68
"Secondhand Commerce" is changing the way that we purchase luxury goods - from watches and handbags to sneakers - secondary markets are finding life after the initial purchase. Plus: Macy's acquires Story in a move to bring experiential retail to the big department store. Special thanks to Ryan MacInnis of Voysis for joining us on this episode of Future Commerce! Apologies for the audio quality in this episode as we encountered a technical issue. Should be fixed going forward! Thanks for listeni...
May 10, 2018•53 min•Ep. 67
We're back! Brian joins Amazon, we talk subscription movie passes driving return to the shopping malls; and are we seeing leading indicators of unchecked inflation? PLUS: Who is the Nordstrom customer? Main Takeaways: Have Phillip and Brian run out of things to talk about? Odd-couple partnerships have become a thing in retail. Brian can never talk about Amazon, ever. GDPR: Friend or foe to small business? Brian makes a prediction that may change the way we regard the economy. Big Box Retail Cros...
Apr 17, 2018•41 min•Ep. 66
"Hopefully, GDPR is the medicine we need to start putting our customers at the center of the story, and not our conversion rates." We review Shoptalk 2018 in the wake of Cambridge Analytica with a discussion about the content, the vendors, the experience, and how merchants can take the knowledge gained at a show like Shoptalk and turn it into actionable results. "Hopefully, GDPR is the medicine we need to start putting our customers at the center of the story, and not our conversion rates." We r...
Mar 30, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 65
"No company can afford to stand still" - we sat down with David J. Katz - a Linked In Top Voice in Retail - to discuss how technology is changing consumer demands and pushing companies into creating better experiences. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: David J. Katz is here from Randa , the world's largest men's accessory company, that ships more than 75 million units of product a year. With the ever-changing technological landscape, retail has is being disrupted with advancements made in technology, ...
Mar 23, 2018•55 min•Ep. 64
What happens when you no longer control your own likeness? Is there an ethical line to be crossed with posthumous product spokesmanship? We skirt the line in this episode and get topical - talking about the subject of ethics and artificial intelligence and how online communities have banned "Deep Fakes" - pornographic simulations produced by artificial intelligence. Deep Fakes: weaponizing AI We're seeing a really gross intersection of what we talked about on our prediction show around digital p...
Mar 13, 2018•43 min•Ep. 63
We're bringing you a bonus episode - we sat down with Kiri Masters of Ecommerce Braintrust Podcast to talk about the proliferation of voice and voice commerce - and how it's changing the perception of what a brand is and how they engage their customers. To listen to the WHOLE thing head over to ecommercebraintrust.com and listen to Episode 19! Special thanks to Kiri Masters, Julie Spear and the Ecommerce Braintrust podcast for featuring us! Listen to the whole thing: https://www.ecommercebraintr...
Feb 28, 2018•9 min
