"There will be a lot fewer people employed doing existing work in not just insurance, but in all business." Phillip reports from the press pool at Semafor World Economy 2026, where 500 CEOs, a quarter of the US Senate, and 20 G20 finance ministers spent two days in Washington DC sketching out the next decade. Inside: why the AI race is really the electricity race (and why we may have already lost it to China), the $10 trillion and 250 gigawatts Meta says AGI will cost, Senator Mark Kelly on the new commercial space economy, Levi's 50% DTC milestone, Ralph Lauren's experience-economy flex, and why Balzac saw the "exterminator economy" coming 200 years ago. Plus: white smoke from Apple Park.

Key Takeaways:

• Space is getting a concentric-circle economy. NASA hands low-Earth orbit to private industry; the moon is next; Mars is the horizon. Sen. Mark Kelly laid out the vision at Semafor.
• AGI has a price tag, and it's $10T. Meta's Dina Powell McCormick framed the path forward: trillions in capital, 250GW of power, and geopolitical fallout to match.
• The AI race is actually the electricity race — and the US lost it five years ago. Chips and lithography aren't the bottleneck. Power is, and China builds more in a year than the US builds in a decade.
• NIMBY has evolved into BANANA. Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone is the new posture from Virginia to Maine, and the quiet threat to American AI competitiveness.
• The heritage brand isn't dead; it just needs a thesis. Levi's built a three-layer AI framework — process, product, people — and is posting 16 consecutive quarters of DTC growth to prove the strategy works.
• Everyone's becoming an exterminator. The age of sovereignty is producing a wave of DIY micro-entrepreneurs using ChatGPT as their back office. Every job AI takes, it seems to hand back, just in a flat-brimmed hat.
• The American consumer is less bearish than the algorithm suggests. Ralph Lauren, Kickstarter, and Chime all reported data at odds with recession narratives. Spending is healthy, savings are up, and creators are launching.

In-Show Mentions:

• The Commerce Department is a hedge fund now
• Dispatch from Semafor: Pritzker on what beats fear
• [POLICY BRIEF] The Halo Effect of the New Economy
• Future Commerce Podcast: Marcus Collins

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

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Furniture.com is a new kind of furniture marketplace: a single platform aggregating more than 3 million SKUs from 80+ retail partners, using standardized data and AI-powered personalization to replace the 15-hour odyssey most shoppers endure. VP of Brand & Creative Olivia Hnatyshin joins Phillip and Brian to unpack how the team is rebuilding the third-most expensive purchase of a person's life – one where hunter green and forest green finally mean the same thing.

Building the Zillow of Furniture, One Couch At A Time

Key Takeaways:

• Buying furniture is the third most expensive purchase a person makes, after a car or a home.
• 83% of furniture shoppers start online; 73% of searches are non-branded.
• Shoppers spend an average of 15+ hours across 4+ retailers before buying a single sofa.
• Data standardization is the real unlock for the category.
• Verticalized, purpose-built AI beats general chatbots when the stakes are high.

Key Quotes:

• [00:07:20] "It's not really a discovery problem. It's a systems problem. The industry hasn't caught up to how people are actually shopping." - Olivia
• [00:18:50] "When you stop trusting the system's recommendations because they're going to be guided by advertising, you stop believing there's a real curation based on your tastes and your needs." - Phillip
• [00:19:45] "We're doing one thing and we wanna do it really, really well. That gives us the advantage because we're not trying to build for a bunch of other retail streams." - Olivia
• [00:35:50] "We're moving away from search entirely. It really is more about expressing intent and having that intent met instantly and accurately." - Olivia

Associated Links:

• Shop on Furniture.com
• 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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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. 

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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.

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.

Zia Daniell Wigder, Global President of Shoptalk and Groceryshop, joins Brian and Alicia to mark Shoptalk's 10th anniversary and unpack the themes defining the spring show in Las Vegas. (Hint: AI isn't the headline, it's the backdrop.) A week before one of retail’s biggest, most beloved shows, Zia maps the tensions, the conversations, and the hot topics shaping the next era of retail events. 

The More We Automate, the More We Meet

Key Takeaways:

• AI is the backdrop to retail in 2026, but it’s not the whole story
• As AI scales, in-person human connection becomes more valuable, not less
• Shoptalk curates its agenda top-down, then finds the speakers to match; it’s about bringing buzz brands, heritage retailers, and influential platforms together
• In the US, social commerce is still in its early days, which means it’s still incredibly underestimated; brand leaders will share their lessons and best practices on stage during tactical workshops for the first time
• Creator-brand relationships work better when brands let go of the brief

Key Quotes:

[00:05:00] "In-person human connections are even more important today than they have been in the past,  because we have all of this operational efficiency, all of this streamlining and optimization happening in the background in some cases, taking away some of the interactions we might've had before." — Zia Daniell Wigder

[00:11:52] "You've got the huge champions that say yes, [AI] is going to change everything about the world of product discovery as we know it. And then you've got the other side saying, this is way over-hyped." — Zia Daniell Wigder

[00:23:01] "Brands aren't necessarily asking about [social commerce] per se, but it almost feels like they should be." — Zia Daniell Wigder

[00:24:04] "Brands are still having briefs shoved at [creators] and telling them what they should be doing, as opposed to working with them in a more collaborative way." — Zia Daniell Wigder

In-Show Mentions:

• Shoptalk Spring 2026 – March, Las Vegas
• POSSIBLE – April, Miami
• Groceryshop – September, Las Vegas
• Manifest – February 2027, Las Vegas

Associated Links:

• Visit Future Commerce’s Shoptalk hub to see what’s happening during the show
• Apply to attend our After Dark celebration of STRATA Vol. 001, our newest zine
• 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.