Podcast
Future Commerce
Hosted by Phillip Jackson, Brian Lange · EN
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
58episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Reinventing David's Bridal with Kelly Cook
Apr 4, 202500:35:16Tap to summarizeElizabeth Schmidt sits down with Kelly Cook, the new CEO of David’s Bridal, for a deep-dive into one of the most ambitious retail transformations happening today. Kelly is leading the iconic bridal company through its pivot from “aisle to algorithm,” turning tradition on its head while honoring the trust of over 100 million women they've dressed. Kelly shares how David’s is embracing inclusivity, rethinking what a wedding “should” look like, and creating magical moments for every kind of bride. Plus, we get personal stories, heartfelt leadership lessons, and a big-picture look at what the future of weddings might hold (hint: AR headsets and donut walls).100 Million Brides LaterKey takeaways:From Dresses to Data: “Aisle to Algorithm” Is Here: David’s Bridal is now a full-stack media-tech-commerce company. With AI-driven personalization and financial tools like Pearl Pay, they’re reimagining how weddings are planned—and how brides are supported.Wildfang Collab Signals the Future of Weddingwear: Suits, sneakers, ballgowns, cowboy boots—brides today are expressing themselves in radically new ways. The Wildfang partnership reflects David’s commitment to inclusivity and non-traditional celebration.Intimacy, Trust, and a Whole Lot of Emotio: Kelly shares moving stories about the deeply personal nature of helping brides find their look. From stylists trained in body confidence to bell-ringing ceremonies, it’s not just commerce—it’s connection.Data is Power—But You Don’t Need All of It: Under Kelly’s leadership, David’s is cutting through data overwhelm. The new mantra? 65% of the data is enough to make a decision. Insight and action matter more than analysis paralysis.The Future of Weddings Might Be Augmented: Kelly envisions a not-so-distant future where AR and AI are part of the wedding experience—think immersive headsets, projection-mapped dresses, and hyper-personalized storytelling.“We’ve dressed 100 million women. That’s not just a legacy—it’s a privilege that allows us to pivot powerfully into the future.” — Kelly Cook“It’s women choosing to wear cowboy boots instead of a cushion Louboutin—and we love all of it.” — Kelly Cook“We serve anyone who’s in love, no matter who their partner is. If we don’t have what you need, we’ll go get it.” — Kelly Cook“You don’t need 90% of the data to make a decision. You need 65—and a little courage.” — Kelly CookIn-Show Mentions: Read on The Senses: "The Auratic Economy"Associated Links:Order LORE by Future CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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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The New Era of Media with Tasteland
Apr 2, 202500:59:15Tap to summarizeFeat. Daisy Alioto & Francis ZiererDaisy Alioto and Francis Zierer of Tasteland join us to talk about what happens when two distinct media brands—Dirt and Creator Spotlight—collide. We explore how podcasting has become a creative extension of newsletters, how parasocial dynamics shape audience building, and what it means to build brand and community in a fractured media landscape.Staying Afloat in the Primordial SoupKey takeaways:The “Anti-Scene” Scene: Today’s creative connections often form organically—through mutual respect and shared ideas, not cliquish gatekeeping—giving rise to an “asynchronous salon” of cultural thinkers.Design and Taste as Cultural Signals: Design choices and curation practices influence perception and build cultural credibility.Building Media That Builds Taste: Tasteland isn’t about telling people what to like—it’s about helping listeners cultivate their own sense of taste, with media that challenges, informs, and inspires."You can notice the difference in the approach… and I do wonder if the pendulum will swing back to more structured storytelling, like Serial or S-Town. – Daisy"The biggest problem with culture plus business is it's easy for dishonesty to creep in. And that sucks. Who wants to listen to someone with no point of view?" – Daisy"It's like this asynchronous salon of independent figures… where the connections become more connections across them." – Francis"If your media diet becomes a closed loop… you’ve basically traded one algorithm for another. Our job is to help people develop their own taste." – Daisy"I read SIC Weekly like a poem… and just click on two links. It forces you to choose—and that’s what develops taste." – FrancisIn-Show Mentions:Subscribe to DirtSubscribe to Creator SpotlightSubscribe to TastelandAssociated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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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Ulta’s Blueprint for Digital Beauty
Apr 1, 202500:30:26Tap to summarizeFeat. Josh FriedmanLive from Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas, Phillip and Brian sit down with Josh Friedman, VP of Digital & eCommerce at Ulta Beauty, for an insider look at how one of America’s leading beauty retailers is evolving its digital experience. From launching a curated, invitation-only marketplace to expanding into wellness and enhancing in-app experiences, Josh shares how Ulta is blending personalization, innovation, and culture to deepen customer relationships. If you're in ecommerce or retail, this episode is packed with insights on community, category expansion, and retail media.Extending the Endless AisleKey takeaways:Curation Over Clutter: Ulta’s invitation-only marketplace prioritizes strategic brand extension over endless assortment, reinforcing its role as a tastemaker rather than a commodity platform.Wellness as a Growth Frontier: Ulta is capitalizing on consumer perception and search behavior to deepen its presence in wellness, positioning beauty and wellbeing as an integrated lifestyle category.Omnichannel Experience, Reinvented: The Ulta app serves as a central digital companion—bridging AR try-ons, real-time inventory, and event discovery to create a seamless, pre- and post-store journey.Community-Led Commerce: Ulta’s growing in-app community fosters peer-to-peer engagement and brand interaction, transforming customer relationships into participatory ecosystems.Tech-Enabled Personalization at Scale: Leveraging Adobe, Miracle, and Databricks, Ulta is advancing real-time personalization, AI-powered merchandising, and a retail media network that integrates seamlessly into its broader ecommerce infrastructure.“We're not going after an endless aisle. We're really just going after an extender.” – Josh Friedman“We want the app to be the destination to have beauty and wellness.” – Josh Friedman“We owe it to our customers to requite them with a personalized experience that’s relevant to them.” – Josh Friedman“Marketplace should be a gateway into experimenting, growing a bit of a business, and becoming a candidate for our physical shelves.” – Josh Friedman“We all have to understand AI-driven commerce as a totally new mode of shopping—it’s not just a new channel.” – Phillip JacksonAssociated Links:Order LORE by Future CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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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Gen Z Buys the Vibe, Gen X Pays the Bill
Mar 28, 202500:47:25Tap to summarizeLive from the buzzing floor of ShopTalk Spring, Phillip, Brian, and marketing expert Elizabeth Schmidt unpack everything from nostalgic branding and Gen Z marketing to luxury retail and AI in education. We digest key themes we heard during ShopTalk in real-time and share a compelling look at how relationships and storytelling are driving the next chapter in retail.You Can’t Optimize Your Way to A MythKey takeaways:[02:30] CEO Richard Dixon emphasized Gap’s legacy as a canvas for American culture and its pivot toward digital-first experiences while embracing nostalgia.[08:30] Kevin O'Leary argues that if you're spending $50K/month and not investing in TV (linear and streaming), you're missing out. His brands spend 40% of ad dollars there.[18:00] Accenture outlined 7 dimensions of luxury today—adding experience, innovation, and social value to the classic trio of heritage, exclusivity, and craftsmanship.[30:30] Zadig & Voltaire targets Gen Z—but it's Gen X parents doing the buying. Smart multi-generational strategy in play.[15:20] Thoughtful, non-promotional SMS messages (like a GIF with no CTA) outperformed sales-driven texts in some cases—surprising and powerful.[24:30] The LORE Activation – Future Commerce’s “Book of Lore” pop-up at ShopTalk captured personal brand confessions and created physical artifacts of digital culture."Gap is a canvas... a portfolio of American brands that shape culture." – Elizabeth quoting Richard Dixon"Any brand spending $50K/month on ads not doing TV is doing it wrong." – Elizabeth quoting Kevin O'Leary“Brighten your customers’ day—don’t just sell. Some of our best SMS responses came from a simple, feel-good GIF.” – Elizabeth"40% of their customer base is Gen Z, but they're actually winning Gen X because the parents are the ones that are buying... To have a brand that can appeal to two completely separate demographics is incredible." – Elizabeth“You have an always-on advertising channel that's just playing ambiently all the time… and that is extraordinarily powerful.” – Phillip"Myths are made when relationships are formed... and this year, ShopTalk feels like a place where those stories begin." – BrianIn-Show Mentions:@Art_lust on TikTokAssociated Links:Order LORE by Future CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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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SkinnyTok, Russian Propaganda, and PepsiCo’s Poppi Proposal
Mar 21, 202501:16:11Tap to summarizeThe brilliant Orchid Bertelsen is back with a huge announcement… PLUS: From Aritzia x Sperry's viral fashion to the surprising new role of Amazon in eCommerce, we explore how brands are winning (and losing) in today’s retail landscape.“I Would Sugarcoat This, But You Would Eat That Too”Key takeaways:[00:04:30] The Sperry x Aritzia collaboration is a calculated and strategic flexing of the Aritzia brand to drive traffic by leveraging the resurgence of the boat shoe trend.[00:19:30] The new metric of business health and the future of retail and private equity. [00:44:00] Has SkinnyTok gone too far? [01:02:00] Our heroes of the week: White Lotus and their brand collaborations—authorized and unauthorized—and whoever designed this shirt.[01:05:00] Our villains of the week: Pepsi, for buying Poppi (for $1.7 billion), and the new economic policies and tariff policies that drove Forever 21 and Dollar General out of business. “The average shelf life of a digital skill is roughly 18 months…but I would say it’s 3-6 months.” – Orchid “We know the algorithm is shaping how we think. The crazy part? We’re okay with it.” – Phillip“My TLDR for the next three years? It goes back to business fundamentals. You have to be so diligent about every dollar in and every dollar out and run your business to maximize EBITDA.” – Orchid“Large companies are not in the business of turnaround.” – Orchid “So, Temporarily 21?” – Orchid“Luxury brands think they can raise prices forever. The secondhand market is proving them wrong.” – PhillipIn-Show Mentions:@orchidbert on TikTokSperry x Aritzia collaborationMiu Miu boat shoeI got Severed at Claire’sAssociated Links:Preorder your copy of the LORE Journal by Future CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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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*TEASER* The Measure Your Erection Cult?
Mar 20, 202500:02:55Tap to summarizeGet ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plusAccess to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefitSave 20% on Future Commerce print journals and merchExclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS)Ad-free episodes and bonus content!
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Vibecoding Our Way Straight into a Recession
Mar 14, 202501:07:57Tap to summarizeThis week, we are talking Home Depot’s b-hole reminiscent chatbot and vibecoding JD Vance’s face. Plus—the biggest mystery in American shopping: why does TJ Maxx make people need to poop? Also on tap: Apple’s iPad launch cringefest and a surprising rise in Android smartphone adoption among creatives AND finance bros alike.The Rise of Butthole LogosKey takeaways:Home Depot's "Magic Apron" and Lowe's "Milo" chatbots launched within hours of each other—proving that every brand now needs an AI assistant, even if they all look the same.AI is speeding towards eliminating websites as we know them—future shopping experiences will be conversations, not catalogs.Apple's recent marketing attempts are wildly out of touch—trends about trends are dead, but nobody told Tim Cook.Are we Pavlov-ing ourselves into using the bathroom at TJMaxx? All signs point to yesVibe coding is taking over—non-coders can now generate functional apps, proving that AI isn’t just summarizing things anymore—it’s building them from scratch.[00:01:19] “Eenie meenie miney Milo. Home Depot's chatbot looks like a b-hole.” - Phillip[00:55:05] “AI is fundamentally changing the way we interact with software. Convenience is the ultimate aim of technology, and we're just at the beginning of this shift.” - BrianLinks:In-show mention: Purchase The Lore JournalIn-show mention: Home Depot Chatbot and Press ReleaseIn-show mention: TJMaxx Reddit ThreadIn-show mention: Register for Shoptalk AfterpartyCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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 of Future Commerce is brought to you by Future Commerce Plus and our sponsors Omnisend and MotionApp and Keen Decision Systems.
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"Are We Being Fairly Compensated For Our Data?" (w/ Danny Sepulveda, VP for Global Government Relations @ Media Math)
May 6, 2019Tap to summarizeFormer Ambassador and Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Sepulveda joins us to talk about Privacy, CCPA, GDPR, and the fundamental right to control our own data. Listen now! Show Notes: Main Takeaways: With all the talk about digital privacy, how that data being used is a question many are asking, and former Ambassador and Assistant Secretary Danny Sepulveda is here to talk data and everything that comes along with it. In 2018 California passage passed a data privacy law, will other states follow suit in 2019? There are three big service providers when it comes to Big Data, do we even have to name them anymore? The genie is out of the bottle on data itself, but there needs to be context around how that data is being used, especially by massive companies with unparalleled power. California Set a Standard For Data Privacy Laws: Will Other States Follow Suit? Future Commerce is beyond excited to haveformer Ambassador and Assistant Secretary Danny Sepulveda on the show, Danny is currently the VP of Government Relations at Media Math. Brian wonders if someone will someone show up to the Senate in high-end denim at some point? Brian says that how corporations use and utilize data is one of the most critical issues of our micro-generation. So CCPA: or the California Consumer Privacy Act, has set a standard for states to set limits on what big corporations can do with their users' data. Brian asks Danny if other states will follow California's example, and what is being done on a federal level? New Jersey and Illinois both have begun to discuss digital privacy laws similar to the CCPA. No One Won in Washington State: Is Data Privacy Partisan? In New Jersey, AB 4902, would give users actual control over their personal data privacy. A 2008 law passed in Illinois bans companies from using a person's scans of people's faces, irises, and fingerprints without consent, and that formerly hypothetical situation has become very real now. Brian and Danny agree that the genie is pretty much out of the bottle when it comes to this new data-driven society. In Washington state, the Washington Privacy Act failed to pass the house of representatives, for a multi-layered partisan reason. Will companies step up to the plate to help retailers comply with CCPA and emerging regulations surrounding digital privacy? 2020 is Heating up: Why Everyone Cares About Silicon Valey: So are any campaigns jumping on the digital-privacy bandwagon for 2020? Both Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar have spoken about the need to modify and reform current anti-trust laws. It's pretty troubling that there is an incredible amount of power being concentrated in Silicon Valley. One of Danny's wishes for consumers in this data-driven market is that they can be seen the way they as the consumer wish to be seen. Danny Sepulveda's Perscription to Merchants: Now And Later: One of the ways Brian recommends that retailers can get ahead of this data overload is to collect their own data for customers so that they don't have to get it from someplace else down the road. Brian asks Danny what his recommendations are for retailers and merchants, long-term and short-term. Danny says in the short term, retailers need to be focused on building relationships and maintaining relationships with clients and continue providing value. In the long term, Danny says it is imperative for companies to have in-house team members that know as much about the technology being utilized as the tech companies they partner with. Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, and Future Commerce is moving faster. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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