Future Commerce

Nicole Tapscott, Chief Commercial Officer at Knix, unveils how authenticity reshapes the intimate apparel industry. With 20 years in consumer branding, she discusses the power of celebrity partnerships, like Kristen Bell's, to foster genuine connections. Tapscott emphasizes the need for brands to meet customers wherever they engage, from TikTok to retail stores. She shares how customer vulnerability drives innovative product development and the importance of building emotional connections for lasting brand loyalty.

In the luxury resale market, customer relationships evolve into lasting communities. Geronimo Chala from Rebag reveals how shifting focus from transactions to community fosters loyalty. They emphasize the seamless blend of digital and physical experiences, ensuring customers feel connected both online and offline. By collecting data on customers' core beliefs, Rebag personalizes interactions to meet individual needs. Ultimately, the approach highlights the power of human connection in building loyalty and enhancing the shopping experience.

In this engaging talk, Eric Shah, co-owner of Akira, shares insights from their 23-year journey in Chicago's fashion scene. He emphasizes the power of genuine customer connections over transactional interactions and how 'micro wins' lead to lasting loyalty. Eric discusses how technology should enhance, not replace, personal relationships in retail. Hiring for integrity and authenticity is key, as is fostering a positive workplace culture to better connect with customers. Akira's success lies in its commitment to personalized service in a digital age.

Mindy Massey, Global Executive Director of Stores at Anthropologie, shares her vision of transforming brick-and-mortar retail into community hubs. With 26 years at the brand, she explains how Anthropologie amplifies authentic relationships rather than just metrics. Mindy discusses empowering over 10,000 employees as community curators and the importance of localized creativity within brand guidelines. She emphasizes that genuine connections drive success, reshaping retail expectations for younger generations in the process.

Kunle Campbell, a wellness expert and e-commerce consultant, delves into the tug-of-war between idealistic wellness brands and the harsh realities of capitalist scaling. He highlights how brands like Whole Foods evolved, often compromising core values for wider appeal. Campbell stresses the importance of self-knowledge for intentional consumption, suggesting DNA tests and mindfulness practices. He also discusses the power of social media influencers in promoting transparency and how they're reshaping market dynamics to favor more authentic consumer choices.

Will systems-driven commerce be the death of our (Brian’s) peace? This week, Phillip and Brian explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping expertise, the chokehold inflexible systems have on modern life, and the meaning of the digital afterlife. Plus: learn how brands like American Eagle are balancing controversy and virality to shock themselves into relevancy while feeling minimal aftershocks.One Year Closer to the Digital AfterlifeKey takeaways:The ChatGPT Expert Problem: AI is enabling a new class of "nouveau experts" who cite disparate cultural theorists like Freddie DeBoer and Peter Turchin to sound authoritative, creating sophisticated-sounding but potentially hollow analysisPeak Inflexibility: Modern life is increasingly controlled by inflexible systems that eliminate human judgment and serendipity, from cell phone stores that can't override basic functions to restaurants requiring months-advance reservationsOne-Round Game Marketing: Brands like American Eagle are adopting political-style "one-round game" tactics, where temporary controversy and outrage generate attention without long-term brand damage, as demonstrated by Sydney Sweeney's "good genes" campaignThe Post-Internet Brain: We're outsourcing memory, emotions, and even nostalgia to algorithms, with AI potentially eliminating the need to ask questions by providing contextual information before we realize we want it[00:25:55] Brian: "I believe that there is a set of business leaders out there that see ChatGPT as a way to make decisions about their business... they're sending it to an entity that effectively is confirmation bias."[00:24:27] Phillip: "What we found in our primary research is that TikTok doesn't show up for direct like spear fishing—that's Amazon. It doesn't show up for inspiration like window shopping—that's Instagram. And it doesn't show up for entertainment or learning—that's YouTube."[00:54:49] Brian: "Someday we're not going to call it the internet anymore, actually. Because it's actually an extension of our brains. It's a way for us to store information."[01:13:54] Phillip: "A blonde woman talking about her good genes. You’re telling me that not one person thought about this? This is perfectly engineered for outrage."In-Show Mentions:Jack Conte on X: TikTok vs. YouTube as search enginesAlex Greifeld on X: “One round game marketing”Associated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus 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 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!

The hunt for certainty is killing creativity.Rory Sutherland, chairman of Ogilvy and the poet of persuasion, joins us live from Klaviyo London to challenge marketing's obsession with thin-tailed attribution. Brands are facing an existential crisis in an increasingly brandless, chat-interface powered world, but Sutherland believes that current measurement models are not designed to allow marketers to test, fail, learn, and grow, systematically destroying breakthrough potential.Key takeaways:Technology evolves from option to obligation: Parking apps that liberated us from coin machines now trap those without smartphones, while McDonald's screen-only outlets eliminate human flexibilityMarketing is fat-tailed, business is not thin-tailed: "10% of what you do delivers 130% of the value, but you don't know what the 10% is in advance." But marketing’s current measurement system is designed for us to fail. Attribution models punish necessary failures and do not credit long-term breakthroughsInterface changes redistribute power overnight: When fundamental interaction modes shift from typing to voice and stores to apps, established advantages can disappear instantly, creating opportunities for complete market disruptionBrand value is multifarious, not monolithic: Fame, trust signals, and decision-making heuristics remain valuable even as chat interfaces challenge traditional brand expression. "People will come and find you rather than you having to find them." – Rory Sutherland[00:06:13] "Interface change is always disruptive, because if you change the interface within which people choose and act, you fundamentally change behavior." - Rory Sutherland[00:20:25] "There's a concern I always have about technology, which is the extent to which a lot of technology arrives as an option and ends up as an obligation." - Rory Sutherland[00:42:47] "There's a danger that what [AI is] doing is enshrining groupthink. It's taking groupthink and effectively engraving it." - Rory SutherlandLinks & In-Show Mentions:Learn more about OgilvyCheck 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!

A replay from VISIONS Summit: NYC featuring YouTuber and architect Dami Lee.From the stage of VISIONS Summit at MoMA, Dami Lee reveals why the most chaotic spaces often teach us the most about what it means to be human. As a licensed architect turned YouTube storyteller with over 200 million views, she's discovered that making architecture approachable isn't about simplifying complexity, it's about finding the human stories embedded in our built environment. Through her exploration of places like Kowloon Walled City, Dami demonstrates how the most profound spaces emerge not from master plans but from organic human adaptation, creating connections and meaning through what philosophers call "rhizomic growth."When a Deeper Connection Is Better Than a Wider OneKey takeaways:Human framing trumps technical perfection: No matter how many hours spent making content beautiful or technically accurate, none of it matters without taking time to make it human and frame architecture from a human angle.Personal investment drives authentic storytelling: Topics perform best when team members have genuine personal connections to the subject matter, leading to deeper research and more compelling narratives.Rhizomic processes create unexpected connections: Non-linear, seemingly inefficient creative processes allow for serendipitous discoveries and cross-categorical insights that wouldn't emerge through structured approaches.Extremes ignite curiosity: Audiences gravitate toward architectural stories that push boundaries—like the world's densest city—because extremes reveal fundamental truths about human behavior and adaptation.Associated Links:Check out Dami Lee on YouTubeCheck 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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How is the next generation redefining what it means to shop, connect, and co-create in physical spaces?Grab a pen and get ready to take some notes because Melissa Gonzalez and her firm, MG2 Advisory, have cracked the Gen-Z code through groundbreaking new research. But make no mistake, this isn’t more one-size-fits all data about a large, and highly nuanced, cohort. This is granular research that unpacks the social, behavioral, and psychological forces impacting how different Gen Z personas shop. This week, we’re learning how brands can leverage powerful tools that Gen Z is already wielding to level up their physical retail experiences: nostalgia, authenticity, sustainability, and co-creation. Listen now to get Melissa’s data-driven blueprint for designing meaningful brand experiences. Multiplayer This, Co-Creator ThatKey takeaways:Values vs. Value Tension: 94% of Gen Z shops with values in mind (authenticity, transparency, humility, sustainability), but economics still drive final decisionsCo-Creation Imperative: Three out of four Gen Z consumers want to be collaborators in the brand journey, extending beyond product customization to store design, layout, and programmingNostalgia as Currency: Y2K and 2000s aesthetics dominate Gen Z's desire for nostalgic comfort, with apparel and fashion brands leading the charge through vintage-inspired experiences and activationsTechnology Extends Instinct: Successful retail tech either reduces friction through operational efficiency or creates deeper immersion. Anything in between feels like novelty and lacks authenticity[00:09:15] "The reason why it doesn't always win their wallet share is because economics still matter. But if there's a great desire for it... if a brand or retailer can get it right and enable it, there's a big opportunity there because they're helping consumers live those aspirational values." – Melissa[00:14:59] "Three out of four... want to be co-creators and collaborators in the brand journey. Store design, product customization... but you don't see it often in store design, I think... there's a real opportunity because you're getting validation buy in." – Melissa[00:28:30] "You have to have a team... you have to always understand the zeitgeist and how generations are evolving... because it's not a one-size-fits-all answer that's going to remain static." – Melissa[00:38:36] "What about it is going to feel more ethereal and more immersive... What are you giving people? Why are they getting out of their house? Why are they getting out of their phone? Why do they feel like they have to engage with this physical experience?" – MelissaIn-Show Mentions:New 2025 Gen Z ResearchOur Upcoming Webinar with MG2 AdvisoryThe Pop-Up Paradigm bookRetail Refined podcastMG2 AdvisoryAssociated 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!