In our biggest episode of the year, we explore seismic shifts coming in 2025: from the return of Gen X leadership to a new wave of American counterculture. We revisit our eerily accurate 2024 predictions while laying out bold forecasts for retail consolidation, AI evolution, and the changing media landscape. Plus, we dive deep into why Google might be poised for a massive comeback and how Walmart is transforming into a media empire."Quantum Intelligence & Objective Truth": Key Moments from Our 2025 PredictionsOn Taste & Truth (13:12) - "I believe that taste is the unique ability to recognize objective truth in situations where subjectivity reigns supreme." - BrianThe Future of Retail (34:50) - "In the retail sector, we will see larger holdcos start to downsize by breaking off individual pieces into smaller entities so they can reorganize and pass regulatory muster when selling divisions later." - PhillipHardware Renaissance (54:41) - "The excitement around content actually represents a deeper desire within people for well-designed, bespoke hardware technology." - BrianUrban Transport Evolution (1:39:14) - "eVTOL will be a huge tech winner in 2025, creating a paradigm shift in urban transport - starting as the luxury option Uber envisioned in 2017." - PhillipPolitical Realignment (1:59:00) - "There's something latent here around realignment in how people think about the political spectrum post-second Trump presidency. Many political orphans, both right and left, don't know where they fit." - BrianThe Innovation Paradox (2:18:43) - "When solving problems, we inevitably miss the new problems our solutions will create. It's easy to walk into dystopia thinking you're walking into utopia." - BrianAssociated Links:Heading to NRF? Come celebrate the launch of our 2025 print journal, LORE with us on Tuesday, January 14! Register here.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!

This year was a great one for the Future Commerce podcast. We vision-casted with fellow futurists at exclusive events across the nation, launched podcast specials like Spooky Commerce and FC Radio Theater, and were joined on the podcast by many of our industry muses, including Kickstarter’s Yancey Strickler and Walmart’s Justin Breton. We’ve rounded up our 2024 highlight reel in one year-end finale episode. All featured episodes linked below.The Good, the Spooky, and the VisionaryFeatured Episodes:When Technology Changes, Context Changes (February 6, 2024)You Can Buy Haunted Dolls on eBay (October 11)After Dark: Luddite Luxury, Acorn-Based Economies, Starbucks Star Days as Economic Indicator (February 21, 2024)The Tyranny of Visibility (February 13, 2024)DECODED: Polymaths and Philosophers (May 13, 2024)Building Culturally Intelligent Brands (May 17)What is Futureproof for Gen Alpha? (June 7, 2024)Don’t Say Metaverse (August 23)How Liquid Death is Murdering Marketing (July 7)The Dark Forest of Creative Capital (December 6)Associated 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!

Introducing a Future Commerce Radio Theater production: A Day in the Life of Nana Alexa, an original story by Erin DaCruz. Performed for radio by Joseph Discher and Leonor Woodworth. Voice production by Whole Story Studio.A Day in the Life of Nana Alexa can be found in the Muses journal, available for purchase at shop.futurecommerce.com. Timecodes:[00:02:28] Time of day – 5:45[00:04:01] Time of day – 6:22[00:05:20] Time of day – 8:17[00:07:02] Time of day – 10:00[00:07:46] Time of day – 10:36[00:09:05} Time of day – 12:02[00:09:21] Time of day – 12:10[00:10:38] Time of day – 16:28[00:11:56] Time of day – 17:37[00:12:25] Time of day – 19:30[00:13:07] Time of day – 20:19[00:13:46] Time of day – 22:12[00:16:15] Time of day – 5:45Associated Links:Enjoy A Day in the Life of Nana Alexa in print: Order the Muses journalGet your copy of the Archetypes journalCheck 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!

Introducing a Future Commerce Radio Theater production: The Wrong Part, an original story by Brian Lange. Performed for radio by Joseph Discher. Voice production by Whole Story Studio.The Wrong Part can be found in the Muses journal, available for purchase at shop.futurecommerce.com. Stay tuned for our upcoming radio theater readings: A Day in the Life of Nana Alexa by Erin DaCruz.Timecodes:[00:00:19] Act 1[00:11:35] Act 2Associated Links:Enjoy The Wrong Part in print: Order the Muses journalGet your copy of the Archetypes journalCheck 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!

Introducing a Future Commerce Radio Theater production: Dissociating at Costco, an original story by Brian Lange. Performed for radio by Joseph Discher. Voice production by Whole Story Studio.Dissociating at Costco can be found in the Archetypes journal, available for purchase at shop.futurecommerce.com. Stay tuned for our upcoming radio theater readings: A Day in the Life of Nana Alexa by Erin DaCruz, and The Hardest Part by Brian Lange.Timecodes:[00:00:20] Chapter 1[00:08:19] Chapter 2[00:17:45] Chapter 3[00:26:43] EpilogueAssociated Links:Enjoy Dissociating at Costco in print: Order the Archetypes journalGet your copy of the Muses journalCheck 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!

In this engaging discussion, Yancey Strickler, co-founder of Kickstarter and creator of Metalabel, shares his vision for a future where artists lead society. He argues that in a few decades, creatives will not just influence culture but also control capital. Yancey highlights the current exclusion of artists from capitalism and the need for a supportive structure to empower them. He discusses the innovative MetaLabel platform and a new project aimed at transforming the creative economy, making it a space where artists thrive and are fairly compensated.

Join us at the final events of the year! All of our events can be found at futurecommerce.com/eventsDecember 9: Future Commerce LIVE at The MooreRSVP: Apply to attend hereDecember 11: Commerce Conversations At Sea 2.0RSVP: Apply to attend here

Retail and customer experience expert Kate Fannin brings brands down to earth for a living, driven by her consulting mantra, “People buy things; they pay for experiences.” Drawing from her career journey across iconic brands like Gap, Nordstrom, and Estée Lauder, Kate offers insightful strategies for curating meaningful customer connections that make even online shopping feel like window shopping in your favorite small town.“The Invitation to Come and Stay Awhile”Key takeaways:Human connection never went out of style, even as digital capabilities flourish.If a brand’s technology isn’t solving a pain point, they should ask: is that technology enhancing customer experience or force-following a trend?[00:11:00] "What we’ve lost in digital is the invitation to come and stay awhile." – Phillip Jackson[00:14:00] "There’s no such thing as drive-through luxury." – Brian Lange[00:17:00] "Every brand needs to ask: What does it take to bring the customer back?" – Kate Fannin[00:40:00] "Can you have human engagement at scale? Not the same as me shopping with Jackie in Cold Spring…So AI has its place, but you can’t just peanut butter it across everything." – Kate Fannin[00:42:00] "People buy things, but they pay for experiences." – Kate FanninAssociated Links:Connect with Kate at Kate Fannin ConsultingConnect with Kate on LinkedInCheck 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!Kate is a "consummate consumer" and channel-agnostic "Retail Realist" -For over two decades, she has worked in marketing, retail, and IT, including 15+ years in luxury fashion, and beauty. She has held various leadership roles at Estee Lauder Companies, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Gap, Inc. Her passion is evaluating the consumer experience, from product and packaging to elevated, immersive "phygital" engagement programs to ensure that the customer is the top priority!‍Kate has an MBA from the University of Illinois, and a BBA from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX, both in Marketing.

We are joined by the brilliant Jacob Matson, Developer Advocate at Mother Duck, to discuss the new frontier of data application, the evolution of computing, and Brian’s taste in wine. Get nerdy with us and learn about the unlimited potential for customized consumer experiences powered by advanced databases and more tech forecasts – brought to you by a frontline data expert. Augmenting Aesthetics, from Fine Wine to Interior DesignKey takeaways:[00:25:46] “Our hardware is scaling faster than we can create data, and that’s changing how we think about software.” –Jacob[00:23:54] “If everyone’s buying the same canned software, we’ll converge on the same experiences—and that sounds terrible.” –Jacob[00:29:00] “It's not that we were necessarily doing things the wrong way in the past…we came up against the limitations of the technology that was available to us, whether it be cost or speed.” –Brian[00:37:19] “SQL might just be the lingua franca that bridges the gap between business users, developers, and AI.” –Phillip[00:50:27] “Imagine encoding all your knowledge and taste into a bot—your brand's experience could truly feel unique.” –Jacob[00:52:21] “People are gonna have to get used to technology having a perspective on what things might look like, and some level of confidence around that perspective.” –Brian[00:55:52] “Things are getting easier, and software is finally starting to work for us instead of against us.” –JacobAssociated Links:Learn more about Mother DuckFollow Jacob Matson on TwitterCheck 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!

Jack Kavanagh of Shopanova joins us to share his unique perspective on cutting through the noise of marketing fads and focusing on strategies that truly drive growth. From balancing trends with long term strategies to harnessing the power of tools like Triple Whale’s Sonar for precise ad targeting, we dive deep into the realities of scaling eCommerce businesses in 2024. Discover how agility, better data segmentation, and a holistic approach to metrics can revolutionize your business.Don’t Miss the Forest for the TreesKey takeaways:Not all data points deserve attention—focus on those tied to measurable outcomes, like revenue and customer growth, rather than vanity metrics.Tools like Sonar by Triple Whale empower businesses to manage data and ad performance efficiently without expensive expertise.[05:50] "Sometimes you miss the forest for the trees. Focus on connecting people with a product that improves their lives." – Jack[13:30] "Brand owners have been burnt by marketing gurus just like Facebook moms have been burnt by fad supplements." – Jack"[00:24:14] People go after their biceps hard, but by the time they've got them, it's over. It's all about calves now. What really matters is a healthy body." – Brian[34:30] "The allure of tools like Sonar is they solve complex problems hands-free. That’s where advertising is now." – JackAssociated Links:Learn more about Sonar, Triple Whale’s Meta integrationCheck 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!