Future Commerce

This week, we’re live-reacting to battles across culture. It’s DeepSeek vs. OpenAI, Millennials vs. Gen X, and Starbucks vs. Sharpies (Sharpies won). PLUS: The Flappy Bird effect drives an aftermarket of devices with TikTok access, yuppie culture booms, and Waymo strikes again. The Other Side of Headless CommerceKey takeaways:DeepSeek’s Disruption – A powerful, cheap, open-source AI from China that is sending shockwaves through the industry, challenging Nvidia’s dominance and raising economic concerns.The Death of Loss Leaders? – AI optimization could make it easier for consumers to game retail pricing, forcing businesses to rethink discounts and marketing tactics.Tech Arms Race – The U.S.-China AI competition is accelerating, with implications for policy, economy, and innovation.The Generational Cycle – Are Millennials the new Boomers? Phillip and Brian discuss how attitudes shift over time.TikTok Bans and Black Markets – The aftermarket for phones with TikTok pre-installed mirrors the Flappy Bird phenomenon.“If someone was able to optimize their life so that friction was removed, it would break the system.” – Phillip“This is ground zero of something huge. The AI game just changed overnight.” – Phillip“The best defense is to flood the zone. The moment you try to contain something, you lose control.” – Brian“The return of yuppies proves that history doesn’t just repeat itself—it evolves.” – Phillip“Technology enabled back.” – BrianLinks:In-show mention: The Cruel Kids Table, New York MagazineIn-show mention: TimesNowNews: Phones with TikTok Pre-Installed Selling for $25,000 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 episode of Future Commerce is brought to you by Future Commerce Plus and our sponsors Omnisend and MotionApp.

“There is nothing but micro trends these days. Sometimes, things bubble up, and they capture the imagination of pop culture…but then they last for a really short time. In that environment, how do you really set yourself up to influence culture?” In this week’s episode, Ana Andjelic graces our show with breakthrough advice from her latest book, Hitmakers: How Brands Influence Culture. Discover the secrets of updating heritage brands, keys to transporting customers into imaginative worlds, and how to amplify microtrends to position your brand within cornerstone cultural narratives.  Architects of the Identity EconomyKey takeaways:Reverse-Engineering Hits: The concept of "hit-making" is about creating micro-trends and amplifying them through culture to align with the zeitgeist and resonate with a brand’s audience.Capturing Connection: Modern brands are focusing on attention and engagement as measures of success, recognizing that loyalty stems from deeper interactions beyond purchases.Brands as Cultural Contributors: Successful brands become part of a larger cultural narrative, contributing to concepts like happiness (Coca-Cola) or creativity (Apple).[00:6:34] - “As human beings, we never make decisions in isolation. We are always influenced by what we read, see, listen to, and each other. So in a sense, all of those interactions are narratives or they're fibers of the narrative.” - Ana[00:29:27] - “You have to be both sensitive to the zeitgeist and cultures, but also stay true to that innovativeness of those brands because all those founders did create something that didn't exist before.” - Ana[00:31:01] - “There's actually a transforming, so taking one form and putting it into a new context, which is how myth begins. It's actually at the moment of transformation.” - Brian[00:35:00] - “There is time and place for everything. Performance marketing works really well with brand marketing, but demand is created by brand marketing. Demand is harvested by performance marketing.” - AnaAssociated Links:Buy Hitmakers on AmazonSubcribe to Ana’s Substack for access to the Hitmakers podcast and moreCheck 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 FREE PREVIEW of the After Dark is brought to you by Future Commerce Plus!Join today and receive access to ad-free and bonus content from Future Commerce. futurecommerce.com/plusWe're covering the first 100 Days of the New Commerce Department: what trade and tariff policies are up Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's sleeve? PLUS: We dig into TikTok's dizzying fake-out, Doji's mystifying deepfake try-on tech, and the long-awaited launch of the 2025 Future Commerce Annual Journal, LORE. Episode LinksPreorder LOREExplore Doji: Doji AppWatch the Head and Shoulders video from Veritasium we geeked out aboutFor bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more, join  Future Commerce Plus.

In this landmark discussion from NRF 2025, we lay out our theory of commerce's next evolutionary leap: the necessary fusion of human and artificial intelligence in digital spaces. As today's retailers hastily construct separate domains for silicon and carbon-based shoppers, we explore why this well-intentioned bifurcation may be precisely the wrong approach. From Salesforce's stumbling first steps with Agent Force to NVIDIA's more integrated vision, we examine how commerce might pioneer a symbiotic digital future. PLUS: Our 2025 journal, LORE, makes its debut!Key Narratives:The Evolution of Digital Agency: Tracing the path from simple chatbots to truly agentic AI, and why the distinction matters.Biological Precedent as Digital Prophecy: How the coexistence of early human species might inform our approach to human-AI integration.The Attention Arbitrage: Why AI agents represent not just tools, but extensions of human cognitive capacity.Beyond the ‘Agentic Ghetto’: The case for unified digital architectures that serve both silicon and carbon-based users.The Memory Migration: How technology has already transformed human cognition, from oral histories to cloud storage.Essential Quotes:{00:23:00} "When we've talked about agents and bots and how you're gonna have your own assistance, we're talking about consumers... [The industry is] thinking about it from a very different angle than the people that are trying to sell the software right now." - Brian{00:25:31} "This is kind of like homo sapien and Neanderthal having to coexist... one advanced form and one less advanced form actually having functional tools and functional societies and functional coexistence together." - Phillip{00:28:55} "Written language allowed us to move from having to memorize things and be able to recall them from ourselves to having them available to quote. We actually exported our brains into books." - Brian{00:31:44} "The last thing we want on planet earth is to create a non-visual [space] in the ether for it to go purchase that isn't a thing that a human could actually go... The functional web needs to stay functional for humans and for bots to coexist in." - PhillipThe Future Commerce Perspective:This episode challenges conventional wisdom about AI integration, suggesting that our current trajectory toward segregated experiences misses a crucial evolutionary opportunity. Through the lens of NRF 2025's innovations and stumbles, we explore how commerce might pioneer a more symbiotic digital future—one where the distinction between human and artificial intelligence becomes not a wall, but a bridge.Associated Links:Order LORE on MetalabelThe Attention Economy (August 2, 2019)Your Body Is A Dataland (August 1, 2017)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!

Dive into the intriguing contrast between in-person shopping experiences and the rise of AI-driven online retail. The discussion highlights the loneliness epidemic tied to modern consumerism and the push for genuine human connection. Explore the surprising growth in holiday sales alongside the impact of bot technology on shopping behavior. Discover the concept of time capsules as a means of cultural preservation, while also examining the ethical implications of AI in personal engagement. A fascinating reflection on the future of retail awaits!

Explore the seismic shifts expected by 2025, including the rise of Gen X leadership and the emergence of American counterculture. Discover bold predictions for retail consolidation, AI advancements, and the evolution of urban transport with eVTOL technology. Delve into the potential resurgence of Google and how Walmart is transforming into a media powerhouse. Lastly, reflect on societal polarization and the dynamic landscape of branding, as both nostalgia and innovation shape consumer engagement.

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!