Future Commerce

Live from Shoptalk 2019, there's a lot to say about brands, Levi's keynote, and puppies which seem to be everywhere! Future Commerce Director of Content Lianne Hikind joins the show, and clienteling is a major theme at Shoptalk sessions. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Phillip and Brian podcast live for the third time from #Shoptalk2019! FC's Director of Content Lianne Hikind joins the show Why does anybody think giving free haircuts at a conference is a good idea? Shoptalk launches Retail Club to help retailers and merchants network. Boring brands continue to die off because they are not engaging with customers. Trouble With Tribbles: Payment Providers in 2019: Paypal Credit is a familiar face on the Shoptalk marketplace floor. Brian regrets not getting a free haircut at Shoptalk, though why there are free haircuts at a conference is confusing, and slightly unsanitary. Maybe the free haircuts are connected to the abundance of payment providers because all the money that people would have spent on a haircut, or makeup, they could spend on their payment solution. Are Shoptalk attendees channeling Alex Honnold from Free Solo? Future Commerce's Resident Puppy Analyst: Shoptalk Shop Talk: Phillip points out that there are puppies everywhere at Shoptalk, it's true, and it's fantastic. Lianne joins the show to bring some millennial perspective and literally drops her mic. Stylitics, a B2B outfit, and styling technology company was impressive, their new feature of allowing the customer to curate outfits in-store is going to change the in-store shopping game. Phillip uses the term hornswoggled, which apparently makes him old. One of the best sessions at Shoptalk was Marc Rosen EVP at Levi's keynote: and he was wearing Levi's jeans which made the session all the better. Levi's is re-inventing itself by offering customers customizable options, which in the era of personalization is an excellent idea. Levi's is a pretty ancient brand, starting out over 165 years ago, by creating better jeans for miners to wear while they worked, the original customer feedback loop. Lunch Tables Are Lit at Shoptalk: Connecting With Brands Over Bread: One of the best places to meet exciting brands at Shoptalk? The breakfast and lunch tables. Phillip had the opportunity to chat with Adidas Speed Factory, Adidas had a very similar story to Levi's in regards to the evolution in the supply chain, and now they're making products closer to fulfillment, cutting down on the time it takes to make each product. Brian and Lianne had a long conversation with Flowers Foods, who have acquired a new line of gluten-free bread, which will save Lianne from missing out on bread. And there is no better way of getting Shoptalk attendees to connect, then over food and coffee. And a company that is not to be named was overheard talking about how GDPR is already causing pain for U.S based brands. Which answers the question as to whether GDPR will have an impact on large companies, because the multiple companies heard talking about pain points, are not small business. Why Isn't Anyone Talking About Voice? In the Future Commerce pre-Shoptalk show, Phillip questioned why almost no one was talking about voice-technology at the show. Brian says that the capability for voice tech isn't there yet and that it's not conducive to commerce. There are no retailers displaying voice technology at Shoptalk. So what is the future of voice tech, and how will companies implement it into existing strategy? One brand that is talking about voice is KFC, who we heard from at Future Stores Miami, but they're using it to enhance the experience of their employees. Retailers Agree: 2019 is The Year of Clientelling: The founders of Shoptalk just announced Retail Club, which is a year-round localized club as a way for retailers and merchants to meet, discuss, and network. Hopefully, this will be a great way to build out localized communities. "Part of the future of commerce is making sure that retail becomes a more sustainable place for people to work and grow." Brian caught Next Generation Shopping Experiences with Emar Malls and Rent the Runway, in which interviewer Ian Friedman from Goldman Sachs Investment Partners questioned the panelists about clientelling, which we all know is the theme of 2019. E-commerce providers are incredibly tribalistic: Why? Phillip points out that while e-commerce providers are tribalistic, customers themselves don't care which provider they're using as long as those platforms provide the needed services. Customers care about having a joyful experience, and that doesn't include search and browse anymore. Levi's is bringing customers an experience they'll be able to appreciate, bringing the tailor shop into the center of the store, in order to have a conversation with every customer. And digital retailers are having a brick-and-mortar renaissance, bringing customers into the actual conversation. Store Closings: Boring Brands Continue to Die Off: One major theme at Shoptalk is the announcements regarding store closings. So who's dying... cough closing? Victoria Secret, Elf, Gap, Tesla, etc., with over 5500 store closings projected this year, and it's only March! And while some retailers are liquidating their retail space, in another corner retail space is being re-purposed. Brian loves talking about Elon Musk. Will Lyft and Uber start demanding government subsidies in 5-10 years? And Walmart who has decided not to be boring had an excellent 4th Quarter. And somehow Best Buy has survived the "retail apocalypse" and is thriving, could anyone have predicted that? The "retail apocalypse" is as we all know, just the end of boring retail. 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.

Lively CEO and Founder Michelle Cordeiro Grant sits down with us at Shoptalk 2019 to talk about how they're using community to drive commerce in an authentic way - and in so doing creating entire households of customers by partnering and empowering women who are "Wild at Heart, with Boss Brains". Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Brian and Phillip are interviewing Michelle Cordeiro Grant, CEO, and Founder of Lively live at #Shoptalk2019! Lively is more than just a lingerie brand, it's a community of women who are passionate and purpose driven. Does everybody need an emerald bralette with a stripe: Maybe? The intimates industry is valued at more than 13B a year, how does Lively differentiate itself?   The Lively community has produced seven companies by merely bringing together entrepreneurial women with similar value systems. From Concept to Customer: How Lively Came to Be: Michelle Cordeiro Grantt CEO and Founder of Lively, says she basically grew up in retail, starting at Federated Merchandising Group, working with brands like Macy's, before eventually landing at Victoria Secret where she spent most of her tenure. Something that really intrigued Michelle about Victoria Secret was the story behind the brand, and also the fact that while the lingerie-intimates industry is worth 13B per year, Victoria Secret owns 35% of that pie, which is pretty insane. This start-up was not going to be just another lingerie brand in the space, Michelle wanted Lively to be a brand that would represent individuality, passion, and purpose. Which is precisely what Lively is doing, and the brand has created a community and brand experience that encourages women to be powerful and purposeful. Want vs. Need: Lively is Changing the Conversation Around Buying Bras: Why is the conversation around bras always about a replacement? When it comes to clothing or shoes, most women buy more than they "absolutely need," so why are bras always placed in a need-only category? Michelle makes the point that women have two types of bras they generally own, the really comfortable and yet hideous day-to-day bras, and the really beautiful semi-artwork bras that are horrifically uncomfortable, and Lively is aiming to change that narrative on lingerie. The focus of Lively's offerings is to offer beautifully crafted pieces (not only regular bras and undies they also sell swimwear and active bras) that are actually comfortable enough for every day.   Really cool feature alert: 70% of Lively's bras don't have any underwire, which is excellent especially if women want to be comfortable and well, breath. And since sizing is so important to so many, Lively started out offering 22 sizes, but now offers 30, with plans to go even beyond that. Community Driven Commerce: More Than Just a Brand: Brian asks how Lively is adjusting to the increased options in this market, especially since they were early adopters. Michelle makes it clear that Lively began, and continues its growth through community. Lively currently has 65,000 ambassadors all throughout the world, who promote the brand, and in exchange Lively will create events around those ambassador's interests. Lively is a digitally native D2C brand but has a physical retail location on in Soho in NYC, which allows the brand to offer a genuinely omnichannel brand experience, both online and in-store. Phillip asks if Lively has a unique customer that will shop online vs. in-store, Michelle says that when customers purchase in-store, they may leave with 7-9 bras enough to replace their entire collection, while online shoppers are more cautious buying less quantity because they are trying out the product. Also, Lively has tapped into generational commerce, with mother's and daughters shopping together in-store, and entire households of women purchasing products. And the absolutely best part of Lively is that they are entirely community-centric in their merchandising choices, increasing their offerings as requested by their customers, adding swimwear, sports bras, and their motto says it all "today bras and undies, tomorrow the world. Lively is Bringing Women Together to Innovate and Create: Another way that Lively is fostering community is by actually having in-person events like "Founder Fridays," in which women entrepreneurs can come to Michelle's office and ask her all of the beginning questions that all entrepreneurs want answers to. Seven companies have been started after Lively's inception, just because of the community Lively fostered. Phillip questions what the next five years look like for Lively? "We've been very focused on long-term growth. We are very focused on retention and loyalty. Building out physical retail spaces but also leveraging community experience. Brian is so excited that in the year of clientelling Lively is working on building long term partnerships with their customers. This is especially important in a year that has seen record store closings for other.. less relationship... focused brands, like Victoria's Secret. So what can the Future Commerce audience learn from Michelle, and Lively? Michelle says that Lively has built its brand around the community, and they want to break down the glass wall that sees women-owned business only receiving 2% of VC funding.   "When women are given the opportunity to lead, the things they will create will be logical and practical and amazing." 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

CVS launches "Beauty Mark," its truth-in-advertising campaign; while AI is generating plausibly "real faces." Meanwhile, companies like SuperPersonal are putting customers into model try-on videos. Have "deep fakes" - AI algorithms that map faces and micro-expressions onto stock footage - come to retail? How can they help? How can they hurt? Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Brian and Phillip are podcasting live from #Shoptalk2019! Deep fakes are getting a little too real to be comfortable. Personal body mapping for try-on is becoming a reality. Can companies figure out how to keep their data in-house? Who's Waldo: Can Humans Even Spot Deep Fakes Anymore? Deep fakes are becoming more and more realistic, and it's getting creepy. Future Commerce was ahead of the curve in starting to discuss the phenomenon of deep fakes, which became a buzzword in 2017 when anonymous Reddit users began to use AI to map video streams of celebrities faces onto pornographic images. Deep fakes have moved beyond the original use-case, and have also been used in political situations, which can have serious implications, especially as deep fakes are getting harder and harder to distinguish. Also: an effort to combat photoshopped images and promote body positivity, CVS has launched a truth-in-advertising campaign called Beauty Mark, that puts a watermark on all untouched photos, and forces outside brands to identify any untouched images in their promotional campaigns. There are plenty of start-ups that have sprung up around this phenomenon, one being Truepic, an image-authentication company dedicated to combatting fake social media accounts, doctored photos as well as deep fakes. Want to be even more creeped out by all of this? There's a former Uber developer who has come up with a fake-face generator, and the images are a little too close for comfort. And just in case all of this isn't bad enough, here's a "deep fake" image of Steve Buscemi's face on Scarlett Johansen's body at an award's show. Personalization in 2020: Turning Regular People Into Models: Personalization, especially in retail has become a theme of 2019, and the tech is finally catching up. Phillip says that while most virtual try on applications are not very good, Warby Parker has changed the game. Warby Parker's AR powered virtual try on is so good, it's almost like looking in a mirror, and they are using the same depth map as Apple's facial recognition software for iPhone. Another company that's working to change the virtual try-on experience is SuperPersonal, an AI-powered virtual dressing room experience that would allow retailers to "multiply e-commerce photography to account for different ethnicities, skin-colors, and age-groups, without the need to shoot multiple models". "Personalization in 2020 is the whole website is literally you". Brian makes the point that because of the last 6-8 months of advancements in AI and machine vision, models will not be needed, and will only be required as "aspirational content." Levi's New Story: From Finished Goods to Customizable Clothing: One session that was good at Shoptalk was the keynote by Marc Rosen from Levi's, in which he talked about how Levi's was going to be offering customizable jeans. This changes Levi's from a company that just sells the finished product, to one that sells unfinished products that can be customized by the customer. And this is changing Levi's entire business model because now their fulfillment centers are part of the supply chain because they are becoming part of the manufacturing process when they process these customizable goods. And Levi's has eliminated a lot of the process that used to require manual labor to increase efficiency, replacing the old methods with laser-beams and finishes. Levi's has also hired an AI officer, to get better omnichannel data on customers. How Can Companies Get to Know Their Omnichannel Customers? So because 2019 is the year of clientelling, retailers and brands are having to build relationships with their customers, and they need the data to do it. Phillip points out that the more companies aggregate the data in-house and operationalize it as a tech company, the more they will be able to figure out what works, and what doesn't. During Brian's interview with Chris Homer from thredUP, Chris mentioned that thredUP has a policy of testing internally, and figuring out what works in-house, before bringing in tools to supplement those processes. Companies need to figure out what works best for them and double down on that, and they also need to build real systems to house all the data that is collected, in order to utilize it effectively. There's so much more to see and experience at Shoptalk2019! Stay tuned for more insights, and highlights from the show! Also, let us know, what was your favorite part of #Shoptalk2019 so far? 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.

Recorded live at eTail West 2019 - Brian sits down with Chris Homer of thredUP to talk about how data is assisting the "treasure hunt" in the secondhand retail market space. thredUP uses data, events, and preferences to help their customers find wardrobe pieces they'll love, and they use technology to assist them in having joyful experiences over and over. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Brian interviews Chris Homer, CTO of thredUp, live from eTailWest! The second-hand market is growing exponentially faster than legacy retail. Thredup is partnering with the supplier, has increased the amount of apparel in their lineup. How has thredUP transitioned into a data-driven culture? thredUP is allowing its customers to treasure hunt under supervision, using data to increase their customer's experience and the chance of satisfaction in purchasing. thredUP: The Story Behind The Online Thrift Store: Chris Homer explains how thredUP started as a solution to James Reinhart's frustration with having clothes in his closet and yet nothing to wear. The store started as a peer-to-peer platform for men's shirts and has since expanded to include clothing, accessories, and shoes for women and children. In 2012 the company decided to do more work with the supplier, to actually increase the amount of apparel in circulation, now thredUP puts over 30,000+ items online every single day. thredUP accepts over 35,000 brands, which Brian points out is more brands then any traditional retailer would ever touch. Fun Fact: Second-Hand is Growing at Nine Times The Rate of Legacy Retail: The resell or second-hand market is growing incredibly fast, with thredUP's 2018 retail report pointing to resell growing at nine times the rate of regular purchasing. Chris says that thredUP has been compiling these reports for 2-3 years and is the result of internal and external data from the company's database and users. One thing that the thredUP team was amazed by is how many of their customers were shopping secondhand for the very first time through the platform, and this was made possible because of thredUP's emphasis on quality control. Another fun fact from the 2018 report: The resell market is expected to hit 41B by 2022, according to thredUP CEO James Reinhart. thredUP vs. Poshmark: Saving Customers Time and Patience: So what separates thredUP from other resell platforms like Poshmark? Well since Poshmark is a peer-to-peer platform, it requires sellers and buyers to be incredibly involved in the entire process. thredUP allows for users to clean out their closets and send items directly to the company in a convenient bag, and since so many brands are accepted this increases the possibility of items being accepted. One of the most intriguing things about thredUP is the actual system that items go through as they are processed, with a mix of both manual and automatic processes to ensure that only the best quality items are accepted and that sizing is accurate. And speaking of manual processes, each item that thredUp accepts is manually measured to ensure accuracy in sizing. Data, And More Data: thredUP's Data-Driven Culture Yields Actual Results: Chris points to thredUP changing the dynamic of their teams as one of the hallmarks of their success. thredUP teams were shifted from functional siloed teams to cross-functional teams focused on business goals. There's a reason this is so helpful: When teams are centered around goals as opposed to specific fields like marketing or engineering it brings ownership and accountability to the team itself. This approach also gives teams multiple options for how to extract and modify data that is actually relevant. Chris also mentions that while having these teams focused on singular goals may lead to more messiness, it encourages more creativity and execution, as long as regular maintenance is performed. Brian points out that data collection and implementation is not a technology problem; it's a people problem. Without the right team structure and culture, relevant data won't be utilized properly. thredUP is Making Thrift Shopping More Fun Through Personalization: One of the pillars thredUP operates under is: "Giving a personalized and convenient treasure hunt to your customer." Brian loved garage sales as a kid, thredUP is giving its customer an opportunity to both discover items that they'll love through a massive assortment and is making new purchase recommendations based on previous customer purchasing. As Brian points out, this is a form of guided commerce and will help customers make choices based on thredUP's actual personalization of data. So what are your thoughts on Secondhand Commerce? Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving super fast and Future Commerce is moving faster!

Brian sits down at eTail West 2019 with Ingrid Milman, eCommerce Strategist for Ann Inc (Ann Taylor | LOFT | Lou & Grey). Ingrid talks about customer expectations in the digital age, clienteling as a culture, and how to lace kindness into a brand culture from top to bottom - from employee interaction to customer experience. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Brian interviews Ingrid Milman the Director of E-Commerce and Digital Marketing at Ann Inc. at eTail West 2019. Ann Inc really does have a brand offering for every type of woman. Brian wants Ann to bring their retail expertise to men's clothing Will consumers begin to treat physical products like digital options? From UX Design to Customer Experience: Ingrid Joins Ann Inc: Director of Digital Marketing & E-Commerce at ANN INC., Ingrid Millman, actually started her career as a UX designer at Goldman Sachs. After finding out that she didn't enjoy financial services, Ingrid spent a year in Spain studying art history, after which she moved back to the U.S and took a job with Este Lauder Companies as an e-commerce product manager, transitioning from data and UX design to a client facing position. At Estée Lauder Companies Inc for six years Ingrid worked on several big-brand partnerships, like the first partnership between MAC and Rihanna, which is ridiculously cool. Eventually moving on to Ann Inc. a company that Ingrid says is unique in that they serve women at every stage of life. A Brand For Every Stage of Life: Fit, Fabric, and Finances: Ingrid explains that Ann has built out relevant brands for women of all ages, and budgets. Ann Taylor which is marketed towards women who are their 30's and 40's and are already established in their careers (Ann Taylor also has a fabulous shoe selection). Loft is a younger, more casual, but still appropriate for work brand, which can also be transitioned to evening wear. And Lou and Grey, which is Ann Taylor's younger millennial sister brand is highly focused on fit, fabric (everything is super soft), and comfort. Ann Inc. also has Loft Outlets and Ann Taylor Factory Stores for more budget-conscious customers. Brian wants Ann to apply their retail expertise and selection to men's clothing. It's The Year of Clientelling: How Ann Inc. Brands Are Stepping Up Ingrid says that going forward brands are going to have to be incredibly customer-centric, centering their offerings around solving problems that customers have as opposed to focusing only on color pallets and mannequin outfitting. Brian loves this and points out that too many brands are focusing on color schemes as opposed to figuring out how to solve their customer's problems. Also, as Future Commerce pointed out in our prediction episode: It is, in fact, the year of "clienteling." So how does Ann Inc. hone in on clientelling? Well, one way is through their customer service experience. Ingrid describes how all Loft sales associates (in all 500 retail locations) are trained to be incredibly friendly to not only customers but to each other, creating a relaxed, and helpful environment for customers to shop in. "It's all about making fashion more accessible and breaking down those frustration barriers." And that easing of barriers to entry includes Ann Inc stores offering additional sizes beyond traditional sizing, including petite, tall, and plus-sizes:Ann Taylor Sizing Charts . An Unlimited Sustainable Closet: How Ann Taylor is Stepping Into The Subscription Space: Ann Taylor's newest initiative: Infinite Style by Ann Taylor, a subscription-esque service that allows you to build a rented wardrobe, and then exchange the items for new pieces. This service is so incredible because it allows a customer to essentially build an entire wardrobe around a season or weight loss, or changing trends. Infinite Style would be great for women who love new clothes, and staying on top of trends but have limited closet space. The service seems like an expanded single-brand Rent The Runway. Brian says that this is the future of clothes and that he wants this same initiative for men's clothing, Ingrid says that the future of retail is significantly more gender neutral and that retailers need to place more of an emphasis on fit and fabric in the long term. In the short term, retailers really need to focus on building out solutions t that are implementable. We enjoyed getting to speak with Ingrid, and hearing how Ann Inc is stepping up to build out a positive experience for their customers! 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.

Shoptalk 2019 is mere weeks away, and so we take the opportunity to look through the brands, the speakers, and the agenda! ALSO: Is voice dead? Why don't we talk about failure? What were the key takeaways from the 2017 and 2018 editions of Shoptalk and what are we hoping to learn in 2019? Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Phillip and Brian preview Shoptalk 2019. Levi's takes a second shot at an IPO, and it's going to a pretty big deal. Brian is ridiculously excited to see Shaggy. Phillip wants a Canada Goose freezer-esque dressing room for his house. Why isn't anyone talking about voice anymore? Pre-Shoptalk Shop Talk: So Many Speakers, So Little Time: Phillip is now officially #ShoptalkPhillip Brian and Phillip are pretty excited about Shoptalk's entire agenda. Everything that has been talked about on FC for the last two years was featured at Shoptalk2017. One panel Phillip really wants to see is the Swarovski panel on "The New Digital Innovation." Brian says that Shoptalk has so many panels and breakout sessions that Shoptalk FOMO is pretty much guaranteed. Gabrielle Chou from Allure Systems will be speaking at Shoptalk, Brian had the opportunity to talk with her at Shop.Org, where she had a lot of fascinating things to say about body data. Matthew Shay from NRF will also be speaking, which is interesting when you consider that NRF is a lobbying organization, and many of the retailers whose interests he would represent will be present at Shoptalk. ###Levi's Second Stab at IPO: Hopefully Better Than The Jacquard: Mark Rosen EVP and President of Direct-to-Consumer at Levis will be at Shoptalk speaking about what brands will look like in the future. And with Levi's on the verge of IPO, Brian is curious about what Levi's will do brand-wise post IPO. Phillip says he could do an entire show just about how much he knows about Levi's. One great thing about Levi's is how omnichannel they are, and how they are everywhere a consumer wants to be: Levis are being sold in Nordstrom, and in Costco (which is cool, kind of), and consumers can purchase straight from the source. Super cool project alert: Levi's is doing a lot of cool retail tech innovating, using laser beams for a custom fit. Levi's also has a fabulous sizing chart, that's consistent throughout purchasing locations. Cold Weather Aspiration Retail: Puffy Jackets in Palm Beach? Canada Goose is Phillip's breakout brand for 2018, even though he'll never actually need a puffy jacket in South Florida's weather. Brian, however, has outgrown his Amazon bought coat because Seattle is freezing, and may actually need a Canada Goose jacket. Is Phillip close to installing a Canada Goose-esque freezer dressing room in his house in a new level of experiential retail? Is there a message in all this about how consumers buy things they don't need all the time because there are so many options? Retail Conferences Need to Add a "Spectacular Failures" Track: With all the talk about what brands are doing right, why is there not a track at retail conferences for the failures that brands have had in the process? Phillip and Brian point out that failure is so valuable because it allows retailers to learn from each other's mistakes. Will FailureCon2019 hosted by Future Commerce be a thing? Holding discussions about failure is especially important this year, as so many well-known retailers are going out of business like Payless, ToysRus and eventually Sears. Pretty much everyone would attend such a conference, but who would sign up to speak? What Will The Next Generation of Tech Look Like? Kroger has announced their own payments system, as brands move forward with bringing payments into their eco-systems. There are only two panels on voice at Shoptalk, is this because voice is not being utilized, or because it's so commonly used that it's just part of mobile strategy now? What is Brian most excited to see at Shoptalk? Apparently the performance by Shaggy. Phillip poses the question to Brian as to whether anything new will be unveiled at the conference? At Shoptalk 2018 Google laid out a step-by-step plan for how merchants could leverage Google to sell more. On Twitter Steve Dresser makes a point about retail conferences: Retailers are very focused on long-term tech like AI and VR, but less of a focus is placed on mid-term technology that is easier to implement like electronic shelf labels. Brian is also really excited to see what the next generation of tech will look like, as a lot of the companies from this show will be the future of retailers. Will you be at Shoptalk2019? Feel free to say hi! 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.

"Controlling my data will be a fundamental human right in the 2050's" Phillip and Brian recap Future Stores Miami and get deep into futurism on what the future of humanity and commerce looks like as we evolve from Homo Erectus, to Homo Sapien and finally to Homo Deus. Main Takeaways: Future Commerce was at Future Stores Miami last week, and the content was crazy good. Stance is allowing customers all the benefits of shopping in-store, with all the convenience of checking out online. The new wave of clienteling has brands building relationships on the customer's terms. Will consumers be able to control who can use and abuse their data? In-Store Shopping & Online Checkout: An Omnichannel Marriage of Convenience: Stance, a digitally native footwear brand with physical retail stores has moved into self-checkout, but still offers regular cashier based checkout as well. Phillip is apparently anti-footwear. One of the reasons this is so cool? Because it highlights a new digitally based analog system coming to brick and mortar. So how does Stance's online checkout work? Clients can shop in-store, and then use the website to check out from their phone, using Google Pay, Apple Pay, Amazon Pay or Paypal. Is one-touch payment the future of payment methods? Stance's core brand tenant is pretty magnificent: "we exist to celebrate human originality" Modern Clientelling: Building Better Relationships With Customers: One of the best parts of Future Stores was the focus on Clientelling, which is one of the themes of 2019. How can a brand engage with their customers, in a way that is both engaging and tailored to a customer's individual preferences? Swarovski is trying new things and taking some risks in its retail stores, with their Sparkle Bar which allows for customers to engage with the products without a sales associate. And it seems that the benefits of this risky business have paid off: Swarovski is seeing purchases at higher price points, more brand engagement by customers, and customers are spending more time in Swarovski stores. Another brand trying to understand it's customers better is Kohls, who's VP of Technology Shweta Bhatia, explained two buyer personas: A customer who picks up a black basket would be a customer who wants to be left alone as they shop, and a customer who picks up a red basket who want a sales associate to engage with them. It really is all about letting a customer have the experience they want. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Brands Try Not to Be Creepy With Tech: Data is continuing to be key in mapping out client experience, and Future Stores did not disappoint in that regard, Phillip got to interact with one of the technology vendors Tout Audio a speaker array that utilizes face-tracking and customer path journey to target audio directly to individual customers. The Future Commerce team got to test out this process, because Lianne and Phillip both engaged with the speaker system, and heard entirely different things. This points to the increasing personalization that retailers have been focusing on regarding customer engagement. So how are retailers collecting and using this data? KFC and Warby Parker both had a lot to say about this. Warby Parker is collecting a lot of data from clients, like purchase history and browser history, to make suggestions to customers. And KFC is working with global wifi deployment to find out where customers are shopping when they're not at KFC (which sounds creepier then it is) to create a better in-store experience for customers. Is Data Ownership The Human Right's Issue of 2050? Data is being collected from everyone, pretty much all the time, but who has access to that data, and how will they use it? In 2018 Benedict Evans said that the term "personal data" doesn't mean anything, and really isn't quantifiable anyway. Brian says that that people are going to have to learn how to manage their data, and will have to pick and choose who can use that information and for what purpose. Phillip recommends the book Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harrar, which asks the question of what humans have evolved to become after overcoming wars and destruction and disease? And lends another question, what will commerce look like when humans live to 100 or 250 years old? 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.

Phillip and Brian deliver on their 2019 predictions - AR is here, where is it heading? Retail wages - are they rising? Brands can finally compete with Amazon - and what about Charitable Commerce? All that and more - PLUS what the "retail apocalypse" was REALLY all about. Listen now! Show Notes: Main Takeaways: It's the prediction episode, so hold on to your hats, and suspend your disbelief. 2019 is going to be one big change my mind meme. It's the "year of the customer," and retailers are starting to add value instead of deep discounts. Can Walmart overtake Amazon in online sales? Retail workers will have to adapt to a new skill set, and retail companies will have to pay their workers more. Is Apple Making All The Wrong Moves in All The Wrong Places? Phillip's first prediction for 2019? That Apple will die a slow and painful death. Apple has been making a lot of "interesting" choices lately like it's HomePod speaker system that rather resembles a roll of toilet paper. Apple seems more focused on gimmicky features like Face ID (which some people may find just slightly creepy), and on making cooler iPhones, but other companies seem to be outpacing them in the long term. And Apple products are getting harder and harder to use, and do their upgraded features on IOS really make up for the hassle? Phillip wants everyone to know he is, in fact, an Apple fanboy. Brian makes the point that one of Apple's problems is that Apple is hitting the wall regarding innovation. After a long reign is Apple just not cool enough for consumers anymore? The End of Boring Retail: The Retail Apocalypse is Still Not a Thing: At NRF Doug Stephens stated that "Millennials don't have a low attention span, they just have a higher sensitivity to things which are boring." This may finally end talks of a Retail Apocalypse because it is all about adaptability for brands, and how they can build an experience for customers in-store and online. And a lot of brands are starting to highlight what this experience should look like, Canada Goose has freezer-esque dressing rooms so that customers can test their outwear against the elements. Phillip makes it clear that he doesn't go into boring stores and a personal favorite retail experience is the coach store where a customer can watch luggage tags engraved in-store. These experiences help the customer feel like they are a part of the brand's community, and it develops a sense of familiarity between company and consumer. This next wave of in-store experience will be the Nordstroms of the world investing in technology that will assistive in the shopping experience. The Year That Amazon Has To Compete: Also The Year of Walmart: Amazon may be losing its superpower: because mid-level retailers now have the ability to make up the difference with features like two-day shipping. And as Brian points out these retailers now can build better experiences then Amazon, and offer better customer service than Amazon. And Amazon has to watch it's back when it comes to Walmart, because the big-box retailer is playing a long game. Phillip says that Walmart and Amazon have taken entirely different paths: With Amazon creating several in-house brands and marketing those pretty hard. And Walmart is buying up brands that consumers already trust, to build up credibility and sell to a new kind of customer. Also, by the numbers, Walmart is stepping it up: with 43% growth in online sales in the third quarter. Mark Lore the head of e-commerce at Walmart says that this buying up of native brands will continue. As Retail Shifts: Higher Wages For a Changing Labor Force: During the holiday season, all anybody could talk about was that there were more retail jobs than workers. And on episode 83 of Future Commerce Phillip and Brian talked about how retailers were beginning to offer incentives to current workers, and also that as retail itself changed so would the retail employee. And Brian predicts that in 2019, we are going to see a new kind of worker, with updated skills and updated wages. And according to Nikki Baird, raising wages may allow retailers to hire more experienced, more adaptable workers anyway. And as Brian points out being able to train these employees in technology and data will help workers be better ambassadors for the brands they represent. Charitable Commerce Meets Second-Hand Commerce Second-hand commerce was a significant theme in 2018, with massive investment into second-hand commerce platforms like StockX (including by SalesForce Mark Benioff). And as Phillip points out second-hand commerce may not always be about pure profit and The American Cancer Society has discovery shops where they accept donations, and all the profits go to fund cancer research. This venture is the cornerstone of charitable commerce and second-hand commerce because people feel good both donating to help with a good cause and others purchase those items knowing their money is going to help others. And second-hand commerce is undoubtedly on the rise anyway, with a Thredup report that second-hand commerce could overtake fast fashion by 2027. And with luxury goods specifically, there is a significant focus on being able to authenticate products, the Future Commerce team met Entrupy, a startup in the Start Up Zone at NRF that does just that. Repurposing Retail Space: Building Communities Around Transportation: The Virgin Group chaired by British billionaire Richard Branson invested in Brightline, a high-speed railway company that currently travels between Miami, Ft Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach in Florida. Now Brightline, itself has a unique method of creating a community around its stations, taking real-estate that Brightline owns and turning those spaces into destinations. Phillip predicts that this kind of model may set the stage for the future of travel, especially as we all stop driving cars. Airports can become favorite restaurants spots and shopping hubs, especially for people who travel frequently. And malls, which have become ghosts towns in recent decades, could fill their retail spaces by showcasing small vendors and become a hub for commuters and travelers. 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.

In this episode we bring a review of the best and brightest from the show floor at NRF 2019 - we talk Innovation Lab, "Ingredient Brands", Shoppable AR, and much more. Listen now! Main Takeaways: Phillip and Brian podcast twice live from NRF Body data is still in vogue in retail-tech company spaces, but has anyone learned to implement it properly? Want a 3D rendering of Brian's face? Take our survey. Will Walmart finally impress Gen Xers? Clothes that fit the customer, not the creator's specifications need to be the future of retail. Millennials are killing the curse of boring retail. Everything's About The Innovation Lab: NRF Edition Part 2: Brian went on a curated tour of the Innovation Lab put together by Tusk Ventures, that highlighted all the latest in retail innovation. Phillip attempts a French accent. Allure Systems (who we last saw at Shop.org) was featured in the Innovation Lab, as were a lot of other body-data focused companies, proving that body-data is still all the rage in the retail tech space. Brian notes that body-data is a consistent trend, but as of yet, retailers have struggled with application, though Amazon purchasing Body Labs for 50MM may make room for better implementation. Allure is still running their Walmart case study. And it's pretty impressive to see how their body-data technology can help to cut costs and reduce time through the use of virtual models. 2019 is Going to be All About Clienteling: The Year of The Customer: Phillip points out that long-term customer engagement used to be much simpler because luxury retailing was 30-40 year career, and retailers had actual long term relationships with their clients. Retail turnover is pretty notorious anyway. And now these roles have been so diminished, that there isn't that same connection between retailer and customer especially in luxury. One example of modern-day"clienteling" Hero, a software company that connects the sales associate with digital info and then they can feed that back up to the website. Retailers should already know this: Building relationships with your customers really is the best way to build brand loyalty. Will Walmart Become a Grown-Up Version of Itself? Walmart isn't exactly known as a luxury retailer, and it hasn't always had the best reputation. Walmart has been trying to shed it's notoriety lately though, it opened a Lord and Taylor's flagship store, featuring several more upscale brands like Lucky Jeans and Vince Camuto. Walmart has also gone on an acquisition "shopping-spree" buying up popular brands like Bonobos and Modcloth, and expanding into plus-sized fashion with Eloquii. But Phillip says Walmart may have aways to go in convincing Gen Xrs because that generation views Walmart through a specific lens, and that lens is quite dirty. But still be hopeful because Walmart's future may involve becoming what Starbucks Reserve tried to be: an ultra-niche market experience. Perhaps Walmart could be Amazon 4-Star but with their own products. And speaking of house brands: Decision Minds, another Innovation Lab favorite helps retailers to make decisions on creating house brands and white-labeling products. And Decision Minds is already working with Wayfair, which makes them officially not #vaporware. Customer Service is Everything: Can Onfleet Deliver For Retailers? Super cool service alert: "Onfleet is the last mile delivery solution for companies in food and beverage, retail, pharmacy and more". Onfleet helps Phillip and Brian compare OnFleet to other service-based companies like Uber or Lyft because it allows for retailers to know where and when their products are. And one of the reasons that Onfleet is so unique is that it helps everyone involved in the delivery process: It allows for route optimization, direct contact with drivers, and has it's own auto dispatch engine. Phillip needs an Onfleet for optimizing grocery aisle routes. Are Custom-Fit Clothes The Retail of Past and Future? With body-data tech being all the rage, and with customers starting to expect clothes that are more tailored to their preferences, perfect-fit clothes may become a reality. Future Commerce has been talking about body data for two years, But with all the focus on individuality when it comes to clothes, retailers are starting to try to pair customers with clothes that fit better. Subscription companies like Stich Fix and Trunk Club provide prospective customers with detailed questionnaires so that they can find out not only the customers measurements but also their preferences on fit, color, and personal style. Manually entering measurements may not be the best way to get an actual perfect-fit, which is why the future of subscription boxes seems to be custom-made clothes. Which is ironic, because that's how the clothing industry (or poorer people sewed their clothes at home) started anyway. All clothes (and shoes) were custom before the advent of ready-to-wear. Survival of The Fittest: Only Non-Boring Retailers Will Survive: With all of the hullabaloo about the end of retail and the retail apocalypse, there's one lesson to be learned, and it's not that retail is dead. Millennials, spend differently, and expect different things from their shopping experience, and favor the in-store experience despite being part of the digital generation. Which means that retailers will really have to step it up if they want to stay relevant. Which should really shine a light on companies like Rituals Cosmetics, and Sheetz. Phillip moderated a panel with Emily Sheetz (from Sheetz) and Marjolein Westerbeek from Ritual Cosmetics USA, two companies with a solid focus on customer experience and innovation. It's companies with that strong emphasis on building customer relationships, bringing a customer experience both in-store and online, and consistent innovation that will survive and thrive. 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.

Products that are sharable are all the rage - in part 1 of our recap of NRF we come to you live from the show floor and talk about how retailers are using customer engagement to shape how their product assortment and marketing are crafted. Listen now! Main Takeaways: Walmart is stepping up its technology game in a serious way. 2018 really was the year of open source, and sneakers, and content. Content continues to be king of community creation, and retailers are finally picking up the mantle. Behind-the-scenes ingredient brands are going mainstream A 2019 Future Commerce prediction episode is coming up: What will Philip and Brian forecast? Walmart Is Making Moves: Can They Beat Out Amazon? Walmart was well-represented at NRF by CTO Jeremy King, and it seems that Walmart is working to keep his promise (when he started at Walmart) of Walmart's tech stack becoming 100% open source. Brian mentions the-company-not-to-be-named (which starts with the letter A) less than 5 minutes into the show. Walmart Technology has come a long way, especially since they started on their acquisition shopping-spree. Brian is super excited about Walmart in every way, especially with how they are expanding their tech team by the thousands this year. In news that should shock literally no one who hasn't been living under a rock: 50% percent of all digital retail transactions in 2018 happened on Amazon. The real question remains: Who will win in the battle of the massive retailer? Commerce 2040: Looking Ahead to Retail's Future: Euromonitor International has put out a report that looks at what the future of commerce will look like, and the future looks a whole lot like Future Commerce predicted. Drones will continue to be popular in the future, which means that Pizza delivery drones could become a reality in the United States. And It seems that the term "experiential retail" is going to be around forever, and retailers will find new ways to engage consumers. Also: Luxury retail spares no detail, Canada Goose is using freezer-esque dressing rooms so customers can test outwear against the elements. This is taking experiential retail up a few degrees (or down a hundred degrees). Phillip and Brian conclude that while Macklemore would probably wear one of Canada Goose's winter jackets in a music video, he'd probably of purchased it second-hand. Practical AR Was Big at NRF: Next Step is Running in Virtual Shoes? Practical AR was everywhere at NRF: With Augmented Reality being able to help consumers and retailers in everyday-life. Unity3D had a really cool sneaker demo that was nearly photo-realistic. Even Amazon has been pushing their AR functionality (though not at NRF because they didn't show up in any real way).. Phillip describes the shoe demo: The shoe that they used was a Nike VaporMax which has a translucent sole, and with the exact environmental lighting combined with Nike's level of accuracy with 3D models, this "sneaker" was next-level-authentic. Phillip and Brian predict that real-time models of this level becoming the norm is pretty much only two years away. Show vs. Tell: User Generated Content is King in 2019: Retailers are starting to understand that user-generated content coming from social networks, is the best way forward for sales and brand authenticity. As Phillip points out Facebook is the only social network that has both the retail integration technology, and the trust of its users. Not even Facebook as it stands though: Basically just Instagram. Because somehow, Instagram has been completely divorced from Facebook's scandals. At least for right now. One great example of this push towards UGC: Farfetch has acquired Stadium Goods (the home of many a hypebeast worthy sneaker as well as limited edition streetwear) for 250 million. The real reason for this acquisition though: Stadium Goods partnerships with brands like Complex for content creation, and the retail experiences around those partnerships. For example: Zeitgeist-influencer-powered-content like John Mayer doing long-form interviews through Complex. Shareable Moments For The Win (Can You Even Instagram?) : Product development in 2019 is going to be all about creating "shareable products." Can retailers bridge the gap between social media and user experience? Brian says that now there will be two types of businesses existing in this space: Content-ready, or not content-ready. Investors are picking up the content-generation trend as well, with StockX picking up 44 million, Grailed raising 15 million, and the acquisition of Stadium Goods. Phillip says that 2018 is the year of the sneaker because of course it is. Amazon is Trying to Stay Relevant: RIP Sears: Amazon didn't even bother to show up in any significant way for NRF. Amazon is building a second headquarters, and also a third headquarters: Phillip observes that everyone interacts with Amazon for pretty much every aspect of life, which is what Sears used to be 100+ years ago. Brian quotes Jeff Bezos is saying that "Amazon may go bankrupt one day like Sears." Fun fact: Amazon looks they are doing a lot more hiring than other major companies, but there's a catch. Amazon only hires within their own ranks, and have to hire in-house for each new piece of technology. Google and Walmart are much more partnership-centric, and create many, many jobs not attributed to them (They've even partnered up with each other), so it's a much better story. Europeans May Understand Experiential Retail Better: Can U.S Consumers Adapt? Phillip hosts a panel with two companies with well-known customer experience, Ritual Cosmetics, and Sheetz Inc. Phillip observes that European retailers understand the idea of "experiential retail," and European customers may expect that level of service. Sheetz, a gas-station convenience store brand has built their entire brand identity on delivering the best experience for their customers, and they can do so because they know their customers so well to begin with. Somehow everything always comes back to Amazon. Collaboration is Cool: Ingredient Brands Built Finally Gain Customer Awareness: Phillip and Brian both want to see a Starbucks-Toms collaboration. Ingredient brands, which once were pretty behind-the-scenes, are going mainstream. Ingredient brands are brands that go into other brands products and aren't marketed directly to consumers, but they are brands that consumers already trust. Phillip thought ingredient brands referred to companies like McCormick: Which actually makes a lot of literal sense. Should McCormick have an ingredient food truck? Consumers are now actually looking for these ingredient brands, as opposed to just trusting their efficacy, with retailers like Woolrich becoming a lot more ingredient brand focused. Phillip and Brian Preview Prediction Episode 2019: Brian says 2019 is going to be all about using data to make informed decisions about products, this can refer to using past data to re-invent and re-brand (like Story does every season) Somehow this entire episode is about shoes. Phillip's 2019 prediction is that 2019 will be the "year of the customer," and more specifically the year of guided commerce, giving customers the ability to have the retail experience that they want. 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.