Future Commerce

In the age of brands having veritable lakes of data, how do you action and champion the story behind the data - how do you use it to bring real insight into who your customer is and what she wants? In this episode we sit down with Rachel Swanson, founder of Method + Mode, a market research firm, to take some of Future Commerce's own medicine - to listen to our audience and learn from the data that was generated from our first-ever audience survey. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: Future Commerce conducted an audience survey study at the beginning of this year, and Rachel Swanson of Method + Mode is here to talk results. Future Commerce is working to create a community around the content we produce. What can the FC team learn from our incredible audience? Data is more than just numbers, and proper implementation may require a facilitator to connect the dots. Before Method + Mode: Data-Based Storytelling Can Change Everything: Rachel Swanson from Method + Mode is here, and she breaks down the results of Future Commerce's first-ever audience survey. Rachel started her career working at digital agencies in the era of split-testing (also known as A/B testing. Then, over ten years ago, Rachel got a job working at Condé Nast, working in-house with Glamour, and W for three plus years each, honing the brand messaging and positioning for ad sales with a data-driven method. What drove Rachel while working in partnerships with brands, was the innovation and the drive to bring out the white space, which ultimately pushed her to strike out on her own. "Helping innovators Innovate is kind of how I see what I do." Success & Failures: What We Can Learn From Our Audience: This survey taught the FC team so much about our audience, and their feedback was invaluable to the development of our show. Phillip points out two main problems that Future Commerce faced before this survey and our rebrand. One issue being our content was much better than our logo suggested, and two being that even though retail voices were listening to Future Commerce, we didn't know who they were. Rachel discusses some of the key points from the survey, including that our listeners are 60/40 B2B-B2C focused, and that listeners are looking for more diversity in guests and topic discussion. Also, thankfully listeners do seem to like the back-and-forth that Phillip and Brian engage in, which is probably a good thing. Does Our Future Audience Want to See Phillip and Brian in HD? Brian asks Rachel what our audience cares slightly-less about? Apparently, our current listeners have little desire to Phillip and Brian on video, which seems to devalue Phillip's Ulta Beauty makeup haul. Brian wonders whether future listeners may be more interested in video, mainly depending on the context. Our audience does seem to respond well to our growing Instagram game. Also, since we learned that our audience favors consistency, Phillip wants everyone to know our new episodes come out on Friday's. Storytelling VS. Lakes of Data: Find Someone to Connect The Dots: Brian asks Rachel if she can explain what makes for proper research? Rachel explains though many people equate data and research, they aren't the same. Data becomes unless it is married with human connection is what drives standout work. And as Rachel points out machine learning cannot derive everything, because it lacks that human connection. These are all reasons to work with someone who can decipher that data and connect the dots, be it in-house or otherwise. It's more than just lakes of data; it's about storytelling, and connection with your customers. Rachel: "If you're not an expert on your customers or your audience you're not doing your job as an executive." Want to reach out to Rachel, and Method + Mode ? Go over to --> ｿ . Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail tech is moving fast, and Future Commerce is moving faster! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are digital experiences the gateway to a more accessible luxury experience for millennial consumers? Scott Emmons opens up to us about his successes at Neiman Marcus, the future of technology adoption at retail brands, and how he's bringing that culture of innovation and technology leadership to other brands in his new role at Current Global. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our analysis of "deep fakes" continues as we sit down with SuperPersonal, the technology which maps a customer's face into the stores that they shop online. Founder Yannis Konstantinidis talks about the evolution and eventuality of the use of the technology, customer expectation, the blurred lines of privacy and personalization, and much more. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: In one of Future Commerce's most anticipated interviews: SuperPersonal Founder Yannis Konstantinidis is here to talk tech. With personalization being the future of pretty much everything, how will technology like SuperPersonal's fit into the retail space? Yannis is a big fan of Future Commerce What are the ethical implications of this kind of technology? Can SuperPersonal Change The Way Consumers Shop Online? Brian and Phillip are beyond excited to interview Yannis Konstantinidis, the Founder of Super Personal, all about his terrifying and insanely cool technology. SuperPersonal is a tech company that enables actual personalization and allows users to see themselves in clothes that they have never worn before. Phillip and Brian are both fans but also terrified of this technology What's astonishing about this technology is that all it requires is a 15-second video of the user to be functional. And as Yanis points out, there's an obvious need for this kind of technology, because people who buy online want to see what they will look like in the clothes beforehand. From Shallow to Deep Fakes: Terrifying Tech on The Rise: Phillip points out that people are engaging with similar technology every-single day just on a grander scale like with Samuel L Jackson managing to de-age 50+ years in Captin Marvel. Phillip asks Yanis if this kind of technology is going to be more prevalent in films? What SuperPersonal is doing is very different because they are creating technology for the everyday consumer. Before anything, more consumers need to be educated about manipulative technology, shallow-fakes, deep-fakes, and image-based fake news, especially in politics. Brian questions how/if SuperPersonal's technology would fit into the rising problem of data piracy? Yannis says that this technology wouldn't work with the sorts of things data pirates would want to utilize it for, it pretty much works with fashion, and that's it. And what is the ethical responsibility for SuperPersonal or similar companies/solutions? Yannis explains that SuperPersonal is a closed system, and they don't share the data because of their ethical responsibility with their user's data. Customer Collaboration in Retail: Super Personal Edition The more content that is put out online, the more potential for content manipulation. So who is the perfect retail customer for Super Personal's technology? Yanis says that for right now either smaller players in the retail space, like brands would have the most use for SuperPersonal's solutions or large players who want to use it for smaller projects, like the launch of a new project. Brian says that this kind of technology is what Future Commerce has been looking out for since episode eight. Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast and Future Commerce is moving faster. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we unpack Instagram and Pinterest: is social commerce the new "dot-com"? Can a fast food chain be a good steward of an AI-based startup? Plus: Glossier and Rent the Runway go Unicorn, Apple Credit, and Jeremy King leaves Walmart. Show Notes: Main Takeaways: It's our 100th episode, cue the confetti and champagne! McDonald's acquires personalization company Dynamic Yield, and it's an interesting choice to say the least. Levi's going public? Crapple? How much more can we talk about this? Apple Credit is on its way in, will it be less terrible than everyone thinks it will be? Two female-focused (and founded) amazing brands hit unicorn status, which is super awesome. Is Mcdonalds Secretly a Tech Company That Serves Burgers? There's so many McDonalds jokes to be made it's not even funny, most of them about obesity and high blood pressure. The news of the week is McDonald's acquiring professional service/personalization company, Venture Yield, which has some people scratching their heads in confusion. Brian says McDonald's is a technology company that serves hamburgers, Phillip does not react well to this. Hot take: It is cheaper for McDonald's to acquire Dynamic Yield for 300M and let it enable all of its programs on the personalization front, and still allow the company to operate as a personalization engine to the masses writ large in e-commerce. Essentially it is cheaper for them to acquire Dynamic Yield then it would be to contract with them in the next three to five years. And maybe this acquisition is a talent play so McDonald's can use Dynamic Yield's personalization capabilities to be able to make a play in the future economy. However, can McDonald's, being well McDonald's actually be good stewards of this brand when they can't even be good stewards of their milkshake machine? Brian makes the point that Dynamic Yield may actually help McDonald's make their customer experience better. Is Dot-Com Going The Way of The Dodo? Jeremy King is leaving Walmart, and heading to Pinterest. Phillip says Instagram commerce is Commerce 3.0. Pinterest is back in the commerce game, just in time for their impending IPO, and it's basically 2016. Phillip says commerce on Instagram and Pinterest will eliminate the need for websites, especially with the discovery elements on these platforms, and it's Amazon's worst nightmare. What about Shopify? Shopify could be a pretty big threat to Amazon as well, and it's the cereal of choice for private equity, and VC backed D2C brands. Brian makes the point that dot-com will still be necessary in the future for certain types of purchases and will be part of a brand's strategy for future growth. Phillip compares dot-com to fax machines, which is pretty great, and says that brands will not need to heavily invest in dot-com because websites are not aiding in discovery. Pinterest Signals a Step Towards Better Tech by Hiring Jeremy King: Jeremy is King moving over to Pinterest signals that they are looking to level up their tech game, through technology platform and developer adoption. Could Pinterest see a similar technological revolution to Walmart? Phillip throws out vague sports references Warning: retailers really shouldn't miss the bus on Instagram like they did on Amazon, it will be a huge mistake, huge. Phillip tries to buy sneakers, which is shocking but there's a story: somehow purchasing through the Nike app is not as seamless as it seems, and Phillip almost ended up with four pairs of the same sneakers. Apple is Not a Bank: Stop Pretending This is Real So why should we care about Apple credit? Brian questions whether Phillip wants to talk about this at all. Shoutout to Brian Commerce impact: To get the rewards at the reward rate you have to use Apple Pay as opposed to the titanium card, which will make Apple loyalist demand that retailers accept Apple Pay anywhere. Brian throws shade at Apple loyalists. Apple is basically just a money machine at this point, but at least Apple Credit seems better than the Apple home speaker. Brian and Phillip are not qualified to talk about finance or banking or budgeting systems. News Stories of The Week: It's Pretty Crazy Out There: Levi's goes public, just as it rolls out customizable jeans and avenues to customer-influenced personalization. UPS is partnering with a blockchain company with the best name ever, Inextion Zippy to build a block-chain capable B2B e-commerce platform. Brian thinks this is going basically nowhere, which is probably true. In unicorn news: two major female-founded brands have hit the 1B valuation mark, Rent the Runway and Glossier. This achievement is a huge accomplishment for all involved but hats off especially to CEO of Rent the Runway, Jennifer Hyman, and Glossier founder Emily Weiss. Phillip and Brian have a hard time logging off the show, and it's pretty funny. Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, and Future Commerce is moving faster. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.