Retailgentic

What happens when consumers start trusting AI agents more than friends for shopping advice? On this episode of Retailgentic, we welcome Professor Luca Cian from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.Luca brings a unique perspective as a psychologist turned marketing scholar whose research spans visual persuasion, AI adoption, and consumer trust. We dive deep into how shoppers perceive AI in utilitarian vs. hedonic purchases, why trust in AI depends on “augmented decision-making,” and how brands should prepare for an AI-first retail future.From the paradox of choice to the emerging world of “GenAI Engine Optimization (GEO),” this conversation is packed with insights on how AI is rewriting the rules of marketing, loyalty, and consumer psychology.Tune in for:The psychology of trust in AI: why we accept AI for practical tasks but resist it in creative/hedonic domainsThe paradox of choice and how AI alleviates decision fatigueHow brands can adapt to the rise of agentic commerce and GEO (GenAI Engine Optimization)Future of loyalty programs when shopping decisions are mediated by AI agents🕒 Timestamps:00:02:05 — Guest intro: Luca Cion, UVA Darden professor, studies consumer psychology and AI in marketing.00:09:36 — Early AI research with GPT-3 preview; skepticism then rapid shift in perception.00:17:12 — Survey: 60% trust AI purchase suggestions more than friends → ties to “paradox of choice.”00:21:01 — Word-of-Machine Effect: AI trusted for utilitarian products, humans preferred for hedonic ones.00:28:53 — Trust grows when AI is augmented by humans and shows transparency (black box effect reduced).00:36:11 — AI Mistake Generalization: consumers forgive humans but not AI; one AI error erodes trust broadly.00:46:06 — Loyalty as a decision shortcut; in the AI age, human touch and anthropomorphism become vital.00:50:40 — People blame AI less than humans for unfair treatment (e.g., firing decisions).00:53:32 — Executive MBA discussions: AI displacing middle management but creating future opportunities.00:58:00 — Managers should lead with human strategic vision, then use AI/data to validate decisions.🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Kiri Masters, the founder of Bobsled Marketing and Retail Media Breakfast Club, dives into the evolving world of retail media and AI. She shares insights on how loyalty programs can become crucial competitive advantages in an AI-driven landscape. Kiri discusses the concept of agentic shopping and its potential to disrupt major retailers. Plus, she compares Walmart and Amazon's AI strategies and explores how consumer behavior is rapidly changing due to technology. Her breadth of knowledge paints a vivid picture of the future of commerce.

In this episode of the Retailgentic podcast, we sit down with Karl Haller, Partner at IBM Consulting and leader of their Consumer Industry Center of Competency. Karl brings deep insight into the retail, CPG, and fashion sectors, sharing how AI is reshaping enterprise operations, from store-level automation to the rise of agentic shopping and AI-native brands.We explore:How IBM uses AI internally to save billionsThe future of AI-native startups with 5x leaner orgsWhat retailers need to know about agent-based shoppingHow personalization and dynamic pricing could transform the consumer experience📍 Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Karl’s background01:10 – IBM's early AI work and internal cost savings05:00 – AI’s shift from hype to workflow transformation07:15 – Retail use cases: contact centers, operations, and automation10:55 – The agentic shopping shift: consumers vs. retailers16:00 – Why gift-giving may tip agentic shopping into the mainstream18:30 – ChatGPT’s hosted checkout and new marketplace dynamics22:00 – The rise of AI-native brands and single-person unicorns30:00 – Store-level orchestration and event-triggered workflows36:00 – Personalization in stores—like having Anna Wintour’s whisperer39:00 – Dynamic pricing and loyalty-based personalization44:00 – Final thoughts: the slow shift until the tipping point hits🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Amazon is quietly building the future of grocery and retail logistics and former Amazon exec Brittain Ladd is here to break it all down.In this exclusive conversation, Brittain reveals never-before-shared insights into Amazon's local vending machines (LVMs), robot-powered Rivian vans, and the AI-driven strategy to dethrone Walmart in grocery. He also discusses Amazon's ambitions in third-party logistics and why they might one day buy the USPS.Whether you're into e-commerce, logistics, or the future of automation, this is an episode you don't want to miss.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro & Brittain Ladd background2:00 – Instacart talent exodus and Walmart's poaching3:00 – Amazon’s $4B rural delivery investment4:45 – Amazon’s grocery strategy gap vs. Walmart6:30 – Micro-fulfillment & why Amazon is still behind8:00 – Whole Foods as a broken link in Amazon’s chain10:00 – Local Vending Machines (LVMs): Amazon's secret weapon13:00 – Robotized Rivian delivery vans explained16:30 – Printer cartridge model for replenishing vans18:30 – AI-powered inventory prediction by ZIP code21:00 – Amazon’s long-term vision to beat Walmart23:00 – Humanoid robots & autonomous delivery26:00 – Amazon as the next FedEx/UPS29:00 – Will Amazon buy the USPS?🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Missed the Retailgenic livestream? We’ve got you covered. In this special replay, Scott Wingo walks you through the rise of agentic browsers, gives a full demo of Perplexity’s new browser Comet, and explores how tools like Comet are transforming shopping as we know it. From multi-tab research to automatic cart additions and product comparisons, this is your front-row seat to the next generation of AI-driven commerce.Highlights include:What makes agentic browsing different from traditional searchHow Comet leverages your local context to automate tasksA live showdown of Comet vs. Amazon, Target, and WalmartA surprise appearance by Alexa 2.0🧠 Want to stay ahead in AI commerce? Subscribe and follow along: 📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Kyle Montgomery, founder of Generous, joins Retailgenic to talk about building an AI-powered gifting agent that actually feels human. From his background in e-commerce to the "20 nieces and nephews" moment that sparked his startup journey, Kyle unpacks what it takes to build an agentic marketplace and why gifting is the perfect place to start.Sign up for the waitlist: https://meetgenerous.comFollow Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleamontgomery/⏱️ Key Timestamps:Timestamps:00:00 – Hands on the wheel: what autonomy in gifting looks like02:05 – Meet Kyle Montgomery, founder of Generous04:00 – Kyle’s background: From Demandware to Estound Digital06:00 – What sparked the idea for Generous? (Hint: 20 nieces + no app)11:00 – Generous: What it is and who it's for13:00 – Contact syncing, user onboarding, and AI-powered suggestions18:00 – No search bar?! The power of chat-first shopping22:00 – Agentic checkout and payment flow27:00 – The humanity of gifting—why agents shouldn’t replace people30:00 – What happens when brands no longer need websites?34:00 – Are agencies ready for the agentic future?38:00 – Kyle’s thoughts on Scott’s 5 Levels of Agentic Commerce41:00 – Where to sign up + what’s next for Generous📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

Can your AI assistant really shop for you? What happens when the “Buy Now” button isn’t clicked by a person? In this episode, Nekuda CEO Ayal Karmi explains how his company is rethinking payments for a world where autonomous agents act on our behalf.We talk about:• The lightbulb moment from a failed pizza-ordering agent• Why authorization (not just authentication) is the future• Real-world agent examples: fashion stylists, car modders• Competing (and not competing) with Stripe & PayPal• Raising a seed round led by Madrona, with Visa & Amex on board🔗 Visit Nekuda: https://nekuda.ai🧠 Read their Substack: https://nekuda.substack.com⏱️ Key Timestamps:00:35 – Ayal’s background in payments, AI, and crypto02:30 – The failed pizza-ordering agent that sparked Nekuda05:00 – The shift from AI-enhanced search to full agentic checkout08:10 – Early product pivots and the importance of intent in transactions12:00 – Who actually uses Nekuda’s tech: agent builders18:30 – Real-world agentic use cases: stylists, mechanics, and more21:00 – How their Substack brought in Visa & Amex as investors26:00 – Competing with incumbents like Stripe & PayPal34:45 – Will websites even exist in 2030?📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.

In this episode of Retailgenic, Scot Wingo welcomes Ananda Chakravarty, VP of Research at IDC’s Retail Insights Group. Ananda shares his decades of retail and technology experience spanning Monster, Staples, Oracle, Diebold Nixdorf, and Forrester to help break down:The real definition of Agentic AIHow retailers must prepare their data and sites for AI agentsWhy product discovery is ripe for AI-driven transformationThe massive implications for pricing, loyalty, personalization, and retail mediaHow agent-to-agent commerce may soon reshape buying behavior entirelyThis is a must-listen for anyone thinking about the future of retail, commerce, and AI.📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.Highlights:00:02:15 Ananda explains his IDC report on agentic AI & product discovery00:05:00 His career journey: engineering to business to retail tech00:10:45 Early e-commerce work at Monster, Staples, Talbots00:26:00 Deep dive into agentic AI orchestration & multi-agent workflows00:36:00 What retailers should do today to prep for AI agents00:41:00 How pricing, loyalty, and personalization will change00:44:00 Agents negotiating with agents (agent-to-agent commerce)00:48:00 The rapid acceleration of agentic traffic vs human traffic00:49:00 Where to follow Ananda's work

Roy Rubin, co-founder of Magento and now a venture capitalist at R-Squared Ventures, shares intriguing insights on the future of e-commerce. He believes the next billion-dollar brand may not need a website at all. The conversation highlights the concept of agentic shopping, the evolution of Magento, and the challenges faced during its acquisition by eBay. Rubin also discusses the transformative role of AI agents in commerce, as well as the potential disruption of current platforms like Shopify and Amazon.

In this episode of Retailgenic, host Scot Wingo sits down with Matt Nichols, General Partner at Commerce Ventures, to unpack the future of agentic commerce, the evolving role of AI shopping agents, and the new infrastructure needed to support them.Matt shares:- Why enriched product catalogs will power LLM-driven shopping- How AI-native checkout layers could disrupt traditional eCommerce- What retailers and marketplaces must decide about exposing data to AI platforms- Insights into Commerce Ventures’ investment thesis and portfolio companies like Kevel, Portless, and OptiversalFrom personalized retail media to tokenized payments and stablecoins, this wide-ranging conversation explores the critical infrastructure needed for a future where AI, not humans, drive most online shopping.🔔 Subscribe for more insights at the intersection of retail, eCommerce, and AI⏱ Notable Timestamps:00:01:56 – Guest intro: Matt Nichols, General Partner at Commerce Ventures00:04:50 – From VC to operator: Lessons from running a jewelry eCommerce brand00:06:00 – How SEO and dynamic product creation powered growth00:10:38 – How Commerce Ventures partners with strategic LPs00:14:00 – Unique investment model: small first check, large follow-on00:19:15 – Thematic investment areas: low-inventory retail, agentic payments, and AI-powered email00:25:56 – Agentic product catalogs: new expectations for PDP data00:28:00 – Why we need a Shopify for AI-driven commerce00:30:00 – Mastercard’s agentic wallet concept explained00:34:00 – How retailers can create compelling AI on-site experiences00:39:00 – Pricing wars: Will agentic shopping force new price structures?00:44:00 – Why eCommerce growth has plateaued (and what might reignite it)00:49:00 – Ads in AI overviews: The next monetization challenge for Google📰 Subscribe to the free Substack: retailgentic.ai📺 Watch episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@retailgentic🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple, etc.