Retail Remix

As a final send-off to the year, host Nicole Silberstein shares some off-the-cuff thoughts on something we forgot to talk enough about this year — the irreplaceable pleasure of shopping in stores, and why AI won’t change that.Happy Holidays from your friends at Retail Remix — see you in 2026!Key TakeawaysMaybe what we all need a little more of right now is in-person shoppingRelated LinksEpisode 258 - Redesigning with Reverence: Inside the New MoMA Design Store ExperienceEpisode 253 - How Primark Is Rewriting the Rules of Value Fashion in the U.S. Related reading: How Printemps’ New NYC Store Supports ‘Democratic Luxury’ with Subtle TechnologySubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix

This episode is brought to you by Commerce.AI is reshaping the retail landscape faster than any technology in recent memory, but with the hype comes confusion — and a lot of big questions about what AI can actually do for retailers today.In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein sits down with Andrew Bialecki, Co-founder and CEO of Klaviyo, to separate reality from speculation and explore how AI is changing marketing, customer service and the entire shopping experience.Andrew shares the origin story behind Klaviyo’s “digital brain for businesses,” explains why retailers will increasingly become hybrid product-and-service companies, and breaks down the AI behaviors already shaping consumer expectations. He also takes a look into his crystal ball to offer a forward-looking perspective on how voice, avatars and in-store AI agents could define the next era of commerce.Key TakeawaysHow retailers will evolve into hybrid product-and-service brands as AI makes information and personalization easily accessible to all;Why multimodal AI — including chat, voice and in-store agents — could propel the next wave of omnichannel experiences;The role humans will continue to play in the AI future through creative direction, brand judgment and defining customer experience goals;What consumers actually want from AI: speed, summarization, better recommendations, and easier product discovery; Why the ability to do “napkin math” is critical for businesspeople of all stripes; andThe hardest thing about going from being a private to a public company.Related LinksExplore Klaviyo’s AI-powered marketing and customer relationship toolsGet more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPointsSubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.

This episode is brought to you by Commerce.Independent retailers have always been nimble, but the past few years have demanded even more adaptability. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein is joined by Jen Burke, Chief Revenue Officer at wholesale marketplace Faire, who helps us dig into how independent retailers are thriving amid so much socioeconomic and technological change.Jen shares how this powerful segment of retailers — which account for more than half of all U.S. retail sales — are shifting buying strategies, navigating economic pressure, responding to fast-moving trend cycles, and using Faire’s tools to better manage cash flow, discover products and respond to customer demand. She also reveals what Faire is building next, from improved platform capabilities to new fulfillment solutions.Key TakeawaysHow independent retailers are adjusting order volume, frequency and sourcing strategies in response to tariffs and other headwinds;What wholesale buying patterns on Faire foretell about the trends and categories that will be hot in 2026;The growing importance of reflecting the cultural zeitgeist on shelves and how to do it;Why curation will remain retailers’ superpower despite the potential of new technologies like AI; andA peek at Faire’s next big move — fulfillment services.Related LinksExplore how Faire supports independent retailers of all sizesRelated Reading: Faire Surpasses 100K Members as Indie Retailers Seek Out Value, VarietyRelated Reading: Inside the Luxury Advent Calendar Boom with DTC Brand Cheese BrothersGet more retail industry insights at Retail TouchPointsSubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.

Anu Narayanan, President of Women's and Home at Anthropologie Group, shares insights into transforming Maeve into a standalone brand. She reveals the strategic shift fueled by customer demand and social engagement, alongside metrics from TikTok. Anu discusses the unique boutique aesthetic of Maeve's new stores located in nontraditional markets like Raleigh and Atlanta. She details the brand's innovative marketing strategies, including a vibrant influencer community and a revived catalog that enhances storytelling, all while staying true to Anthropologie's roots.

In this engaging conversation, Lilian Rincon, VP of Shopping Experiences at Google, dives into the future of AI-powered shopping. She discusses the innovative Try-on-You feature, which uses a selfie to visualize how clothes look on the user. Lilian reveals how conversational shopping is transforming the search experience with long, complex queries. She also elaborates on Google’s agentic features that can check stock and make purchases on behalf of shoppers—all while emphasizing the importance of trust and data freshness in this evolving landscape.

This episode is brought to you by Commerce.DoorDash has come a long way from delivering takeout. Today, it’s a platform for everything local — powering delivery, fulfillment and retail innovation across dozens of categories.In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein sits down with Fuad Hannon, DoorDash’s VP of New Verticals, to unpack how the company is executing its vision to level the local commerce playing field. From the launch of DashMart Fulfillment Services to partnerships with brands like Kroger and Party City, DoorDash is helping retailers of all stripes and sizes compete on speed, convenience and customer experience.Key Takeaways:How DoorDash’s mission to empower local economies has evolved beyond restaurants;How the company’s investments in autonomous delivery are setting the stage for the next generation of 24/7 commerce;What the recent acquisitions of SevenRooms and Symbiosis reveal about DoorDash’s growing reach in technology and services; The growth of DoorDash’s $1 billion+ advertising business and how the company balances merchant ROI with consumer experience; PLUS The most unusual product Faud has seen DoorDash deliver.Related LinksExplore how DoorDash is expanding into retail, fulfillment, and autonomous deliveryRelated reading: DoorDash Launches Fulfillment Services; Party City, CVS Among First to TrialRelated reading: DoorDash Launches Driverless Delivery with Waymo in Phoenix Metro AreaGet more insights on retail innovation at Retail TouchPointsSubscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.

Rob Cameron, Visa's Global Head of Acceptance Solutions and payments expert, discusses the future of commerce in the age of AI. He dives into how agentic AI will revolutionize payment processing and consumer trust. Rob outlines Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol for secure, seamless transactions, and emphasizes the importance of consumer confidence in adopting AI-driven payments. He also shares insights on balancing human and AI interactions in shopping, how retailers can prepare, and the critical role of data privacy and fraud prevention in this new landscape.

This episode is brought to you by Commerce.Retail media — or should we say commerce media — has exploded into one of the fastest-growing opportunities in marketing. But with so many players, platforms and acronyms, where is it all headed?In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein sits down with Jeff Cohen, former Principal Evangelist at Amazon Ads and now Chief Business Development Officer at Skai, to unpack how the space has evolved and what’s coming next.Jeff shares how he went from building one of Amazon’s first third-party ad technologies to helping brands navigate a new era of connected, data-driven commerce. He breaks down the shift from retail media to commerce media, the impact of AI-powered shopping on marketing and how brands can move beyond walled gardens to reach today’s omnichannel shoppers.Key Takeaways:How retail media has evolved into commerce media — and why the distinction matters;The role of agentic AI in optimizing campaigns and connecting fragmented data;What brands can learn from Amazon’s retail media dominance and Skai’s cross-channel approach;Why unified, actionable data matters more than endless metrics;Lessons on innovation, adaptation and taking smart risks from Jeff’s eclectic career.Related LinksLearn how Skai is connecting brands and retailers through data-driven mediaRelated reading: New Research Reveals Agency Execs’ True Opinions on Retail MediaExplore more insights on the future of commerce media on Retail TouchPointsCatch up on all episodes of Retail Remix -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.

This episode is brought to you by Commerce.For four decades, Ellis Verdi, Founder and President of DeVito/Verdi, has helped shape some of the most talked-about — and often controversial — campaigns in retail advertising. From launching Daffy’s with bold, conceptual creative to working with Macy’s, Kohl’s, Men’s Wearhouse and Meijer, Verdi has built a career on one philosophy: tell the truth, even if it ruffles feathers.Retail Remix host Nicole Silberstein sits down with Ellis to discuss what’s changed (and what hasn’t) about connecting with consumers, the ongoing tension between brand and performance marketing, and why controversy isn’t always a bad thing — if it comes from an honest idea.Ellis shares the stories behind some of his favorite campaigns, including the infamous “straightjacket” Duffy’s ad that sparked protests, and how ads for Macy’s I.N.C. brand and Meijer’s private label spinach redefined how retailers communicate value. He also weighs in on recent campaigns — like Levi’s x Beyoncé and of course, Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle — that signal a welcome return to upper-funnel brand storytelling.Key Takeaways:Why conceptual advertising still matters in today’s performance-driven landscape;How controversy can serve a campaign — when it’s rooted in truth; andThe importance of balancing top-of-funnel branding with down-funnel ROI.Related LinksExplore DeVito/Verdi Advertising’s creative work and legacyWatch the Macy’s I.N.C. ad featuring Heidi KlumWatch the Meijer spinach adRelated reading: The Top 10 Best-Performing Retail Ads from the First Half of 2025Catch up on all episodes of Retail RemixGet more insights from retail industry leaders on Retail TouchPoints -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.

This episode is brought to you by Commerce.AI is rewriting the rules of online shopping — and it’s happening faster than anyone expected.In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein chats with Travis Hess, CEO of the newly rebranded Commerce, about how conversational AI and “answer engines” like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews are transforming how consumers discover and shop for products online.Travis shares why these new tools represent the biggest paradigm shift since the dawn of ecommerce and explains why brands that fail to optimize for AI-driven discovery risk disappearing altogether. Key Takeaways:How to capture some of the projected $260 billion in sales AI is expected to drive this holiday season;Why the “customer is the new channel” in our increasingly AI-driven world;How to adapt your ecommerce strategy for contextual discoverability; andWhy a brand’s “content supply chain” matters more than ever, and how to enhance yours.Related LinksLearn more about Commerce (parent company of BigCommerce, Feedonomics and Makeswift)Related reading: AI Search is Rapidly Gaining Consumers’ TrustRelated reading: Salesforce Global Holiday Forecast — AI Will Drive $1.6 Trillion in In-Store SalesCatch up on all episodes of Retail RemixLearn more about AI evolutions in commerce on Retail TouchPoints -----How to Win Customers Across Every ChannelThis guide from BigCommerce brings you expert insights on data, branding, and marketing to help you grow sales across every major channel. Read the Guide.