What Just Happened

AX. Agentic Experience.This is the phrase I am taking into 2026, and it is where I open my final show of the year.Christine Russo sat down with Jonathan Arena, CEO of New Generation AI and trykeppler.ai. Jonathan explains the breakdown of what happens when agents arrive on your brand site. They are trying to read catalogs, understand product attributes and answer real shopper questions. And most websites are not ready for that level of traffic or that style of discovery. And let's not forget behind every agent is a human seeking information and product that fits their need.Sites obsessively built for CX are not build for AX (Agentic Experience). Pop ups, scripts, PDP clutter and traditional search patterns all get in the way. So the headline is not that agentic search does not work. It is that retailers have not built a companion experience for agents to understand their products. That is AX. And that is the work that must begin in 2026.Jonathan laid out the starting point with a level of clarity the industry needs. Identify the agents already reaching your site. Understand what they are asking for. See where your catalog breaks down. From there, create the layer that allows agents to access your product information cleanly and quickly. Once that foundation exists, everything else becomes possible. Better discovery, better conversion, better loyalty and eventually agent driven checkout.So as we close 2025 and look to 2026 seeking information on what will put you ahead, this is a starting point.

Michaela Wessels CEO and Co-Founder of Style Arcade joined Christine Russo to break down what is arguably one of the most persistent and costly gaps in fashion retail: the inability to forecast at the depth the industry actually needs. Wessels explained how most tools, including those that market themselves as AI based, stop at the category level and cannot address the real issue, which is the constant missed revenue tied to out of stocks by size and by store. Her team quantified forty one million dollars in lost revenue across ten brands in six months, all tied to invisible size level stockouts. Wessels noted that fashion data sets are uniquely small and uneven, which makes generic AI unreliable, and that real forecasting must remain transparent and controllable for users who understand the product and the sales pattern.Throughout the discussion, Wessels made it clear that Style Arcade was built by people who have worked inside fashion and lived through the manual processes that have held the industry back. She described years spent forecasting hundreds of products in spreadsheets without the ability to model by size or store, which forced planners into overly broad decisions that created both bloated inventory and unnecessary markdowns. Unlike horizontal SaaS platforms that try to retrofit solutions for multiple industries, Wessels believes vertical SaaS built by industry operators is the only model that truly works because it reflects how fashion teams think and how decisions get made. Russo underscored this point by noting that many tech companies lack retail experience entirely, which creates a gap that no amount of engineering can solve.Wessels also highlighted how Style Arcade is now used far beyond planning teams. Marketers, designers, e commerce leads, and product teams are all using the platform to understand where demand outpaces supply and to trigger reorders with clarity and speed. The tool gives them visibility into what is new, what is selling, where stockouts are suppressing performance, and how much revenue is at stake. Wessels emphasized that modern retail teams want tools that remove the friction of spreadsheets and surface decisions in a way that empowers talent rather than replacing it. With clients ranging from Ralph Lauren to hypergrowth pure plays, she frames the new forecasting product as essential infrastructure for a fashion landscape that can no longer afford to accept missed revenue as part of the job.

Christine Russo, host and creator of What Just Happened, continues to explore brand marketing strategies that work in a retail everywhere world. Russo selected her guest Jenny Coates to discuss the non linear shape of the customer journey and how marketers can build clarity and connection in an environment defined by fragmented attention and unpredictable discovery.Throughout the conversation, Russo frames the modern customer path as a system without a single entry point. Consumers discover brands through social platforms, micro influencers, video, email, word of mouth and AI driven search, and often arrive through side doors rather than the digital front door. Instead of a predictable funnel, Russo emphasizes that today’s journey moves like a pinball machine, with brand touchpoints acting as the paddles, bumpers and signals that keep the customer engaged and moving.The discussion highlights why authenticity and consistency are now the most important tools for marketers. Russo examines how brands must be prepared to meet customers wherever they land, how weak touchpoints break momentum, and how retention depends on keeping customers inside a living ecosystem rather than treating purchase as the end of the relationship. They also explore the tension between the human desire for linear frameworks and the nonlinear reality of modern behavior, and the need to build a structured internal plan that still accommodates nonlinear engagement patterns.The episode reinforces Russo’s point of view that discovery, engagement and loyalty are no longer sequential steps. They are continuous loops shaped by content quality, channel readiness and the strength of a brand’s experience across every entry point. By breaking down how marketers can operate in this environment, Russo continues to lead conversations that map the new rules of brand building in a retail everywhere world.

Christine Russo sits with Anja Sadock of TrusTrace. Anja traced the company’s origins back to an activist effort in India, where the founders witnessed firsthand the environmental toll of textile manufacturing on local farmland. That grassroots motivation grew into a global traceability platform designed to help brands see and prove what’s happening across their supply chains. Today, TrusTrace provides data and verification tools so companies can understand the social and environmental risks embedded in their sourcing—from forced labor to deforestation—and act on them with real evidence rather than assumptions. Anja described this as essential for accountability and impact, not just compliance.We also discussed the growing regulatory momentum behind traceability, including digital product passports (DPP). While Anja emphasized that most companies are still preparing for the DPP framework, she underscored how it can become a competitive advantage when paired with solid data infrastructure. Rather than fixating on DPP mechanics, she highlighted the bigger picture: traceability as a foundational capability that enables readiness for future regulations, risk management, and even consumer engagement through transparency and repair initiatives. By the time DPPs are fully active toward the end of the decade, brands that have already built credible, data-driven traceability systems will be the ones positioned to lead.

Christine Russo, host of What Just Happened, sits down with Kelsey Ayres, Director of Product Management at Amazon for Buy with Prime and Multi-Channel Fulfillment. Together they explore how Amazon is solving logistics issues and expanding the benefits of Buy with Prime. How? By offering brands the ability to use its powerful fulfillment network beyond the marketplace. Ayres explains how Buy with Prime builds shopper trust and boosts conversions through fast delivery, seamless returns, and easy integrations, while Multi-Channel Fulfillment helps businesses of all sizes streamline operations across platforms like TikTok, Temu, and Shopify. The conversation highlights real-world results, including case studies showing conversion lifts from fast shipping and badges, and underscores how Amazon’s logistics investments are positioning it as not only a retailer but also a leading supply chain partner

Christine Russo, host of What Just Happened, sits down with Jonathan Siboni, founder and CEO of Luxury Insight, often described as the “Bloomberg for luxury.” Together they explore the crossroads facing global luxury brands—ranging from shifting Chinese consumer behaviors and the rise of resale to the pressure of generational leadership changes at industry giants like LVMH, Kering, and Chanel. Siboni explains how data can serve as the new compass for maisons, balancing heritage with the need to decode emerging desires, and weighs in on Louis Vuitton’s bold entry into beauty. The conversation looks ahead at how pricing strategies, youth engagement, and portfolio restructuring will shape the next chapter of luxury.

Christine Russo, Chief Content Officer of What Just Happened, sits with Dave Anderson, Vice President of Product Marketing at ContentSquare.In this episode, Russo and Anderson explore the balance between automation and empathy in retail’s digital transformation. Anderson emphasizes that AI should not be the outcome, but a tool to enhance personalization and reduce customer frustration. Drawing from ContentSquare’s benchmark report, he notes that 40% of user experiences are marked by frustration—primarily due to errors, speed, and poor mobile optimization—yet simple fixes can drive major improvements in conversion.Anderson highlights how AI and experience analytics can surface insights that allow brands to shift from “analysis paralysis” to real-time experimentation. He illustrates with examples ranging from ALO Yoga’s mobile checkout optimizations to Spotify’s offline playlists, showing how customer-centric innovation builds loyalty. Both Russo and Anderson stress that empathy, authentic engagement, and human understanding must guide technology’s role in shaping customer journeys.The conversation also touches on the competitive pressures faced by legacy brands, the rise of mobile applications as personalization hubs, and how companies like Apple continue to set the gold standard for in-store and online experiences. Ultimately, Anderson argues that automation should free teams to focus on creativity, ideation, and building experiences that truly resonate with customers.What is What Just Happened?What Just Happened is a thought-leadership series hosted by Christine Russo that explores the fast-moving intersections of retail, technology, and customer experience, featuring insights from industry leaders and innovators.Who is Christine Russo?Christine Russo is the Chief Content Officer and creator of What Just Happened, a seasoned media voice, and a connector in retail tech, e-commerce, and brand strategy. She is known for her candid interviews, sharp analysis, and ability to surface meaningful conversations that matter to the industry

Christine Russo, host and creator of What Just Happened, sits with Ethan Chernofsky of Placer.ai.Placer.ai was built with privacy at its core. From its 2018 launch, the company avoided collecting personally identifiable information (PII), instead focusing on anonymized, aggregate data. This approach aligned with GDPR and CCPA regulations, allowing Placer to demonstrate that location intelligence can be both privacy-centric and commercially valuable. While this choice meant leaving some revenue opportunities (like hyper-targeted advertising) on the table, it reinforced trust, credibility, and long-term sustainability.Two major misconceptions surfaced in the discussion:Data replaces intuition. Many assumed that advanced analytics would replace industry experience and gut instinct. In reality, Placer frames data as an empowerment tool—complementary to human judgment, not a substitute.Visits equal transactions. A common misunderstanding is that foot traffic should directly correlate to sales. Instead, visits represent multiple forms of value: discovery, intent, pickup, consideration, and brand engagement. This broader view reframes physical stores as multi-purpose platforms for marketing, fulfillment, and consumer connection, not just sales points.The conversation emphasized how retail decision-making is evolving:From outdated tools to scalable intelligence. The industry shifted from handheld “clickers” and gut instinct toward data-driven decision frameworks that still honor human experience but make it actionable and scalable.The pandemic’s unexpected boost. Rather than killing physical retail, COVID-19 ultimately strengthened it, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of brick-and-mortar models.Data as a universal language. Placer’s insights became a common currency across verticals—real estate, retail, finance, CPG, and advertising—spurring new ways to measure impact, optimize inventory, and harmonize digital with physical.The future of insights in the AI era. With AI simplifying access to information, the differentiator won’t just be data but the decisions leaders make. Trust, creativity, and the ability to “zag” when others “zig” will define competitive advantage.

On this episode of What Just Happened, host Christine Russo sits down with retail veteran Matt Marcotte to unpack leadership, culture, and the very human side of running iconic brands.Russo keeps the conversation lively and sharp, cutting through corporate jargon with her signature edge:Employees as customers: Russo seizes on Marcotte’s idea of treating staff as your first customer and if brands skip over the people who deliver the experience, everything else is at risk to fall apart.Commission conundrum: Is there a tension retailers face balancing morale when paychecks are impacted.Tech toys vs. real tools: From “magic mirrors” to flashy in-store screens, Russo and Marcotte remind us that tech should enable human connection, not gather dust.Retail as a Sensory Journey: What IF retail organizations were structured differently?Culture = performance: Listen to the discussion in reaction to AT&T’s culture comments.And yes, she even manages to work in a swipe at the New York Mets while giving Gap’s Richard Dixon credit for bringing joy (and selfies) back to the brand.

Christine Russo, host of What Just Happened sits with Sean Tucker, brand marketing expert, for a thoughtful conversation on what it truly takes to build enduring brands in today’s volatile media and cultural environment. Russo presses Tucker on his experience at Nike, Converse, and On, asking how a brand can remain authentic while also adapting to new consumer behaviors and shifting expectations. Tucker shares his perspective on why some companies cultivate lasting equity while others fall into the trap of short-term “day trading” for attention. Together, Russo and Tucker analyze recent high-profile campaigns, including the controversial use of celebrity endorsements, and debate the line between being culturally aware and simply chasing trends. The discussion highlights that success is rarely about copying what others have done, but rather about knowing who you are as a brand and expressing that identity consistently over time.As the conversation develops, Russo and Tucker emphasize the power of community and word of mouth as central drivers of brand growth. Tucker points to examples across industries where passionate communities, whether in sportswear, beauty, or technology, become self-appointed ambassadors, fueling organic adoption and advocacy. Russo underscores that this is not about “lazy community” building, but about fostering genuine passion that translates into loyalty and advocacy. Together, they reflect on how legacy brands like Apple, Nike, Starbucks, and McDonald’s have adapted their strategies while maintaining their core identities, offering lessons for any business seeking to scale without losing its edge. At its heart, the exchange between Russo and Tucker reinforces that clarity of mission, intentional storytelling, and a long-term vision are what allow brands to endure in a crowded and fast-changing marketplace.