feat. Justin Breton, Head of Brand Marketing and Innovation at Walmart

How does an early adopter become a leader and consistently one of the most adaptive brands in the market? Listen now as Justin Breton shares the story of innovation Walmart is telling and how they are creating new worlds within the commerce landscape.

Key takeaways:

• [00:12:26]: "We are a part of our customers' lives in the real world. How do we become a part of their lives in the virtual and digital ecosystem? We rode the wave of the metaverse, but quickly tested, learned, and optimized into our own strategy, which is effectively what you see in market today.” - Justin
• [00:15:32}: “I would imagine that there's some fatigue around influencer-promoted products. However, there is so much newness and opportunity around influencer-promoted experiences. And so when they can create an experience that feels like an extension to their social persona and is immersive and is also commerce-enabled and features all of the products that they like and is displayed to the fan or the follower in an unexpected way, that is new, and that is different.” - Justin
• [00:23:04]: “Leveraging this new technology and these emerging platforms to engage with that next generation and position us as a retailer that doesn't just have everything but has your thing is setting us up for the success in the future.” - Justin
• [00:35:42]: “That's what the opportunity here is. Through these more immersive digital experiences you give people something to engage with and then talk about as well.” - Brian
• [00:47:25]: “We want to add value. So wherever we're showing up, it's really important that we're adding value, and it has to add value for that platform and that community.” - Justin

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In this episode we speak with special guest Lee Glandorf, author of The Sweat Lookbook substack about the intersection of sports, fashion, and culture. Lee, a long-time friend of the podcast and former Director of Marketing at Tracksmith, shares her unique insights on how running culture, women's sports, and performance fashion are evolving. Listen now!

feat. Alexa Lombardo and Candace Stewart

Alexa Lombardo and Candace Stewart co-host this week breaking down the intersection of female athletes, beauty, and commerce. Learn how female athletes are revolutionizing both the sports and beauty industries through authentic storytelling and strategic brand partnerships. Listen now!

Key takeaways:

• Female athletes are leading the charge in authentic storytelling, making them ideal partners for beauty brands.
• Collaborations between beauty brands and female athletes are reshaping traditional beauty standards and enhancing product credibility.
• Investment in emerging sports like rugby can yield significant returns as these sports grow in popularity.
• Thoughtful and authentic brand partnerships, like SKIMS by Kim Kardashian, can effectively support and promote female athletes.
• Brands can benefit from aligning with athletes' lifestyles, creating authentic and relatable connections with their audience.
• [00:10:11]: "Female athletes are just really better storytellers, versus their male counterparts." - Alexa Lombardo
• [00:39:54]: "SKIMS by Kim Kardashian... She's done it right. She's included the athletes. The athletes are centered in that." - Candace Stewart
• [00:42:29]: "Sports are part of a lifestyle, and brands thinking about how they can fit into the lives of these athletes can create really natural and impactful partnerships." - Alexa Lombardo

• Learn more about Alexa Lombardo and Candace Stewart
• Read Game Face: How Beauty Brands Are Scoring Big with Women's Sports
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Feat. Aaron Sheehan

In this rewind episode, we discuss a key topic: the analyst ecosystem and the influence of reports like Gartner's Magic Quadrant on the eCommerce industry. We explore how these reports are created, who they benefit, and their role in shaping market perceptions. Aaron sheds light on the complexities behind the rankings, the criteria used, and the nuances often overlooked in the widely shared 2x2 graphics. Whether you're a seasoned industry professional or new to the world of eCommerce, tune into this conversation of how market analysis shapes strategic decisions and what it means for the future of commerce!

Key takeaways:

• Analyst reports like Gartner's Magic Quadrant use specific methodologies to evaluate platforms, focusing on business viability and innovation, not just the technology stack.
• Engaging with analysts can be crucial for eCommerce platforms, but it’s not mandatory. Those who opt out may still be evaluated based on publicly available data, which could impact their positioning.
• Platforms can fall off these reports not only by going out of business but also by de-emphasizing certain product lines or failing to grow in line with market expectations.
• [00:10:06] "It's not pay-to-play. The analysts have a methodology around evaluating solutions... It’s about the business, not just the technology." - Aaron Sheehan
• [00:29:52] "Why wouldn’t you just build the things that are required to perform well on the platform... What are the forces that keep you from performing really well?" - Phillip
• [01:06:52] "It's one thing to have a well-built eCommerce platform. It's another thing to be successful with it, which is like getting people to that platform to buy." - Phillip
• [01:10:15] "The Magic Quadrant isn't just a chart—it's a signal to the market about who’s driving innovation and who's falling behind." - Aaron Sheehan

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In this episode of Future Commerce Rewind, our summer series where we compare today's news against episodes from the archives, we are revisiting Episode 341 with friend of the pod and cultural theorist, Matt Klein, to discuss the findings from his annual META Trends Report. Today, we're not just talking about trends and data. We're talking about a deep human need that's driving patterns and how businesses can begin to sense those patterns and tap into and address the core desires and anxiety of people, and that's what it's all about.

Key takeaways:

- A key takeaway from analyzing over one hundred trend reports spanning several years: many of the reported trends remain unchanged year after year after year.

- Language used to describe disruptive changes often relies on established nomenclature instead of introducing new terminology.

- There is an opportunity to hack trend reports by strategically seeding ideas and language that can shape future trends.

- The ranking of meta-trends in reports can differ between what is frequently mentioned and what exists in cultural data, creating a discrepancy and an opportunity for manipulation.

- Understanding the deeper human needs beneath trend manifestations is key for organizations to find success in addressing cultural shifts.

• {00:04:50} - “It's quite cliche, but it's a call to action for a little bit of bravery of not what's already being reported and said and what's comfortable, but what do we want to see, what does not yet exist, and how do we put our neck out there and really speak about the things that are uncomfortable, fringy, edgy, and strange because after all that is where change emanates from.” - Matt
• {00:12:57} - “The problem is the scant few people that are actually doing this type of work and research and will put the quantifiable and qualitative mind to analyzing trends is a small group of people that are all highly self-referential because they're all analyzing the same cohort of data because they're all kind of tapped into the same algorithm.” - Phillip
• {00:19:47} - “The meta trends act as trailheads for understanding all else within culture. When you acknowledge what's trying to be desired here… you understand beneath the surface what people actually need, that's where organizations find success.” - Matt
• {00:26:59} - “There's certainly importance and maybe I'm saying that because there's a livelihood or a career anchored or tethered to it, but I would say there are some implications and serious business consequences that come from this, but it is also fun. It is entertaining to be talking about these things and to be dissecting and analyzing.” - Matt
• {00:30:39} - “It's all from fear. No one wants to be disrupted. No one wants to be the disruptor either. That goes back to this idea of bravery, being the first to say something or sticking their neck out or reporting on the thing that no one else has reported. So you operate from a sense of, "Well, we wanna be the first to be second."’ - Matt
• {00:39:42} - “Every business is unique, everyone has their different challenges, everyone has their different audiences, and those audiences or those products interpret each of the meta trends uniquely. So what this really is is the starting point, not the answer key.” - Matt

• Learn more about Matt Klein
• Read the 2024 Meta Trends Report
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Parasocial Relationships Will Change Retail Forever

Welcome to Future Commerce Rewind, our summer series where we compare today's news against episodes from the archives. Today, we revisit our historic 300th episode from 2023, where we explored the future of commerce shopping experiences through parasocial relationships. We also cover how the chat interface, a UI prediction we made just a year ago, is influencing commerce today. Listen now!

Key takeaways:

• [00:02:07] Phillip: "In London, print reading is still a cultural staple and independent eyeglass retailers are thriving. It's a fascinating blend of old-world charm and modern retail innovation."
• [00:05:19] Phillip: "Imagine shopping with JFK Jr. as your style advisor – that's the future we're heading towards with parasocial relationships and AI."
• [00:24:51] Brian: "Livestream shopping in the West is a tough sell because our attention spans can't handle the mundane. But if you can make it entertaining, you've got a shot."
• [00:47:04] Phillip: "We're on the cusp of a new shopping experience where your favorite celebrity or even a virtual influencer can guide your purchases, creating a deeper, ongoing relationship."
• London maintains a strong print culture while simultaneously seeing a boom in independent eyeglass retailers, highlighting a unique intersection of old and new retail practices.
• AI-powered interactions with celebrity personas, like JFK Jr., are emerging as a new trend in shopping, blending entertainment with personalized recommendations.
• AI and parasocial relationships are creating more personalized shopping experiences, fostering deeper consumer connections with brands and influencers.

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We’re back exploring the intersection of technology, payments, and consumer behavior with guests Michaela Weber from BigCommerce and Sanjeev Gill from Stripe Live from VISIONS Summit: NYC. The conversation covers how modern ecommerce platforms and payment solutions are transforming the retail landscape. Join us to discuss the shift from traditional retail hours to 24/7 online shopping, the importance of seamless checkout experiences, and the role of personalization in driving consumer engagement. Listen now!

Key takeaways:

• [03:26] Mikaela Weber: "Shopping is everywhere. Shopping is 24/7."
• [07:10] Michaela Weber: "There's a monoculture in the sense that if we are from similar demographic groups, we probably see similar pushed ads."
• Consumers now shop anytime, anywhere, increasing the pressure on brands to be present across multiple channels.
• While algorithms create personalized experiences, there is still a collective aspect driven by shared demographics and interests.
• Technologies like AB testing in checkout experiences enable brands to optimize payment methods and enhance the user experience.

• Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
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• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
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Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!