Episodes

  • Rewind: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

    Rewind: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
    Sep 23 2026

    Welcome to Future Commerce Rewind, where we revisit our deepest and most enduring conversations. This week, we're playing back our April 2025 conversation with Andrew McLuhan, grandson of Marshall McLuhan and director of The McLuhan Institute. Andrew joins Phillip and Brian to explain why his grandfather's ideas still hold up: the side effects of a technology tend to become its main effects, and the Global Village was never as idyllic as it sounds. AI has become a companion, an advisor and a shopping assistant. McLuhan's asks the core question: what do our new tools extend, and what do they change about us?

    Associated Links:
    • Get your ticket to VISIONS Summit: NYC
    • Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
    • Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print
    • Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
    • Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

    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!


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    1 hr and 48 mins
  • *TEASER* The Oreogate Lady Is NOT Real!

    *TEASER* The Oreogate Lady Is NOT Real!
    Sep 10 2026

    Can anyone tell the staged from the real anymore? On today’s After Dark: We’re growing increasingly certain that everything is fake now. Amazon drones delivering your package to the deep end of your backyard pool? Curiosity bait. A bunch of Kindergarten moms actually keeping up in a group thread? A Suno commercial. That behind-the-scenes footage? AI-generated – but you watched it, didn’t you? PLUS: The minds of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim have converged to craft what’s anticipated to be one of the most compelling documentaries we’ve ever seen.

    This episode is exclusive to Future Commerce Plus members. Subscribe to listen at www.futurecommerce.com/plus.


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    2 mins
  • Cartographies of Meaning

    Cartographies of Meaning
    Sep 11 2026

    Nikita Walia and Elliot Vredenburg of U.N.N.A.M.E.D. Studios took to the VISIONS stage at MoMA last year to enlighten a room of retail executives and brand marketers about the realities of worldbuilding. Their theory: a brand’s final form is decided by the public—and the strategist's job is to navigate that story, not control it. And they use Mercator, Buckminster Fuller, Guy Debord, free public Wi-Fi, and an acne sticker to back up their claims.

    Mapping Meaning Isn’t About Being RightKey takeaways:
    • Branding isn't worldbuilding because worldbuilding just imposes another set of rules
    • A three-hundred-page brand book is obsolete the day it ships, and rebrands every five to ten years are theater for stakeholders
    • The public decides a brand's final form, not the guidelines deck
    • Regenerative brands are always rebranding
    • [00:00:25] "Counter to what you've heard today, branding is not, in fact, worldbuilding." — Nikita Walia
    • [00:04:34] "This is sameness being sold to us as a form of consistency." — Nikita Walia
    • [00:15:45] "It's not about being right. It's about being useful, and useful in motion." — Elliot Vredenburg
    • [00:17:09] "A regenerative brand doesn't need to rebrand every five to ten years because it's always rebranding." — Elliot Vredenburg
    In-Show Mentions:
    • The Mercator projection (1569) and Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Map
    • Superstudio, The Continuous Monument
    • Guy Debord and psychogeography
    • LinkNYC
    • Burberry, Daniel Lee, Demna's Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli
    • Starface
    Associated Links:
    • Read Alicia Esposito's companion essay, The New Meaning of Brand Building: Cartographies of Meaning
    • Watch the original session at VISIONS Summit: Cartographies of Meaning
    • Hear Dami Lee's VISIONS session, The Stories Behind Our Spaces
    • Listen to Building Culturally Intelligent Brands with Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel
    • Revisit The Anti-Blands, Existential Brands, and the New Dadaism
    • Read Surface Culture: When Brands Mistake Wallpaper for Authenticity
    • Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
    • Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print
    • Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
    • Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

    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!



    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    22 mins
  • Separating Real Signals from the Noise

    Separating Real Signals from the Noise
    Sep 16 2026
    The in-house research team has hollowed out, and the LLMs picking up the slack are only delivering their best guesses. Merciv, the agentic brain behind Future Commerce’s Signal Reports, has set out to deliver auditable, defensible, and unified reporting solutions — and it’s redefining what brands are capable of achieving in-house in the process. Phillip and Alicia welcome Merciv co-founder and CEO Shaia Erlbaum to the show to talk about how brands can read signals in real time, and verify their relevancy. Shaia argues that data itself is commoditizing, but verification is not. The most honest consumer signal lives too deep for surveys to reach, which is why our Signal Reports are looking deeper than stated behaviors and are telling completely new kinds of retail and culture stories.The Toothpaste Doesn't Lie Key takeaways:Insights teams keep shrinking while the C-suite depends on them more than ever.Surveys capture posturing. Forums, reviews, and comment sections capture behavior.Data is commoditizing. Proprietary brand knowledge is the durable moat.The first Signal Report, a collaboration between Future Commerce and Merciv, maps where GLP-1s removed cultural friction – and where friction migrated to."Almost everyone answering a survey question about how many times they brush their teeth in a day will say twice. But if you actually look at those sales figures, they simply don't sell enough toothpaste." — Shaia Erlbaum"These models aren't built to tell you, 'Hey, I don't know.'" — Shaia Erlbaum"There's a world where data's already becoming a commodity… a lot of the real advantage is less rooted in which model's more intelligent, but more so in to what degree can we actually verify the information we're coming across." — Shaia Erlbaum"The office of the CMO is becoming more of an individual contributor role." — Phillip JacksonIn-Show Mentions:Merciv: merciv.com"Frictionless Wellness: GLP-1s and What Comes After the Age of Autonomy" – the first Future Commerce Signal Report, powered by Merciv.LORE, our newest book on who really writes your brand's story. Get it in the Future Commerce shop.Associated Links:Read the first Signal Report, Frictionless Wellness: GLP-1s and What Comes After the Age of AutonomyInsiders 204: The Ozempic Effect: How GLP-1s Rewrote the Gospel of Self-LoveEpisode 435: Predictions 2026: Prepare for the Age of AutonomyEpisode 367: AI Agents Are Here. "Brands" Might Be In Danger.Episode 447: The Agent Has Left the BuildingCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave 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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    44 mins
  • Retail Media In Your Ears: Inside Dollar General's 21,000-Store Audio Network

    Retail Media In Your Ears: Inside Dollar General's 21,000-Store Audio Network
    Sep 2 2026
    The next big advertising opportunity is here. The audio systems in Dollar General’s 21,000 stores connect shoppers with advertisers and drive loyalty. Austin Leonard, VP and GM of Dollar General Media Network (DGMN), sits down with Phillip and Alicia to explain why the retailer has doubled down on audio and the role that non-endemic advertisers play in his long-term vision. “The Cocktail Party Effect” Key takeaways: In-store audio is getting programmatic optimization so DG’s sponsors can serve ads at the best time of day and in the best-suited markets. Non-endemic only works in-store if it clears the near-endemic bar: shopper relevance.Dollar General’s 21,000 stores across suburban, urban, and rural markets are often the only stores in town, making its ad inventory a community utility. The Yellow Glasses Project pairs brand partners with the DG Literacy Foundation via iHeartRadio.[00:18:10] Phillip: "This is the power that I think audio has that nothing else has; it can catch your attention even when you're focused on something else."[00:32:40] Austin Leonard: "I call that the last mile of eCommerce for the last mile of America."[00:36:15] Austin Leonard: "The next era of retail media is really about accountability and also telling our story for our unique audiences." In-Show Mentions: Find Austin Leonard on LinkedInMore about DG Media NetworkYellow Glasses ProjectiHeartMedia, DG Literacy Foundation partnership featuring Bobby BonesListen to Future Commerce’s episode with Collin Colburn of IAB Associated Links: More retail media coverage on Future Commerce retail media hubRead: Insiders 237: “Vertical Dramas” and the New Era of Commerce MediaListen: LIVE from Shoptalk Spring: Retail Media Confessions, Hype Cycles, and the Creator ReckoningRead: Ad Infinitum: Retail Media is The Final Boss VISIONS Summit at MoMA, New York City: Join us on November 3Watch: Future Commerce on YouTubeJoin Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future Commerce 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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    40 mins
  • 2026 Signals We’re Tracking: Commerce Evolves (Again), the Monoculture is Back, and Celebrity Prevails?

    2026 Signals We’re Tracking: Commerce Evolves (Again), the Monoculture is Back, and Celebrity Prevails?
    Aug 26 2026

    Phillip sits solo to unpack conflicting economic signals: Shopify's monster quarter against a Census report showing eCommerce eating share while retail overall slows. What does this mean for brick-and-mortar? Although stores still make up most retail sales, their mission and value have shifted. The good has become secondary to the experience of acquiring it. Plus, he breaks down why the monoculture returned in a summer of shared events, and what's on the FC docket through November 3rd.

    The Monoculture Isn’t Dead, It’s On Substack Key takeaways:
    • Commerce is growing (online sales grew at nearly twice retail’s pace in 2025), but it’s growing by disappearing into everything else.
    • The product itself is secondary to the experience of purchasing it.
    • The monoculture isn't dead; it’s been revived by sport, tours, and global events.
    • "There is a monoculture now of people writing about the summer of the monoculture on their Substack."
    • "You're not just communicating your vision anymore to the human capital within your business; you now have to communicate vision to machines and put it into machine language. Because increasingly, we are automating more and more of our vision, and it's going on autopilot."
    In-Show Mentions:
    • See our Celebrity Brands Hub before the Signal Report launches
    • Spotify Summer Trends Report
    • Get your early bird ticket for VISIONS Summit: NYC
    Associated Links:
    • Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
    • Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print
    • Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
    • Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

    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!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    28 mins
  • Shopify Earnings Go Wild, and American Retail is OVER.

    Shopify Earnings Go Wild, and American Retail is OVER.
    Aug 19 2026

    Phillip and Alicia open the back-to-school season with a modern dichotomy: NRF data shows shoppers playing chicken, while Shopify posts a quarter where agentic traffic tripled. PLUS: After a summer abroad in London, Phillip reflects on behaviors unique to U.S. shoppers.

    Get ‘Em While They’re Young

    Key takeaways:

    • Retailers are manufacturing visible human effort as a hedge against frictionless AI commerce.
    • Play is a form of consumption. Browsing kids are already converting.
    • Back-to-school splits into two camps: early movers and deal holdouts.
    • Shopify's agentic traffic tripled as answer engines are becoming a back-to-school search surface.
    • U.S. share of wallet favors experience, forcing a fusion of retail and hospitality.
    • [00:17:11] Alicia: "When you create these spaces that are conducive to young people, you're kind of creating this magnet moment that ultimately motivates them to shop."
    • [00:28:18] Phillip: "What’s really wild about the mini brands thing is…we all complain about shrinkflation, then also buy the mini of something, which is a premiumization of a per-unit cost…We are irrational by nature, and brands would do well to play at both ends of the spectrum."
    • [00:40:17] Alicia: "[Søstrene Grene] almost feels like it's more high-touch because it's kind of imperfect."
    Associated Links:
    • Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
    • Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print
    • Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
    • Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

    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!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    51 mins
  • Enter Through the Gift Shop: Inside MoMA's Retail Journey

    Enter Through the Gift Shop: Inside MoMA's Retail Journey
    Aug 12 2026

    MoMA welcomes three million people to its Midtown campus in a good year. But the beloved cultural institution now has the power to reach multiples of that through a hoodie, a Lego set, and a chicken-shaped cutting board. Chief Retail Officer, Jesse Goldstine, joins the show to explain how MoMA inverted the museum retail model, how every product in the store thoughtfully ties back to MoMA’s art, and where the design institution draws the line between rolling out AI partnerships while protecting human craft.

    Until the AI Overlords Say Otherwise Key takeaways:
    • Museums historically have defaulted to funneling visitors through the gift shop last. MoMA inverted the formula, shifting the museum’s point-of-entry to retail channels.
    • Cutting SKUs in SoHo raised productivity per SKU and clarified brand identity.
    • Licensing starts and ends with one question: why MoMA?
    • Discovery and gifting resist automation in ways basic replenishment does not.
    • [00:24:04] Jesse: "The DNA of our business is rooted in decisions made by humans in our curatorial department…I will continue to defer to them and put my faith in them until our AI overlords tell me that I need to behave differently."
    • [00:26:43] Jesse: "There's something really special about our brand that... will sort of inoculate it against some sort of automated sock repurchase every six months."
    In-Show Mentions:
    • Join us at VISIONS: NYC at MoMa on November 3!
    • MoMA Design Stores
    • MoMA licensing partners: LEGO, Mattel Creations, Uniqlo, Champion
    Associated Links:
    • More on the intersection of art, culture, and commerce: Insiders #186
    • Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
    • Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print
    • Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
    • Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

    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!


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