The internet promised to bring the world's stores directly to us. But in chasing convenience over everything, has it killed the high street, gutted retailers, and replaced the experience of shopping with a transaction?

We're joined by Joe Zahaitis, a payments industry strategist with over 30 years experience in the high-velocity digital marketplace - giving him an insider's view of what happens when we trade a sensory, social experience for an impersonal digital one that leaves most retailers in a tech-driven race to the bottom.

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

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In this episode we investigate how e-commerce dismantled the high street and the community spaces built around it, examine the psychological effects of instant gratification and what it's done to our relationship with shopping, explore the trust and transparency challenges of buying in a world you can't touch or see, and ask whether AI and personalisation can ever replace what’s been lost.

00:00 - The transformation of retail in the digital age

03:02 - How e-commerce reshaped society beyond just shopping

06:08 - The rise of instant gratification and what it costs us

08:49 - Customer service in the digital age: better or worse?

12:07 - The future of local retail: survival or slow death?

14:46 - Trust and transparency in online shopping

18:04 - The role of AI in shaping consumer experiences

21:01 - The psychological effects of online shopping on behaviour and identity

23:52 - Digital payments and the friction they remove - and create

26:54 - Where online retail goes from here - and what gets left behind

Guest links – Joe Zahaitis

Website: https://www.zahaitis.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joezahaitis/