Future Commerce

Katherine Dee, internet culture writer and mastermind behind her popular AM-style call-in show, joins us to explore the archaeology of online life. From dissecting the Friend AI pendant's failed attempt at god replacement to chronicling e-girl evolution in her Meta Label publication, Katherine offers an unvarnished look at how we're moving beyond relentless content production. The conversation navigates haunted objects, the fragmentation of social platforms, and why the future might be more mystical than algorithmic. As AI reshapes proof itself, Katherine argues we're witnessing a cultural shift toward physical witnessing and enchanted meaning-making.

Halloween Horror Nights wasn't always a $575M-per-park juggernaut. When Universal launched Fright Nights in 1991 with just three experimental nights and $12 tickets, they stumbled onto something bigger than a haunted house…they uncovered retail's thirteenth month of revenue. In this Spooky Commerce special, we trace how October became the secret weapon for combating theme park slumps, why Spirit Halloween's pop-up model prints money in dead malls, and what happens when horror becomes the ultimate immersive commerce experience.

Producers JT and Sarah join the show to unpack some fresh Spooky Commerce news, including Matt Rife and Elton Castee's venture into property and museum ownership. As Annabelle's (yes, that Annabelle) new legal guardians, Matt and Elton are selling overnight ghost hunting stays at the Warren home and Occult Museum for a cool $2,000/night. Plus: We explore the suspicious death of a lead paranormal investigator close to Annabelle, our generational haunting by microplastics, and the Pooniverse.

Nearly 40% of Gen Z now chooses Pinterest over traditional search engines, and a growing number of this demographic is shifting to the platform to escape the chaos found in other social apps. The company’s VP of Ads Product Marketing, Julie Towns, reveals why this cohort’s innate desire for creative expression and curation is also driving this shift. Another growing audience for Pinterest? Men who now represent over a third of the platform's users, seeking everything from Pilates routines to parenting advice.

Plus, we dig into how the platform's "taste graph" of 500 billion human-curated pins predicts trends a year in advance, and what brands can expect to drive Spooky Season sales.

Rene Federico, US Head of Marketing at Primark, joins Future Commerce to discuss the international retailer's first major marketing push in America after a decade of organic growth and physical retail expansion. Drawing on over 20 years at heritage brands like Nike and Converse, she shares insights on building brand relevance in a performance-obsessed era, translating the "joy of shopping" to different US markets, and why the customer should always be the hero of the story.

In a climate where most consumers are concerned about tariffs (84%) and inflation (80%), the holiday season is poised to be a battlefield for retention and revenue. Optimove’s Moshe Demri, SVP of Global Revenue, joins Future Commerce to walk through the 2025 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report and explain why the “charm customer” (those responsive to modest 10%-15% discounts) may be the key to sustainable growth.

Phillip and Brian react to Albania’s pixelated AI minister Diella taking over public procurement, then ask the real question: if a bot signs the checks, who writes its prompts. They push for oversight, warn how blind efficiency squeezes human flourishing, and trace the slide from “optimization” to 996 work culture.

Are the days of product hype, Black Friday rushes, and format innovation behind us? Phillip, Brian, and Alicia hold Shoptalk Fall conversations to the light of agentic culture and predict an increasingly inevitable flattening of tangible novelty. PLUS: Alicia brings on-the-ground insight and breaks down key highlights and impactful sessions from Shoptalk Fall.

Digital Shelf Institute’s Lauren Livak Gilbert joins us in the future: By 2030, successful commerce professionals will function as orchestrators rather than specialists. This transformation requires organizations to shift from hierarchical pyramid structures to more dynamic, amoeba-like models that can pivot rapidly to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities.

Ingrid Millman Cordy returns to Future Commerce after her transition from Nestle Health Science to Chief Marketing Officer at HigherDose, where she's transforming infrared therapy and biohacking technologies into accessible wellness lifestyle products for everyone. Phillip, Brian, and Ingrid explore the intersection of intuitive wellness practices with data-driven marketing, the evolution of brand spirituality, and how premium wellness brands are finding their place between science and the metaphysical.