This week, we are talking Home Depot’s b-hole reminiscent chatbot and vibecoding JD Vance’s face. Plus—the biggest mystery in American shopping: why does TJ Maxx make people need to poop? Also on tap: Apple’s iPad launch cringefest and a surprising rise in Android smartphone adoption among creatives AND finance bros alike.

The Rise of Butthole LogosKey takeaways:

• Home Depot's "Magic Apron" and Lowe's "Milo" chatbots launched within hours of each other—proving that every brand now needs an AI assistant, even if they all look the same.
• AI is speeding towards eliminating websites as we know them—future shopping experiences will be conversations, not catalogs.
• Apple's recent marketing attempts are wildly out of touch—trends about trends are dead, but nobody told Tim Cook.
• Are we Pavlov-ing ourselves into using the bathroom at TJMaxx? All signs point to yes
• Vibe coding is taking over—non-coders can now generate functional apps, proving that AI isn’t just summarizing things anymore—it’s building them from scratch.
• [00:01:19] “Eenie meenie miney Milo. Home Depot's chatbot looks like a b-hole.” - Phillip
• [00:55:05] “AI is fundamentally changing the way we interact with software. Convenience is the ultimate aim of technology, and we're just at the beginning of this shift.” - Brian

Links:

• In-show mention: Purchase The Lore Journal
• In-show mention: Home Depot Chatbot and Press Release
• In-show mention: TJMaxx Reddit Thread
• In-show mention: Register for Shoptalk Afterparty
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This episode of Future Commerce is brought to you by Future Commerce Plus and our sponsors Omnisend and MotionApp and Keen Decision Systems.