Then, Nike's latest innovation shake-up: new chief Andy Caine steps in as the stock slides 32%, with Project Amplify, Nike Mind, and Aerofit on the horizon.

The Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara - the agentic AI platform automating global tax and compliance for leading eCommerce brands. For more details: https://avalaratax.watsonweekly.com/

Finally, Amazon's $200B and Google's $185B infrastructure bets — and why Sundar Pichai spends an hour a week personally rationing compute.

Subscribe to the newsletter at watsonweekly.com.

Chris Silver (CTO, JustFoodforDogs), Gina Lombardo (VP of Digital, Retrofête), and Dave Finnegan (Managing Director, BlackFinn Partners) go head-to-head on three questions the entire industry is dancing around:

Will ads ever work inside AI agents — or does injecting ads into a trusted conversation destroy the whole model? Is agentic commerce actually going to drive incremental revenue, or is it a hype cycle with a nice deck? And the big one: are websites doomed when an AI agent can just buy for you?

The answers are more nuanced — and more honest — than what you're hearing from the main stage. Topics include cost-per-action ad models, why "retail therapy" isn't going away, how luxury brands could use agents to increase AOV, the consumer trust crisis around hallucinations, and why your product data strategy matters more than your payments infrastructure right now.

If you're a merchant trying to figure out what to actually do about agentic commerce in 2026, this is the conversation.

The Agentic Debate Series Lunch @ Shoptalk Las Vegas 2026, Presented by Logicbroker, was sponsored by Logicbroker, Avalara, SCAYLE, and Fortier.

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

01:45 - Rick Watson setting the scene/background

05:10 - Panel members welcomed

07:35 - Will ads ever work in a trusted medium?

24:43 - Sponsor message from Logicbroker CEO Omar Qari

24:13 - Agentic commerce: a nothingburger or incremental?

49:38 - Sponsor message from SCAYLE Commerce Engine, Jake Wright

52:07 - Are websites doomed?

#watsonliveatshoptalk #agenticcommerce #nothingburger #advertising #website

This Watson Weekly episode covers:

The Amazon-USPS tentative deal and what a 20% volume reduction actually signals about Amazon's logistics endgame.

The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara - the agentic AI platform automating global tax and compliance for leading eCommerce brands. For more details: https://avalaratax.watsonweekly.com

New April 2026 data on Buy Now Pay Later — not an acquisition tool, a retention weapon.

Walmart-backed Eko and the quiet war for AI-ready product catalogs.

How Revolve turns an absurd return rate into a full-price sales machine.

The Investor Minute with Accenture's Ookla acquisition, ProfitMind's Series A, Lio's $30M procurement automation raise, and OpenAI buying Promptfoo.

Revolve runs a 60% return rate — triple the online average — and just posted a 60% profit surge. They explain how baking return costs into margins and offering frictionless two-day shipping produces 80% full-price sell-through and a customer base that treats their bedroom like a fitting room. Physical storefronts in Aspen and LA are next.

The Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara — automated tax compliance built for Shopify merchants, from calculation to returns. For more details: https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Lowe's just launched Home Care Plus: $99 a year gets you two Red Vest associate visits for dryer vent cleaning, HVAC filter swaps, smoke detector batteries, and water heater flushes. The real story is what Lowe's gets in return — appliance age data and a direct line to upsell the aging homeowner market.

And Buy Now, Pay Later is no longer just a checkout option. Millennials and Gen Z are 13x more likely than Baby Boomers to choose a merchant based on available financing. Fifty-five percent of Gen Z say installment options influence their choice of healthcare provider. BNPL is now a customer acquisition channel — and merchants paying 4.5–5% in fees may be getting the better end of the deal.

Shopify's partner town hall reveals a company that treats API chaos as a brand attribute — and why that's a problem for any hyperscaler ambition.

Lowe's bets $99 can put a red vest inside your home twice a year, and why that physical touchpoint is worth more than any app can replicate.

The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara — automated tax compliance built for Shopify merchants, from calculation to returns. For more details: https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

USPS wants an 8% fuel surcharge — the first in its history — and what the gap between that and Amazon's 3.5% tells you about structural efficiency.

And Allbirds is done: not restructuring, not pivoting — dissolved, with a $4 billion brand selling for $39 million.

Plus the Investor Minute: Zipline's $200M Series H, Cintas acquiring UniFirst for $5.5B, OpenAI snapping up Astral, Puratos buying Dawn Foods, and why Bark isn't going private yet.

The Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara — automated tax compliance built for Shopify merchants, from calculation to returns. For more details: https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Topics this week: whether Tim Cook's Apple needs a visionary or just needs to win in AI, what Amazon's Rivr and Fauna acquisitions tell you about where last-mile delivery is actually going, and why Allbirds is a cautionary tale that applies to almost every DTC brand built on a single product. Plus: ambient AI through AirPods, the Rounders theory of the AI market, and why Rick switched from ChatGPT to Claude.

Subscribe for weekly retail and commerce analysis: watsonweekly.com

In this special Kaplan Wednesday episode, Nick takes the research prompts Watson built for his agentic commerce analysis and turns them on the very stories they were designed to interrogate.

On the docket: Adyen's white paper claiming infrastructure is the constraint on agentic commerce (it isn't — and their own 95% AML false positive rate says why). Shopify's one-toggle Agentic Storefront promise and the data ownership problem it quietly creates. Klaviyo and Reebok Europe's Locale Aware Catalogs announcement — and the 149,999 merchants who aren't Reebok. The EU AI Act, which starts enforcement in five months and would like a word with every agentic protocol on the market. And the number that breaks every GMV projection: only 14% of shoppers trust AI recommendations enough to transact.

The Kaplan Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. — automated tax compliance built for Shopify merchants, from calculation to returns. For more details: https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

The constraint isn't infrastructure. It's trust. Build that first.

Happy April Fools. Rick will be back next week.

Subscribe for weekly retail and commerce analysis: watsonweekly.com

#ecommerce #kaplanwednesday #AIact #watsonwednesday

This episode cuts through the agentic commerce noise. We get into what AEO (Agentic Commerce Optimization) actually requires operationally, why Shopify continues to eat the market while facing real limits at enterprise scale, and what the Stripe-Shopify relationship tells you about where payments infrastructure is heading.

The Watson Weekend is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara, visit - https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Plus: the honest conversation about AI ads, MCP protocols, and why building an AI Council too early might be the fastest way to slow your company down.

Fix your margin problem first. Agentic commerce will not rescue a broken business model — it will just surface the damage faster.

Subscribe to the Watson Weekly newsletter: https://www.watsonweekly.com

In this episode, Rick Watson interviews and discusses the real shift happening in customer support — not chatbots replacing agents, but human teams moving from execution to orchestration. Darren calls it the "digital colleague" framework: start AI on low-risk work, build trust through auditability, and expand its scope as it earns it.

The Watson Weekly interview is sponsored by Avalara — automated tax compliance built for Shopify merchants, from calculation to returns. For more details: https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

We also dig into a number most brands are sitting on without realizing it: 30–40% of support tickets are pre-purchase questions. Not complaints. Buying signals. And AI can convert those around the clock.

What you'll hear:

1. Why AI mistakes feel scarier than human mistakes — and whether that fear is rational
2. The "glass box" approach to AI transparency that actually builds team trust
3. How support roles are evolving from typing to judgment
4. Why the fundamentals — speed, accuracy, reduced uncertainty — haven't changed and won't

If you've been watching AI take over the support conversation and wondering where your team fits, this one's for you.

#CustomerSupport #AIinEcommerce #watsonweekly #interview

OpenAI's internal "code red" and what a pivot to enterprise and coding revenue actually signals ahead of a potential IPO; Dollar General and Dollar Tree earnings — both beating expectations, but with very different stories underneath the numbers; Apollo's credit chief calling private equity valuations "literally fiction," and why that matters for tech-focused PE portfolios still carrying COVID-era marks; and the three questions Rick is bringing to his Agentic Debate at Shoptalk this week — including whether brands are being sold snake oil on AI.

Plus the Investor Minute: Agent Mail, Rhoda AI, Cart.com, Ernesta, and Quince.

Watson Weekly is Sponsored by Avalara — Shopify's tax automation partner for US and global compliance., for more details: https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Dollar General doubled its operating profit, Dollar Tree shed Family Dollar and beat estimates, and Five Below kept growing — while 99 Cents Only filed for bankruptcy. The value shift is real, and it's not just low-income shoppers driving it.

Amazon is moving Prime Day to June. Is this a Q2 earnings play, a back-to-school land grab, or both? And what does that mean for Walmart, Target, and everyone else chasing the same wallet?

The Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara, visit - https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Then: the agentic reboot. Adyen's co-CEO drops a white paper on infrastructure problems in agentic commerce. OpenAI's applications chief reportedly called a "code red" on internal focus. Amazon is adding senior engineer oversight to rein in autonomous code. Anthropic is quietly picking up enterprise market share — and OpenAI's people. Rick's verdict: we are in the early innings, and the wholesale strategy changes are just beginning.

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome & Intro

01:14 — Dollar Store Earnings: Why Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Five Below are winning — and who isn't

04:24 — Amazon Prime Day Moves to June

07:23 — The Agentic Reboot: Adyen's white paper, OpenAI's "code red," Anthropic's enterprise surge, and what it all means for brands building on AI

The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara, visit - https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Tom sat down with Rick Watson to talk about what he's actually seeing on the ground as AI enters supply chain — and the answer is more nuanced than most headlines suggest.

Three things worth your time from this episode:

1. The trust gap is real and measurable. Radial surveyed 1,000 US consumers: nearly two-thirds are uncomfortable sharing payment information with AI agents. That's not a technology problem — it's a brand problem operators need to solve first.
2. Most AI projects are failing their ROI test right now — and that's expected. Tom's crawl, walk, run framework isn't a hedge; it's a diagnosis. Demand forecasting and pick-path optimization have measurable returns today. Fully autonomous warehouse orchestration does not — yet.
3. Agentic commerce has a data standards problem nobody is talking about. Radial is a founding member of ONX — the Order Network Exchange — an open industry standard for how order, inventory, and fulfillment data moves between systems. Agentic commerce only works if agents read the same language. That work is already underway.

Plus: the history of GSI Commerce, how Michael Rubin invented the direct-to-consumer industry, and why Fred Smith's old line about FedEx still tells you everything about where supply chain AI is headed.

Subscribe to the Newsletter: Get it at https://www.watsonweekly.com/subscribe

The Watson Weekly Interview is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara, visit - https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/

Salesforce Marketing Cloud posted -1% growth in Q4 FY2026 — the end of four years of deceleration and the start of something worse. Rebranding to Agentforce doesn't fix a product growth problem, and acquisitions are a slower fix than they look.

The Watson Weekly is also sponsored by Mirakl. You don't need another tool; you need a growth partner. The Mirakl platform is powering the next era of retail for brands and retailers who are ready to move, powered by AI and built for what's next.

Costco reported $2B in revenue, up 13.8%, driven by a limited SKU model and a merchandising strategy that creates genuine discovery. Digital is working too — personalized carousels drove $470M in e-commerce sales. The CEO is watching tariffs closely for the next 150 days.

And the big structural story: retail's share of total consumer spending dropped from 34.3% in 2022 to 30.8% in Q4 2025. Amazon is absorbing the majority of what remains. The market is consolidating around Walmart and Costco for necessities and Amazon for everything discretionary — leaving mid-market and specialty retail in a structurally difficult position.

Investor minute covers 5 stories from the world of IPOs, funding, private equity and more.

#watsonweekly #stripe #costco #salesforcemarketingcloud #walmart #amazon

Dick's Sporting Goods is number three in the App Store. Nike is running a PR campaign dressed as a turnaround. And the consumer spending data has already picked the winners of the next decade of retail — most people just aren't reading it correctly.

The Watson Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara.

This week: what Dick's Move app gets right that every other retailer gets wrong about loyalty, why Elliot Hill's "innovation platforms" are a story for investors and not consumers, and what a nine-point drop in retail's share of consumer spending actually means for Amazon, Walmart, and everyone else fighting for what's left.

The short version: utility beats AI features. NPS doesn't fix itself with a robot shoe. And if you're not Amazon or Walmart, you need a reason to exist — not a broader assortment.

#watsonweeklyweekend #dickssportinggoods #nike #amazon #walmart

Anne-Claire shares how she went from a passion for sci-fi and mathematics to leading AI transformation at scale — spanning French national rail, a refurbished car marketplace IPO, and now a bold mandate at Mirakl: disrupt the business responsibly with AI.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

1. Why 95% of AI projects fail to deliver ROI — and it's not the technology's fault
2. How Mirakl jumped from 50% to 95% Gen AI adoption by eliminating the "copy and paste game"
3. The self-driving car framework (L0 → L1 → L2) and how to use it to assess your own SaaS AI journey
4. How Mirakl's Catalog Transformer reduced categorization errors by 50% and cut onboarding time from 15 days to under 2 hours
5. Why solving the right problem matters more than solving a problem the right way
6. What agent commerce means for the future of retail — and how Mirakl Nexus is preparing for it

Whether you're a product leader, an AI executive, or building B2B SaaS, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons on strategy, adoption, and shipping AI that actually works.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on commerce, technology, and the future of retail. 📧 Newsletter: watsonweekly.com

Chapters:

1. 0:00 – Introduction
2. 2:00 – Anne-Claire's background & career journey
3. 6:30 – AI adoption inside Mirakl: from 50% to 95%
4. 11:00 – The "copy and paste" problem & agentic unlock
5. 15:00 – Catalog Transformer: L0 to L2 explained
6. 20:00 – Choosing the right problems to solve
7. 23:00 – Agent commerce & the road ahead

#ArtificialIntelligence #AIStrategy #GenerativeAI #AgenticAI #AIAdoption

The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara visit - https://www.avalara.watsonweekly.com/

🛒 Shopify vs. AI Agents — Shopify is making a bold bet: positioning itself as the back office of record for the agentic web. But if LLMs keep getting smarter, does the middleware even survive? Rick walks through two scenarios that every e-commerce operator needs to understand.

💳 The Stripe Annual Letter — $1.9 trillion in payment volume, a "stablecoin summer," and a controversial vision for Level 5 agentic commerce (AI that buys things before you ask). Is this a consumer-friendly future or a payments provider's dream dressed up as progress?

The Watson Weekly is also sponsored by Mirakl. You don't need another tool; you need a growth partner. The Mirakl platform is powering the next era of retail for brands and retailers who are ready to move, powered by AI and built for what's next.

🤖 The Amazon-OpenAI $50B Deal — What it means for AWS, Nvidia, and Alexa — and the one glaring thing that's missing from the deal that tells you everything about how these negotiations really work.

🚚 The Logistics Rollup — Thoma Bravo is merging Auctane (ShipStation, Stamps.com, Metapack) with WWEX Group to build an end-to-end logistics intelligence stack. Could this be the most important supply chain bet of the decade?

Plus: this week's Investor Minute covers Salesforce's acquisition of Momentum, Aritzia's buy of Fred Segal, and two fresh seed rounds in supply chain tech.

📬 Subscribe to Rick's newsletter: watsonweekly.com 🎙️ Find the podcast on all major platforms.

#WatsonWeekly #AgenticAI #Stripe #Shopify #OpenAI #Amazon

We start with Target’s latest earnings, where a 1.7% dip in net sales has triggered a major turnaround strategy focused on beauty, food, and the Target Circle 360 premium membership. Then, we dive into Shopify’s investor event to discuss Agentic Commerce—is AI the new front door for online shopping?

Finally, we analyze the massive $50 billion investment/partnership between Amazon and OpenAI. Why is Amazon mandating the use of its Trainium chips, and what does this mean for the future of AWS?

The Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara.

Key Chapters

0:00 - Introduction

0:49 - Target Earnings: Sales Slump & The 2026 Turnaround

6:09 - Shopify’s Agentic Commerce Front Door

9:50 - Amazon & OpenAI: The $110 Billion Funding Round

#retailtech #Amazon #OpenAI #Shopify #TargetEarnings #EcommerceNews #AICommerce #AWS #WatsonWeekly

In this episode, Rick Watson breaks down the split personalities of Meta, the agentic jump ball between Shopify and Stripe, and why UPS finds itself in an incredibly tight spot between Amazon and union contracts. Whether you’re a David moving fast or a Goliath trying to transform, these are the trends you cannot afford to ignore.

Inside the Briefing

1. Amazon’s AI & Grocery Bet: Online stores are a $278 billion business. While physical retail has struggled, Amazon is doubling down on Whole Foods with a 20% increase in store count. Meanwhile, they are pouring $200 billion into capital expenditure, primarily for data centers and chips to fuel their AI driver.
2. The Walmart Juggernaut: Walmart is executing at an elite level, with 60% of stores now using automated freight and 50% of e-commerce shipments being automated. Their membership and ads business has scaled significantly, reaching one-third of Amazon’s operating profit.
3. The Shopify/Stripe Power Couple: Shopify saw a 30% revenue increase to $11.5 billion. Their B2B sector is a hidden gem, growing 96%. Notably, 64 cents of every dollar in Shopify’s merchant services business goes to their partner, Stripe.
4. Meta’s $83 Billion Gamble: Meta’s advertising business remains highly profitable with a 30% operating margin, but the Reality Labs division has lost $83 billion to date. Mark Zuckerberg is betting that smart glasses will be a cognitive necessity within five years.
5. UPS & PayPal in Transition: UPS is facing a massive volume decline as Amazon moves a million parcels a day away from their network. PayPal is currently described as a ship without a rudder, with rumors circulating that the company—or its crown jewel, Venmo—could be headed for a sale.

The biggest risk right now isn't being small; it's being a giant that cannot move. If you're an underdog, use your speed to your advantage because you can move faster than the incumbents.

Check out the full newsletter and more insights at: www.watsonweekly.com.

Huge thanks to our sponsors:

1. Avalara: The gold standard in tax and compliance solutions.
2. Kasama: A premier software integrator and agency.

Chapters:

Introduction

Amazon commentary

Meta commentary

Shopify commentary

PayPal commentary

UPS commentary

Walmart commentary

#watsonweekly #webinar #amazon #meta #shopify #paypal #ups #walmart

1. Walmart Continues Its Tear: eCom Growth at 27%
2. Perplexity Abandons Advertising to Maintain User Trust
3. The Great Parcel Reconfiguration No One is Talking About
4. About That 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis

- and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.watsonweekly.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@WatsonWeekly

The retail and fintech worlds are moving faster than a 150-day tariff cycle, and this week, Watson Weekly Weekend edition hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky break down the seismic shifts you can’t afford to ignore. From "sharks in the water" at PayPal to Walmart’s sneaky-good transformation into a tech-first powerhouse, we’re unpacking the data behind the headlines.

Is Stripe about to carve up the "Good Ship PayPal" to fuel its own world domination? And how has Walmart managed to win over the $100k+ crowd while automating its way to record margins? We’re diving deep into the "tale of two cities" in consumer spending and why being "bold" is the only strategy for 2026.

In this episode:

1. The PayPal Pivot: Why Stripe might be circling Venmo and what it means for the future of Stablecoin.
2. Tariff Redo: Navigating the Supreme Court’s recent ruling and why your CFO shouldn't be the one making marketing decisions.
3. Walmart’s Trillion-Dollar Climb: How 72% grocery penetration and automated fulfillment are widening the gap with the competition.
4. Agentic Commerce: Is "Sparky" the real deal or just a higher AOV glitter?.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Subscribe to the Newsletter: Get the deep dives Rick and Jess mention at watsonweekly.com.

Join the Conversation: Are you a "turtle shell" business or are you playing for growth this year? Let us know in the comments.

Stay bold. Stay classy.

Chapters:

0:00 - Welcome to the Watson Weekly Weekend

1:00 - PayPal without a captain

6:29 - Trump Tariff Redux

10:06 - Walmart earnings

10:10 - https://youtu.be/K-IPpyhtwMM

#FintechNews #WalmartEarnings #Stripe #PayPal #EcommerceStrategy #WatsonWeekly #BusinessTrends2026 #SupplyChainInnovation #AgenticCommerce

In this episode, Rick Watson sits down with John Roman, CEO of BattlBox, to pull back the curtain on how they survived the collapse of the 2015 subscription craze to become a powerhouse in the outdoor and survival space.

John shares the unfiltered truth about why he prefers the term' membership' over 'subscription box,' and how shifting the focus to community and content saved their business. We dive deep into their unique content strategy—where 15% of their staff is dedicated to video production—and why John believes every modern brand should function like a media company.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

* The "CrateJoy" Origins: How BattlBox validated product-market fit on a niche marketplace before moving to their current scale.

* The Inventory Nightmare: Why scaling to 10,000+ members requires production runs and forecasting six months out.

* The Content Flywheel: Why 80% of BattlBox’s highest-value customers are regular YouTube viewers.

* Hiring Your Customers: The story of how Brandon (Current 1776), a paying customer, became a full-time face of the brand.

* Data-Driven Leadership: How John’s background as a professional poker player influences his obsession with churn, LTV, and retention.

* The Future of D2C: Why John believes 70-75% of their 2026 revenue will still come from their core membership model.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction to BattlBox and Subscription Box Era

0:58 - Evolution from Subscription Box to Membership

5:00 - Inventory Management Challenges

8:53 - The Power of Content and Community

18:02 - The "Current 1776" Story: Hiring Customers as Creators

22:20 - Data-Driven Leadership and Business Metrics

26:10 Advice for Large Retailers and the Future of D2C

Subscribe to the newsletter at https://www.watsonweekly.com/subscribe

1. Stripe’s $140 Billion Question
2. Why Temu is the New Cross-Border Standard
3. The UPS $150k Exit: Strategic Rightsizing or a Teamster Trap?
4. Is Agentic Commerce a Nothingburger? The Agentic Debate Series, presented by Logicbroker.

- and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.watsonweekly.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@WatsonWeekly

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In This Episode

🎭 As the House of Luxury Turns: The Saks Global Saga

We track the "episodic drama" of Saks Global’s decline, from unpaid vendors and empty shelves to the January Chapter 11 filing. We dive into the friction with Amazon and the aggressive store closures impacting Saks Off Fifth and Neiman Marcus.

🛒 Walmart’s $1 Trillion Milestone

Walmart has officially joined the elite tech-heavy $1T market cap club. We discuss how their massive investments in supply chain automation and a "dot-com culture" (thanks to the legacy of Jet.com) are now allowing them to outpace Amazon’s e-commerce growth.

📦 FedEx: Better, Not Bigger

FedEx is pivoting away from "tiny cheap shipments" to focus on high-margin sectors like healthcare and aerospace. We look at their Network 2.0 strategy and how they are navigating the rise of de minimus shipments from players like Shein and TikTok Shop.

+⚠️ The Existential Risks of Big Tech

What keeps CEOs up at night? We identify the "one big risk" for the giants:

1. Amazon: Will the $200B AI backlog actually materialize?
2. Shopify: Is a "high-performance sports team" culture sustainable for a 100-year company?
3. Meta: The massive bet on "face computers" and ongoing legal distractions.
4. OpenAI: The "show me the money" moment and the lack of native distribution.

#Retail #Ecommerce #Walmart #SaksGlobal #FedEx #BigTech #Amazon #SupplyChain #WatsonWeekly

In this Watson Weekly Interview, Rick Watson talks with Dr. Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP and CEO of Satalia, to debunk the biggest myths surrounding Artificial Intelligence. From the changing architecture of software to the rise of "Economic Singularity," Dr. Hulme provides a masterclass on how businesses and individuals can navigate the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

We dive deep into:

1. The Future of SaaS: Why LLMs are amplifying—not killing—software.
2. The WPP Open Strategy: How AI unlocked creativity and content creation at scale.
3. Why AI Projects Fail: From "intoxicated graduate" syndrome to the trap of low-hanging fruit.
4. The Job Market: Transitioning from economic disruption to a world of abundance and UBI.
5. GSO (Generative Search Optimization): Move over SEO—learn how to brand your business inside the "brains" of LLMs.

Whether you are a SaaS founder, a marketer, or simply curious about the future of humanity, this conversation offers a grounded, expert perspective on the AI revolution.

Chapters

1. 0:00 - Introduction to Dr. Daniel Hulme
2. 2:15 - Myth: Is SaaS Dead?
3. 5:40 - The 3-Layer Architecture of Modern Software
4. 8:20 - How WPP Open uses AI for Creative & Content
5. 12:45 - 5 Reasons Your AI Initiative Will Fail
6. 18:30 - AI vs. Jobs: The Path to Economic Singularity
7. 23:10 - Universal Basic Income and the Future of Work
8. 26:50 - Introduction to Generative Search Optimization (GSO)
9. 30:00 - Closing Thoughts: Living Your "True Humanity"

#AI #SaaS #FutureOfWork #WPP #MachineLearning #GenerativeAI #TechTrends

1. Amazon is a Vertically Integrated Utility
2. Shopify Fiscal Year 2025 Earnings: a Pony with One Great Trick, Could it Be More?
3. Kroger Opens a New Marketplace
4. Paypal Earnings and David Marcus

- and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.watsonweekly.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@WatsonWeekly

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In This Episode:

The AI Ad Wars: We review the ads from the big game spots from Claude (Anthropic), OpenAI, and Gemini. Is Anthropic just throwing shade at competitors, or is there a method to the "negative ad" madness?

Target’s Executive Carousel: Target is shuffling the deck chairs again. With a new CEO and a history of moving merchants into marketing roles, we ask: why does Target seem "allergic" to a real CMO?

Spotify vs. Amazon (The Book Edition): In a surprising move, Spotify is partnering with Bookshop.org to sell physical books. We explore why they’re helping independent bookstores while indie artists feel left behind.

Amazon Earnings Deep Dive: AWS is back on "high-speed rail" growth, and the new AI assistant Rufus is already driving billions in sales. Plus, we discuss the genius of the "add to delivery" feature.

Shopify’s AI Strategy: Shopify is growing at nearly 30% a year, but investors have one question: What is the AI strategy? Rick explains why Shopify’s "one trick"—the checkout—is still their greatest strength.

The Watson Weekly Weekend Edition is sponsored by Mirakl: Powering the next era of retail.

Video Timestamps

0:00 - Welcome to Watson Weekend

0:54 - The Big Game Ad Economics: $233,000 Per Second

2:18 - The AI Ad Wars: Anthropic (Claude) vs. OpenAI

3:56 - Google Gemini’s "Heartstrings" Ad Campaign

5:14 - Target’s Leadership Shuffle: Why the "Roach Motel" Strategy?

8:17 - Spotify’s Strange Pivot into Physical Books

9:54 - The Indie Artist Royalty Gap which Should Make Publishers Worried

11:13 - Amazon Earnings: AWS High-Speed Growth & Rufus+2

13:06 - Amazon’s New "Add to Delivery" Feature

14:26 - The Future of Amazon Grocery & Whole Foods

15:05 - Shopify Earnings: B2B and International Growth

16:51 - Shopify’s AI Narrative: "It's the Checkout, Stupid"

19:54 - Final Thoughts

Stay Bold. Stay Classy

Subscribe to our Newsletter: watsonweekly.com and YouTube channel.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. The PE Cycle: Mark’s firsthand experience with private equity acquisitions and the "ticking clock" that begins once the checks clear.
2. The AI Trap: Why clients are demanding AI provisions in contracts and how it’s creating a "margin pressure" that forces agencies to move from deliverables to results-based models.
3. Hiring in the AI Era: The challenges of vetting developers who use AI tools and why "hiring slow and firing fast" is more important than ever.
4. To Replatform or Not?: Mark’s controversial take on why brands should maximize their current tech stacks rather than chasing a "sexy" new platform that may result in a massive internal distraction.

🕒 Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction: Cutting through the Agency Noise

2:15 – Mark’s Journey: From .NET Developer to CEO

5:30 – The Reality of Private Equity and "The Clock"

9:45 – Is the AI Gold Rush a Trap for Agencies?

14:20 – The Evolution of Agency Pricing: Time & Materials vs. Results

18:10 – Why You Probably Shouldn’t Replatform This Year

22:45 – Closing Thoughts: Focus on the Basics

#watsonweekly #watsonweeklyinterview #agency #ai #replatform

The core idea is the "Goliath paradox," which argues that while David won, businesses often forget why Goliath lost. Rick Watson contends that the belief that "scale is safety" is a "lie," and in today's economy, the only real "moat is actually motion" because "size without motion is just a target". Larger companies risk slowing down, becoming heavy and slow like Goliath, who couldn't dodge the rock.

The current era is the "age of intelligence," demanding that brands not just respond to demand but "anticipate demand before it even comes". The speaker uses Lululemon versus Alo and Victoria's Secret versus Skims as examples of bold challengers. In the case of Skims, the brand won by selling "the combination of high fashion engineering and body positivity," meeting customers "exactly where they are," while Victoria's Secret sold a fantasy.

The ultimate challenge for 2026 is that brands need to compete on identity and "stand for something". The choice is between being a "giant who can't move" (a path of paralysis and incrementalism) or the "giant who learned how to dance," driven by a mindset of "speed, agility, and most importantly, adaptability".

The Watson Weekly podcast is sponsored by Rithum. In commerce, every second counts. Rhythm helps brands and retailers connect every channel with AI-powered automation and insights, giving you the clarity to make smart decisions, adapt fast, and grow efficiently. Learn more at tithum.com. That's R-I-T-H-U-M.com.

If you find conversations like this helpful, make sure you’re following the show so you don’t miss future episodes. Also, if you’re not subscribed to our newsletter, check that out at www.watsonweekly.com.

📌 Pinterest’s AI Evolution

Pinterest is cutting 15% of its workforce (approx. 700–800 roles) to go all-in on AI. We discuss whether this is a genuine transformation or a "playbook" move to appease investors as user growth plateaus. Is the shift to "AI-proficient talent" enough to fend off TikTok and Reels?

☕ The New Starbucks Rewards (Launching March 10, 2026)

Starbucks is reimagining loyalty with three distinct tiers designed to gamify your morning coffee:

1. Green: The standard $1 = 1 star.
2. Gold: Accelerated earning (1.2 stars/$) and non-expiring points.
3. Reserve: A 2,500-star threshold (or $2,500 spend) with perks like all-expenses-paid trips to Tokyo, Milan, or Costa Rica.
4. Note: The "free customization" era is ending with a new $10 cap on 200-star drinks.🛍️ Shopify vs. The "Robot Agents"

Shopify’s latest partner update provides a blueprint for the AI era. They are redefining "partners" to include digital entities and tightening the reins on data—prohibiting developers from using merchant data to train external models. Plus, third-party apps must now feed directly into the Shopify AI Sidekick.

🃏 Whatnot & The Live Selling Explosion

Live shopping has evolved far beyond QVC. Whatnot has reached $8 billion in GMV by gamifying the collector experience. We explore why midsize cities like Rochester and Dayton are out-earning Chicago on a per-resident basis, and how categories like Beauty (up 791%) are exploding.

"It’s not shopping; it’s entertainment." – Special Correspondent Shephard Lesesky on the addictive nature of live auctions.

The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Mirakl.

0:00 – Intro

1:25 – Pinterest’s Strategic Pivot

5:31 – Starbucks Loyalty 2026

8:58 – Shopify’s New Rules

13:15 – The Rise of Whatnot

🚀 Stay Connected

Subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel for your weekly dose of commerce insights.

Visit our website: https://www.watsonweekly.com

#WatsonWeekly #EcommerceNews #StarbucksRewards #Shopify #Pinterest #LiveShopping #Whatnot #AI #RetailTrends

Key Takeaways:

The Buzzword Barrier: Why brands are feeling lost in a sea of repetitive jargon and how to spot the difference between hype and high-impact tech.

Practical Innovation: A look at the NRF Innovation Hub, featuring startups like Marpipe that are solving real-world problems in product feed and ad optimization.

The Virtue of Patience: Navigating the rapid release cycle from giants such as OpenAI and Google requires a steady hand and a long-term view.

The NRF Debrief is sponsored by Avalara and Freshmint.

📈 The Evolution of Commerce

We trace the journey of the industry through four distinct eras:

The Age of Presence (1990s): The race to get online.

The Age of Efficiency: Streamlining the back end.

The Age of Social: The rise of community-driven buying.

The Age of Intelligence (Today): A fundamental shift from managing supply to generating demand through AI.

💡 Strategy for 2026

Success this year isn't just about having the biggest budget; it’s about adaptability. We discuss the importance of experimenting with technology budgets, verifying vendor claims with hard data, and managing the increasing complexities of the modern supply chain.

"The barriers to entry for new businesses are lower than ever, but the noise is louder than ever. Boldness and adaptability are your best assets in 2026."

📌 Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction & NRF 2026 Overview

3:15 - Cutting through the Buzzwords (Agentic Commerce?)

7:45 - Innovation Hub Highlights: Practical Solutions & Marpipe

12:30 - The Evolution of Commerce: From Presence to Intelligence

18:10 - How AI is Reshaping Retail Jobs & Processes

22:00 - Final Thoughts: Being Bold in 2026

Enjoyed the debrief? Make sure to Subscribe and hit the notification bell 🔔 to stay updated on our ongoing commerce insights.

1. ChatGPT's 4% Fee Confirms Marketplace Economics
2. American Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics Business
3. UPS Releases 4Q 2025 Earnings and Provides 2026 Guidance
4. Meta Earnings in Superintelligence We Trust

- and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

On this week's episode:

* The Fall of Quiet Logistics: American Eagle is sunsetting its Quiet Logistics business. Rick and Jess explore why owning your own supply chain can be a "heavy burden" if it’s not your core business.

* Apple’s Ambient Ambitions: Is Apple panicking over all the OpenAI hype? Learn about the new AI pin designed to combat OpenAI, and why Apple is reportedly paying Google a billion dollars for the use of the Gemini model inside Siri.

* Vinted’s American Dream: The European secondhand giant enters a crowded U.S. market. Can their buyer-fee model disrupt established players like Poshmark and The RealReal?

*Shopify’s "Partner Massacre": Is Shopify abandoning the enterprise? Rick and Jess discuss the recent cuts to Shopify’s partner teams and CEO Tobi Lütke’s drive for "productivity over people".

Key Takeaways:

Why the "platform dream" failed for American Eagle.

The difference between owning a logistics company and owning its "crown jewels".

Why Shopify views anyone between them and their merchants as a "middleman".

Support the Show: 🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into retail and e-commerce news.

#Ecommerce #Shopify #RetailTech #AppleAI #Logistics #Vinted #WatsonWeekly #thewatsonweekly

Gareth Cummings is the CEO of eDesk, an AI-native customer support platform built specifically for e-commerce. With a background in banking and telecom, he brings a unique, data-driven perspective to online retail.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

The Evolution of AI: Why customer skepticism has turned into an expectation for AI-driven support.

Surviving the SaaS Slump: How e-commerce brands are pivoting toward profitability and value.

TikTok & Authentic Engagement: Why new channels are essential for building brand trust in 2026.

The Rise of AI Agents: What happens when AI starts making the purchases for us?

Chapters / Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction: Meet Gareth Cummings, CEO of eDesk

2:15 - Career Evolution: From Banking and Telecom to E-commerce Tech

5:40 - The Early Days of AI: Building Language Models in 2018

9:25 - The Shift in Consumer Mindset: From AI Skepticism to AI Expectation

13:10 - Navigating the Modern SaaS Economy: Profitability vs. Growth

17:35 - Building Brand Loyalty: Why Trust Outperforms Price

21:50 - TikTok Shop and the Power of Authentic Engagement

26:15 - Turning Support Data into a Business Strategy Engine

30:40 - The Future of Agentic Commerce: When AI Does the Shopping

35:20 - Leadership Advice: Embracing the Pace of AI Change

38:45 - Closing Thoughts and Where to Follow Gareth

The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Rithum. In commerce, timing is everything. That’s where Rithum comes in. We help brands and retailers keep every channel connected, so when the moment comes, you’re ready to act—launching faster, adapting quicker, and growing smarter.

See how your business can grow at rithum.com. that's R-I-T-H-U-M.com

#Ecommerce #AI #SaaS #CustomerSupport #TikTokShop #AgenticCommerce #TheWatsonWeekly #WatsonWeekly

1. Sam Altman Testing Ad
2. Lowes to license its checkout
3. AI meets Davos and a Jassy Sighting
4. Claude Code Is Having a Viral Moment

- and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 3 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In this Watson Weekly interview, Rick Watson goes behind the scenes with Chris Kellner, CEO of DigitalGenius, to discuss how a decade-old AI pioneer is navigating the modern LLM explosion. We move past the hype to explore how AI is actually rewriting the playbooks for sales, marketing, and customer support.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

* The "Locomotive" Metaphor: Why DigitalGenius didn't have to reinvent itself, but rather accelerated on existing tracks.

* Sales & Marketing Rewired: How Chris’s team uses AI for call coaching, MEDPIC scorecards, and CRM automation to let humans focus on high-value closing.

* UK vs. US Market Mismatch: Why traditional outbound playbooks failed when crossing the Atlantic and what they did to fix it.

*The Competition for Culture: How an internal "Agent-Building" competition spurred unexpected creativity across the company.

3 Hard Lessons in AI Support: The essential checklist for any leader deploying AI in customer service today.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Turning AI buzz into customer wins

03:15 – Chris Kellner’s journey from Banking to SaaS CEO

07:40 – Acceleration vs. Reinvention: Building the AI train line

14:20 – Rewiring GTM: AI call coaching and MEDPIC scorecards

22:10 – Market Mismatches: Lessons from scaling from the UK to the US

30:45 – Culture & Internal Adoption: The AI Agent competition

38:30 – Why most AI pilots fail (and how to make yours succeed)

45:15 – Build vs. Buy: When to go in-house and when to use a vendor

52:00 – Closing thoughts and key takeaways

#watsonweekly #ai #customersupport

1. Walmart Shakes Up Its Leadership Ranks
2. NRF 2026 Recap
3. More Content Coming To You from the Watson Weekly

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 4 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

1. It’s Time to Be Bold in 2026
2. Welcome to NRF

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

It’s been a roller coaster of a year for everyone, and despite everything, you have tuned in. Walking your dog, on the way to work, even in the shower you were there. Listening, laughing, cringing, and hopefully, even learning.

I started this podcast back in 2021 and look forward to doing it for many more years. The fact that our content and presence continue to grow each year is a testament to you.

So, here it is. Thank you for listening. If you like what we’re doing, reach out. Tell us what you like about it, recommend it to a friend. And of course, have a Happy Holidays wherever the end of this year takes you.

This is Rick Watson, signing off for the year. I also wanted to say a huge thank you to my partners in crime Hendrik, Libby, Kaylea, Jacque, Vinny and Ron, without you this podcast would not be possible.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify Winter Editions 2025 Special Podcast

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Black Friday Cyber Monday - You Devil You!
• Sam Altman Calls a Code Red to Stop Google Threat
• Amazon and Visa Partner on Agentic Payments
• Nike CEO Purges John Donahoe’s Lieutenants

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 3 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart Plans a CEO Transition
• Commerce Operations Foundation Critical to Our Common Agentic Future
• Intuit's Announcement Makes it Clear: OpenAI Coming for Operating Systems
• Walmart Earnings Call Important for Everyone to Understand

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Same-Day Facilities Key to Amazon's New Powerful Grocery Strategy
• Walmart CEO Doug McMillion Steps Down
• TheRealReal Records Record GMV During Earnings
• Google Releases Some AI Shopping Updates

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Implications of Amazon Working with OpenAI and ChatGPT
• Shopify Reports Great Q3 Earnings
• Some of the Worst Mistakes I Made First Time as CEO
• Klaviyo’s Earnings Answer Some Key Questions

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart Holiday Plans Shows There Will Be Blood
• UPS Gains Margin, Plans Strong Peak, But Remains Mired in Uncertainty
• Amazon All In On Agentic - Reports Great Earnings
• Shopify Merchants Go Live with ChatGPT Instant Checkout

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Commercetools CEO is out, so what’s next?
• Bigcommerce partners with Paypal to improve monetization
• Will the new Ulta Beauty marketplace cook?
• Shopify and Lovable Integration Shows a Fire and Motion Strategy

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart Partners With OpenAI, Cannot Hold Back the Tide
• S&P Global Puts Tariff Costs at $1.2T This Year
• Salesforce Partners With OpenAI
• Saks Struggles to Deliver in Q2

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Process Re-Engineering Is a Key Skill in the Age of AI
• Stripe Link Moving More Consumer Facing
• Is OpenAI Building a Super App?
• Shopify CRO Bobby Morrison Forced Out

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

The interviews were conducted at Shoptoberfest 2025, discussing the state of B2B e-commerce and the challenges of 'hard commerce' faced by manufacturers and distributors.

Harris explains that many companies struggle with legacy ERP systems, analog data management, and complex pricing models involving tiered and customer-specific discounts. He emphasizes the importance of product information management (PIM) systems in cleaning and centralizing data before launching e-commerce platforms.

Harris shares his background, starting in the 1990s, with early e-commerce projects and how his agency helps mid-market manufacturers (with up to $1 billion in revenue) modernize sales by augmenting—not replacing—existing ERP systems.

He discusses the friction caused by generational mindset shifts and private equity consolidation in these industries. On AI, Harris notes that while small-scale AI and analytics are useful, most enterprise AI projects fail to deliver revenue due to siloed data and unrealistic expectations; he advocates for building unified data lakes and warehouses as a foundation for future AI-driven business improvements.

• ChatGPT Is Actually The Ultimate In Influencer-Driven Commerce
• OpenAI x Stripe Agentic Commerce Protocol Has Makings of Silicon Valley Catfight

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• What the Hell Will Happen At Tiktok?
• Ryder Releases New eCommerce Study
• Klaviyo Innovations Made Possible By Different Ecosystem Approach
• OpenAI Announces They Are Pursuing Ads

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Google and Paypal Announce New Commerce Partnership
• Fireside Chat With Andy Jassy at Amazon Accelerate Conference
• The First Q4 Holiday Predictions Appear

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In this week’s episode, I interview the Shailesh Kumar, the SVP Of Engineering at Salesforce Commrece Cloud to talk about the company’s approach and pilots in the world of AI and Model Context Protocol or MCP.  To be clear, this is not any kind of sponsored interview.  It’s just an exploration of how the platforms - and I have asked them all to come on the program - are approaching AI and MCP, and what implications it has for brand and merchants.

Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify Betting Big on Design
• Amazon Still Stuck Muddling Through Day 2
• Why Software Sales Is Still Hard in 2025
• A New Podcast where SaaS Meets AI: Oh Shift

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Best Buy Relaunches Its Marketplace
• Target Earnings: Like a Slow-Moving Train Wreck
• Upcoming RMW Commerce Events in Second Half of the Year
• Walmart Raises Revenue Guidance in Earnings Call

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In this episode, we explore:

• The biggest myth in shipping and why it's finally dying a slow death.
• How the e-commerce market has changed, creating more options beyond the "big three" carriers.
• The role of regional carriers and why more retailers are turning to them.
• How shipping technology advancements are making multi-carrier shipping easier to manage.

Grab a glass of milk and get ready for a fast-paced, insightful conversation that will change the way you think about your shipping strategy!

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• We Once Made a Deal with Google. The Deal Has Changed
• The Unspoken AI Enthusiasm Gap At Large Companies
• The Road Ahead for Commerce.com
• An Update On Gnawing Your Arm Off, or Replatforming

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon Reports Earnings, Dogged by AI Questions
• Shopify Q2 Earnings Show Its Not Going Anywhere
• Klaviyo Delivers Growth, But Efficiency Still Lacking
• Recap from Austin: Auctane’s Spicy Innovation Delivered Event

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 4 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Bigcommerce Rebrands as Just Commerce
• UPS Q2 Earnings Highlights Strange Economic Times
• Last Flight of the Aggregator: OpenStore Valuation Burns
• Amazon Pulled out of Google Shopping for AI, not for Advertising

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

From her early days as an electrical engineer in Silicon Valley to building mission-critical infrastructure for today’s omni-channel brands, Dipti shares the journey that led her to found crstl—a SaaS network designed to modernize the way suppliers and retailers communicate.

We explore:

• The surprising origin story of crstl during the PPE crisis
• Why EDI is more like the English language than a piece of legacy tech
• The difference between the application layer and the protocol layer—and why it matters
• How penalties, complexity, and digital transformation are reshaping supplier operations
• Why crstl doesn’t charge by seat and how it's enabling real collaboration at scale
• The future of B2B commerce in an age of AI, API, and protocol convergence

Whether you’re a founder, brand operator, or just EDI-curious, this episode unpacks how structured data exchange is fueling the future of retail—and why ignoring the "boring" infrastructure could be your biggest mistake.

• NRF Files Suit Against NY State Law
• Why Is There No Best Practice for ECommerce Org Structure
• Amazon Quietly Cornering Market on Robot Patents
• LuluLemon in Markdown Hell

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Klarna CEO Claims They Will Be a Super App
• Walmart Investor Event Sheds New Light
• Should You Put a Chatbot In Front Of Your Retail Store
• Musings from CommerceNext and Mirakl’s Summit

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Saks Global Still Sounds in Trouble
• Facebook Says eCommerce is Great -- For Other People
• Jassy’s AI Memo Was a Snoozefest, In a Good Way
• Amazon Extending Prime Day Doesn’t Give me Warm Fuzzies

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Palantir Partners with Bolt
• Amazon Releases AI Video Generation Tools
• Sezzle Sues Shopify For AntiCompetitive Practices
• Walmart Releases New AI Tools

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify MCP Server Raises More Questions Than Answers
• Could the AI Race Become a Hardware Race?
• Temu Half Off - Just In Time For Summer

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Salesforce to acquire Informatica
• Social Commerce Panel Reveals Influencer Importance
• Lowes Launches Its Marketplace
• Tariff Feud Event with Passport Recap

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

With a distinguished career spanning innovation leadership roles at Dell, Rethink Robotics, and Walmart’s Store No. 8, Scott brings deep experience navigating the intersection of scale, agility, and emerging technology. Now at Mirakl, he’s guiding a platform that is redefining how retailers, brands, and third-party sellers thrive in an increasingly ecosystem-driven world.

💡 Key Themes Include:

• Scott’s journey from enterprise innovation to platform leadership
• Why now is a pivotal moment for marketplaces and retail media
• Mirakl’s vision: enabling, not owning, the commerce ecosystem
• How AI and first-party data are reshaping competitive advantage
• Building a flywheel for retailers, sellers, and consumers alike

💬 Scott also shares:

• What drew him to Mirakl at this stage of his career
• His priorities for Mirakl in the next 12 months
• What U.S. retailers must get right when launching a marketplace
• Why platform thinking beats platform ownership in today’s landscape

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Rapid Fire Headline Update
• Shopify Releases Its Summer Editions

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In the final installment of our Shopware Partner Day series, Rick Watson chats with Ashley Laing of Pimcore to uncover how product information management is reshaping complex B2B ecosystems. From managing fitment data in industrial catalogs to orchestrating multi-channel content for sales, customer care, and ecommerce, Pimcore is tackling the data mess head-on. Ashley shares his global journey from consultant to VP, explains how AI is transforming catalog digitization, and offers strategic guidance for companies that are "too hard to do business with." Expect practical takeaways for building buyer-ready systems and future-proofing your product data stack.

📘 Curious how regulated complexity meets composable tech? Don’t miss Shopware’s whitepaper: Winning B2B in Regulated Industries

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon Announces New AI Tool to Enhance Product Listings
• Venture  Capital Dominated by AI Right Now
• FedEx and Amazon Strike Up a Partnership
• Klaviyo Reports Q1 2025 Earnings

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Rick Watson sits down with Aysnd’s leadership duo, Carrie Weidenbach and Chris Harrison, for a conversation that dives into purpose-driven digital transformation. Broadcasting from the Shopware Partner Day beer hall, the trio discusses Aysnd’s mission to help brands with complex commerce needs—particularly in regulated industries. From global eCommerce replatforming at AB InBev to real-time prioritization frameworks and the value of first-party data, this episode is packed with insights on how to move fast, test smart, and build agile systems without sacrificing long-term goals. If you're navigating transformation in uncertain times, this one's for you.

📘 For more on how commerce is evolving in regulated sectors, check out Shopware’s whitepaper: Winning B2B in Regulated Industries

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

You’ll find this and other stories every Monday morning on the Watson Weekly, headed straight to your earhole wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

Today on our show:

• Shopify Needs Incentive Alignment to Win in Enterprise
• 3 Notables From BigCommerce earnings call
• Instacart CEO Departs for OpenAI
• Shopify Reports Solid Earnings Amid Global Uncertainty

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In this special edition of the Watson Weekly, Rick Watson heads to the basement of a German beer hall at Shopware's Partner Day to sit down with Rob Miller of Smith Commerce. Together, they explore the intricacies of modern B2B digital commerce—from account hierarchy challenges and dynamic pricing rules to the evolving role of CRM. Rob shares real-world insights from years of working with wholesale distributors and manufacturers, including the critical role of AI in orchestrating complex systems. Tune in for a grounded, behind-the-scenes take on the future of enterprise commerce and why embracing change is easier than ever before.

📘 Learn more about the structural shifts in B2B and private equity’s role in transformation with Shopware’s whitepaper: Winning B2B in the Age of Private Equity

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon Reports Q1 2025 Earnings
• Walmart Releases an Annual Shareholder Letter
• UPS Reports Q1 2025 Earnings
• Kohl’s Fires Its CEO

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Guided by a Thomas L. Friedman-inspired prologue, we dive deep into the new frontier of Cross-Border Trade (CBT) — where data, logistics, and geopolitical tension collide. Alex shares the origin story of Passport, and why global brands like Carpe, Ogee, and Tommy John trust them to turn complex international challenges into seamless consumer experiences.

From navigating 25% tariffs on EU steel to leveraging bonded warehouses and real-time FX for international growth, Alex outlines how Passport is helping brands not just survive—but thrive—in a volatile environment. We explore how Shopify and others are reshaping the landscape, and why transparency, logistics branding, and TikTok-era customer experience are no longer optional—they’re essential.

Key Topics:

The real impact of April 2025 tariffs on global ecommerce

Why “asset-light” CBT might outpace localized fulfillment

Lessons from Carpe and Ogee’s global expansion strategies

Logistics as CX: the new battlefield for consumer loyalty

How Passport is future-proofing brands against regulatory shocks

Don’t miss: Alex’s take on what archaic global trade structure he’d tear down if given the chance.

👉 Whether you're a founder, operator, or curious observer of global commerce, this episode will shift how you think about borders, branding, and the future of trade.

• Composable Conference in Chicago Shows MACH Progress
• ChatGPT and Shopify Partnership Teased
• Shopify Promotes Internally for Chief Design Officer: What's Going On?

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

In a recent investor day, Walmart indicated that only one-third of its products are not made in the USA.  Are we sure about that number?  Given the fact that there is no universal definition of made in the USA, I think that number could be a lot higher than the company is letting on.  

Learn about this and more in this week’s Watson Weekly podcast, headed straight to your earhole every Monday morning, wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Today on our show:

• Walmart Investor Day Shows Strong Tariff Headwinds
• Is 2025 The Year to Eat the Entire Enchilada
• Shop for Brands on Amazon Seen in the Wild
• Amazon Surveys Its Sellers on Tariffs

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

The business case for replatforming

Replatforming can either be trying to use a band-aid on a large wound or it could be like squeezing juice. Vince Santo (The Maze Group) debating Chris Silver (Discoverist AI) on replatforming.

Architecture: The headless straw man debate.

Headless technology enables brands to move quickly without blockages. Should that cash investment be made in customer acquisition and retention? Nick Kaplan (RMW Commerce) debate Victor Castro (Commercial Leader) on the pros and cons of headless technology.

How can we make replatforming more enjoyable?

System integrators (SI) can either make a painful process painless or painful due to the SI overselling themselves to get the business. Mark Rubin (Kasama Digital) debating Tarek Muller (ABOUTYOU) on the pain and perils of system integrators.

Employees: Who is going to use the platform?

Do we really know the impact of AI on employees? On the one hand, it will lead to modifying what employees do, or will 60-70% of staff be impacted? Rob Garf (Cordial) debating Rama Aluri (GSPANN Technologies) on the future of AI and employees.

0:00 Introduction

11:39 The business case for replatforming

22:09 Architecture: The headless straw man debate.

35:35 How can we make replatforming more enjoyable?

49:24 Employees: Who is going to use the platform?

01:01:14 Closing remarks and more about SCAYLE

The debate was sponsored by SCAYLE in cooperation with RMW Commerce.

We also dive into the launch of commercetools InStore, a groundbreaking solution helping retailers unify online and in-store operations under one flexible backend. Dirk explains how InStore tackles legacy system challenges and enables seamless, personalized customer experiences.

Plus, we discuss Dirk’s recent transition from CEO and the top retail trends shaping 2025 and beyond. A must-listen for anyone focused on the future of unified commerce.

Look, I am going to bottom line it for you guys.  I can’t think of a worse owner for Tiktok than logistics company Amazon.  I know there are a lot of chocolate and peanut butter theories of how these two great companies could taste better together, but I think this would be the start of a slow boringification of Tiktok the likes of which.

In fact, I bet for this reason, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are cheering for Amazon’s bid to go through!

You’ll find this and other insights on the Watson Weekly podcast, headed straight to your earhole every Monday morning.

Today on our show:

• Key Takeaways on Public and Private Markets
• Shoptalk Did Not Answer My Key Industry Questions
• Consumers Getting Stressed Out
• Amazon Makes Last Minute Bid to Buy TikTok

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

From the evolving CFO-CMO dynamic to the role of AI, platform discovery challenges, and the tension between growth and efficiency, we’re breaking down the forces shaping modern commerce. Can we redefine success in digital strategy, or are we just running in circles? Tune in to find out.

• Shoptalk Recap

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

This week on the Watson Weekly podcast, we unpack two new product announcements from Adobe that are expected to launch by June 2025.  One is the Adobe Commerce Optimizer, an eCommerce front-end that can be used with any storefront platform.  This is one that I’m excited to see, particularly for larger merchants.

Second is a new cloud version of the Adobe Commerce Suite.  This is a managed cloud version of the current Adobe Commerce product, which seems like a nothing burger to me?  

You’ll find this and other stories about BigCommerce and Klarna’s new IPO filing…  on the Watson Weekly podcast, coming straight to your earhole wherever you find your favorite podcasts. 

Today on our show:

• Adobe teases new commerce offerings
• BigCommerce launches new account functionality
• Klarna files IPO paperwork
• Welcome to Shoptalk Week!

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

You’ll find this and other stories about Shoptalk, AllBirds, and Walmart on this week’s Watson Weekly podcast, coming straight to your earhole wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Today on our show:

• Paypal in hot water over its Honey application
• AllBirds sales plunge in 2024
• Why did Walmart buy a mall?
• Upcoming eCommerce debate event at Shoptalk

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Target 2024 earnings shows company falling behind
• When will merchants stop treating data as a project?
• Commercetools layoffs throws into question IPO plans
• Has Shopify Enterprise turned a corner?

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Is Beyond.com doomed?
• Klaviyo reports 2024 earnings
• Klaviyo coming for Salesforce Service Cloud
• Paypal Investor Day offers problematic vision

- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart reports fiscal year 2025 earnings
• Saks stopped paying vendors on time
• TikTok subscriptions could help creators
• BigCommerce reports 2024 earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Shopify Q4 2024 earnings: The age of efficiency comes to Shopify
• It’s not just you - age of efficiency accelerating
• Amazon Q4 earnings wins the Grammy for free cash flow
• Amazon ad engine getting hungry: look out Google Shopping

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Trump eliminates the de minimis for China
• AI won't solve all the problems, but we don't realize it yet
• UPS Q4 2024 earnings: steering towards margin, away from Amazon
• AI is not the new SEO. Brands could be in a marketplace without realizing it

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Remembering Kent Allen
• Evolution of Global eCommerce
• Pioneers in Cross-Border Trade
• Current Trends and Players

Jim Okamura

Partner, McMillanDoolittle and co-founder, Global E-Commerce Leaders Forum

Jim has over 25 years of consulting experience focused on strategic planning in the retail industry. His work in retail innovation and digital transformation has resulted in industry-leading thinking on retailer best practices and strategy. Jim has published global and national retail studies and has been a featured speaker at the NRF, Shop.org, and many international conferences. In 2013 Jim co-founder the Global E-Commerce Leaders forum, a digital retail community and conference series focused on global growth strategies for consumer brands. Jim has developed growth strategies for clients such as Adidas, Bridgestone, Maurices, Dress Barn, Gap, DSW, LensCrafters, Nike, Neiman Marcus, Souris Mini, Timberland, Victoria’s Secret, Lowes, Crate and Barrel, MasterCard, Walgreens, Marriott and Emart. 

Scott Silverman

Co-Founder CommerceNext; Co-Founder, Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum

Silverman has been active in the retail and ecommerce industries for more than 20 years and is passionate about digital commerce and the innovation driving the industry. In 2013, Silverman co-founded the Global Ecommerce Leaders Forum, a forum and series of conferences for international and cross-border ecommerce. In 2017, Silverman co-founded CommerceNext, a community, event series and conference for marketers at retail and direct-to-consumer brands.

Silverman began his career in ecommerce in 1999 where he led National Retail Federation’s digital division, Shop.org, until 2010. During his time at NRF he launched the Shop.org Annual Summit and a number of research studies. He co-invented “Cyber Monday” in 2005 and was the founder of Cybermonday.com in 2006, a shopping site that has generated more than $2.5 million for NRF’s Ray Greenly scholarship fund.

In honor of Kent Allen:

A digital commerce industry analyst for the last twenty plus years, Kent’s research and thought leadership has strongly influenced the development of the global/cross-border ecommerce sector. Since collaborating with Jim Okamura on the industry’s first international ecommerce benchmark study in 2008, Kent has published a wide collection of reports and articles chronicling the rise of global ecommerce ecosystems.

Kent also leads strategy, industry analysis, thought leadership and content marketing initiatives that focus on omnichannel commerce and digital marketing innovations. His work includes executive research, industry speaking engagements, white papers and case studies, social content, webinars, and retail tours for retail and consumer goods executives. His latest focus, The Global Customer Journey Project explores how the online shopping journey differs in markets around the world.

The Research Trust’s industry marketing programs help innovative digital companies tell their story and build ongoing relationships with prospects, established clients and partners. Kent’s practice provides a mix of strategic planning services, best practices research and market analysis for global brands and technology partners striving to better serve connected consumers around the world.

• Risks to Amazon in the AI Wars
• Private equity outlook in 2025
• Artificial Intelligence moving from creating to doing with OpenAI Operator
• How to grow faster is an elusive question

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• The rise of social shopping and platforms like TikTok Shops
• How AI is redefining brand discovery and trust
• Predictions for retail growth and consumer behavior in 2025
• The enduring influence of earned media in building connections

This episode ties the series together with forward-looking insights and strategies to thrive in an ever-changing e-commerce landscape.

• Our 2025 NRF event analysis
• Recapping the first ever RMW Commerce Five Forces event in New York City

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• The generational shift reshaping the industry
• Challenges like the "Bob Problem" and outdated practices
• The role of composable commerce in streamlining processes
• How solutions like Commerce Tools Foundry are enabling businesses to innovate

Explore how B2B is evolving to meet modern demands while navigating its unique challenges. Don’t miss this insightful conversation that bridges tradition and innovation.

Stay tuned for the final episode in this series, rolling out next week!

• Shopify 2025: The Entrepreneur, the Rulemaker and the Bridge-Builder
• Mastercard Holiday numbers show roses for eCommerce
• Is 2025 the year of the niche down?
• Amazon still the king of warehouse growth

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

About Kelly - Kelly Goetsch is a commercetools Advisor. Until January 2025, Kelly was the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, and prior to that, he served as the Chief Product Officer at commercetools for nearly six years. Goetsch is an industry thought-leader who champions the MACH (Microservices, API, Cloud-Native, and Headless) movement, and co-founded the MACH Alliance, a group of 100+ independent, future-thinking tech companies dedicated to advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. Prior to commercetools, Goetsch held senior-level product development and go-to-market responsibilities at Oracle and held the role of Senior Architect ATG (acquired by Oracle), where he was instrumental to 31 large-scale ATG implementationsHe is the author of four books - GraphQL for Modern Commerce (O'Reilly, 2020), APIs for Modern Commerce (O'Reilly, 2017), Microservices for Modern Commerce (O'Reilly, 2016) and E-Commerce in the Cloud (O'Reilly, 2014). He holds three patents, including one key to distributed computing.

• Amazon building 25% of all warehouses
• UPS hiking SurePost rates by 10%
• Lowes develops a new marketplace
• Quickbooks partners with Amazon Marketplace Seller Central

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Shopify releases a boring update
• Was Amazon haul launched sooner as political strategy?
• What is the potential impact of tariffs on eCommerce?
• Why use an outside consultant to help you solve a problem?

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• 3 observations from Cyber Week
• The 3 coming wars in the next 5 years
• 5 reasons Klaviyo is growing faster than most anyone right now

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Mirakl.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• How you should read the Gartner Quadrant
• Wordpress is the Craigslist of website builders
• Target reports terrible earnings
• Walmart reports great earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify reported Q3 2024 earnings
• Klaviyo reports even better Q3 earnings
• New RMW Commerce event being held in January
• BigCommerce trying to escape the Alabama mud like My Cousin Vinny

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon reports great Q3 2024 earnings
• Children's Place partnership with Shein could be genius
• The state of SaaS venture capital valuations
• AI platforms looking to challenge every software category

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• CEO merry-go-round continues 
• Paypal earnings report show progress and challenges
• UPS releases Q3 earnings
• Everyone in retail copying everyone else

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Is 2024 the Generative AI holiday?
• Amazon new low cost store concept might as well be called "Off-Prime"
• Is 2025 the year bad eCommerce content officially dies?
• BigCommerce expands its leadership team

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Optimization will be the watchword in 2025
• OpenStore pivoting into Helpdesk Software
• Walmart appoints Seth Dellaire as Chief Growth Officer
• New report shows Unicorns lack exit options

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Holiday season preview
• What’s happening with Shop Promise?
• Former Amazon leader Dave Clark raises $100M for Auger
• Marketplaces like eBay are dropping their fees

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Lightspeed exploring strategic alternatives
• Loop creates offset return feature
• CVS conducting a strategic review
• Travis Hess named new BigCommerce CEO

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• John Donahoe steps down from Nike
• Amazon introduces new supply chain service
• What’s going on with the retail job market?
• The fight over de minimis and how this will end

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify’s progress in the enterprise market
• Biden White House makes de minimis announcement
• Amazon’s return to office memo code for layoffs
• Salesforce makes several release announcements at Dreamforce - or does it?

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• What is going on with bolt?
• Walmart and StockX partner up
• Bankrate holiday consumer survey results
• Creating the perfect board presentation

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Walmart Marketplace expands services for sellers
•  A few notes on planning
• Paul Graham’s “Founder Mode” essay
• Temu starting to recruit US brands

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• BigCommerce looks like it’s not selling
• Shopify hires a new Chief Technology Officer
• Why technology is not a business differentiator for brands
• Are layoffs the order of the day in eCommerce?

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Salesforce acquires POS platform PredictSpring
• Amazon announces new peak season fulfillment policies
• Ace Hardware plots a new stores strategy
• Temu founder shopping like a billionaire

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Amazon reports Q2 earnings
• Allbirds reports financial results
• Amazon signs deal with Pinterest and TikTok
• Shopify crushes its earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Companies are trading down talent
• Top items from Paypal’s Q2 2024 earnings call
• Designer brand Prada posts revenue gains
• Temu announcements signal a company shift

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• UPS reports Q2 earnings
• Google not ending cookies after all
• Amazon Prime Day roundup
• New marketplace whitepaper released

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon Prime Day expected to hit records in 2024
• Commercetools announces CEO transition
• The importance of reputation in eCommerce
• eCommerce sales will hit $1T this year

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Saks acquires Neiman Marcus Group
• Speaking about personalization at The Lead Event in NYC
• Nike is struggling trying to be a tech company
• Amazon previews direct from China program

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Target reshuffles its leadership team
• Shopify releases summer editions

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• CMACH 3 event in New York City recap
• May retail sales data released
• Beyond loses a CEO
• Instacart expands retail media into Youtube

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Could Amazon deliver the mail?
• Costco expanding its ad network
• McKinsey state of the consumer 2024 report
• Loop and Happy Returns partner up

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon Buy with Prime off to a slow start
• Shein launches Shein Exchange Resale Program in UK and Europe
• eBay expands its consignment service
• A call to action for brands

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Paypal is building an ads platform
• TJMaxx not afraid of Temu and Shein
• BigCommerce getting serious about its partner ecosystem
• Amazon growing its share of retail

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Target earnings indicate big trouble
• Macy’s provides preview into restructuring
• Salesforce unveils new Einstein features
• Walmart earnings stand out

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Amazon AWS CEO to step down
• Home Depot earnings disappoint
• Shein rejected from NRF membership
• Shopify acquires Peel Analytics founders

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• The Fall and Fall of Peloton
• Forrester’s New Wave Report
• What’s On My Mind About Digital Evolution

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon reports terrific Q1 2024 earnings
• Nordstrom launches its marketplace
• Paypal earnings reflects life in the slow lane
• UPS to power Shein returns in Forever 21 stores

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Paypal’s coming battle with Shopify
• Nike’s failures highlight leadership issues
• UPS Q1 2024 earnings shows continued decline
• SaaS growth down from 2022 highs

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Confusing economic signals in 2024
• Shein faces new class action lawsuit
• GoPuff partners with Shopify to help CPG brands
• Macy’s kicks off its store closings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• AllBirds gets Nasdaq delisting warning
• Revenue and profit at TikTok’s ownership growing
• Andy Jassy releases annual shareholder letter
• Inventory and cashflow key to the future of retail

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• UPS wins US Postal contract from FedEx
• Beyond.com has a new vision
• Home Depot acquires SRS distribution
• Amazon removes Just Walk Out From its Amazon Fresh stores

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• UPS announces new initiatives in Analyst Day
• Canada Goose announces shakeup
• Shein's supply chain as a service initiative a "Pearl Harbor" moment for retailers
• Commercetools releases a company update

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shoptalk 2024 recap
• Nordstrom could be taken private
• Temu’s owner PDD doubles annual profit
• Google launches retail media beta

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• The end of the free shipping era is greatly exaggerated
• Software as a service keeps getting harder
• American Eagle’s logistics capitulation ends the pandemic logistics fever dream
• Shopify at Morgan Stanley tech conference 2024 takeaways

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Key learnings on Temu from recent report
• Klaviyo launches a professional services offering
• Amazon launching mini Whole Foods in New York City
• Target reports Q4 earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify GMV closing in on Amazon
• Macy’s announces a new vision
• Amazon aggregator Thrasio declares bankruptcy
• Klaviyo reports 2023 Q4 earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart’s Q4 earnings release
• Bed Bath and Beyond and Overstock name new CEOs
• Macy’s in a battle with investors
• What are UPS and FedEx telling us about the economy?

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify reports Q4 2023 earnings
• Target has a new strategy: Become Tar-Mu
• Walmart may be Looking to buy TV maker Vizio
• Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of RMW Commerce

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Our recap of January 2024 eCommerce news
• Amazon releases their Q4 2023 earnings report
• Footwear brand New Balance adds a resale marketplace
• RMW Commerce’s 2024 Outlook

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Until then, keep prosperous and we'll see you soon!

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Macy’s gets a buyout offer
• Recap from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on CNBC
• CommerceHub makes an acquisition and rebrands as Rithum
• Zulily files lawsuit against Amazon

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shopify Investor Day recap
• Replatforming has slowed down significantly
• Amazon restructures its seller fees
• Neiman Marcus rejects Saks takeover bid

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Our Black Friday Cyber Monday wrap up
• Shein files for IPO
• Amazon becomes the biggest delivery business in the US
• Kohl’s decides eCommerce is not for them

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart earnings update
• OpenAI explodes on itself
• Thrasio prepares for bankruptcy
• What I’m thankful for

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Target Q3 2023 earnings surprise
• Shopify’s recent outage
• Update on Amazon Fresh
• My 2024 outlook

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• UPS reports bad Q3 2023 earnings
• Amazon smashes their Q3 2023 earnings
• What everyone gets wrong about platform decisions
• Omnicom Group acquires Flywheel Digital

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• HomeGoods shuts down their eCommerce platform
• Overstock changes its name to Beyond
• Can we tap the brakes on the TikTok and Amazon comparisons?
• Update on retail inventory heading into the holidays

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• The growing battle between TikTok, Shopify, and Amazon
• VF Corp gets a new activist investor
• Flexport CEO says it’s not going public
• What should brands do about TikTok shop?

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Holiday deals kick off with Amazon, Walmart and Target
• Are people and processes keeping up with eCommerce technology?
• eBay sued in a DOJ environmental lawsuit
• Private equity exits declining

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• The Great Profitability Correction seems to be affecting everyone
• TikTok Shop feeds dominated by Schlock
• Toys “R” Us To open 24 new stores
• Holiday season retail predictions

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• FTC files suit against Amazon
• Amazon to rollout Prime Video ads
• Is the IPO market healthy?
• Shopify takes a stake in B2B marketplace Faire

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• TikTok Shop Launches in the US
• Shopify CEO Outlines Company Operating Principles
• Klaviyo and Instacart IPOs Mark Their Debut
• Holiday Season Kicks Off In October With Big Retailers



And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Flexport CEO Dave Clark forced out as company releases an update
• Shopify CFO chat at Goldman Sachs event
• The Klaviyo and Instacart IPO valuation 
• Amazon releases Supply Chain by Amazon

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Our discussion about Holiday season preparation
• Gap develops exclusive sleepwear line with Macy’s
• Google’s CEO releases 25-year update
• Amazon’s Buy with Prime partners with Shopify
• 
  

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Gartner releases its digital commerce Magic Quadrant
• Shein and Forever21 build a partnership
• Learning from Instacart’s IPO filing
• Klaviyo IPO sets the bar for profitable software companies

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• How can Artificial Intelligence help eCommerce? 
• Walmart reports Q2 2024 earnings 
• Amazon launches a new US shipping program 
• TikTok takes another firm step towards a marketplace 

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon crushes its Q2 2023 earnings
• Target Q2 earnings disappoint
• Amazon announces the return of Seller-Fulfilled Prime
• How I reached 50,000 LinkedIn followers

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• TikTok launches Fulfillment by TikTok in the United Kingdom
• WalMart expands its in-store advertising network
• UPS Q2 2023 earnings disappoint
• BigCommerce reports Q2 2023 earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• TikTok Shop aspires to become fourth most important channel
• Etsy marketplace boycott
• Amazon resets its grocery strategy
• Shopify reports Q2 2023 earnings

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Shopify releases its Summer editions
• UPS agrees to terms with Teamsters
• Boston Consulting Group’s latest supply chain benchmarking report
• What’s with all the rebranding lately?

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Google kills Buy on Google
• 2023 halfway update on venture capital and markets
• Rumors of Shopify investing in Faire
• Amazon Prime Day recap

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Federal Trade Commission sues Amazon
• TikTok plans new US eCommerce venture
• My digital transformation talk at The Lead event in New York City
• Amazon Prime Day roundup

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon gets open letter from activist investor
• Amazon announces Prime Day
• Google Domains sells to Squarespace
• Google launches virtual AI try-on feature

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Shop Pay launches for enterprise retailers
• FedEx reports its quarterly earnings
• New retail sales data from the Commerce Department
• Amazon seller-fulfilled Prime coming back

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Update from Retail Innovation Conference 2023
• Update on grocery eCommerce
• Walmart launches startup accelerator
• Payment provider Stripe joins MACH Alliance

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 6 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Stripe’s new charge card program can help Shopify
• Amazon may be considering mobile phone service
• Apple Vision Pro thoughts
• Buy Buy Baby could get bought

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon’s Small Business Empowerment Report 
• Shopify’s upcoming shareholder meeting 
• McKinsey report on the beauty market 
• Economists wondering where’s the recession? 

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Walmart releases its Q1 2023 earnings 
• TJ Maxx earnings indicate acceleration 
• Takeaways from Paypal’s recent investor event 
• Shopify’s road ahead 

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Google’s AI and retail announcements 
• Klaviyo’s IPO filing 
• Target Q1 2023 earnings 
• Shein’s marketplace expansion 

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• BigCommerce reports earnings 
• eBay prepares launch of international shipping program 
• Flexport is missing the infrastructure to compete with large players 
• Amazon gives shoppers incentives to pick up their orders 

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Big commerce doubles down on B2B
• Pinterest ties up with Amazon advertising
• PitchBook report whines about the demise of unicorns
• Shopify reports earnings, chucks logistics business

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Bed Bath & Beyond bankruptcy
• UPS Q1 earnings call results
• Amazon’s new anti-counterfeit exchange
• Shopify announces a bill-pay service

And finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 7 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly 

• Amazon’s 2022 shareholder letter
•  Understanding the recent retail sales report
• Could Amazon seller’s expansion give reason for Shopify collaboration?
• Retailer David’s Bridal entering bankruptcy

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Amazon adds fees to reduce return costs
• Dollar General partners with a beauty incubator
• Inventory glut increasing supply chain costs
• Consumer shipping preferences changing

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

• Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette Steps Aside
• FedEx Announces Integration of Express and Ground
• American Eagle Outfitters Removes its Logistics Leader
• Walmart’s 2023 Investor Community Meeting

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly