The Concierge Economy
Original research on AI's true role in the shopping experience — the concierge, not the cashier.
Read the guide →OUR NETWORK
FORESIGHT AND TRENDS
2026 PredictionsThe Age of Autonomy & Sovereignty: the collapse of consumer trust meets the retailer on AI autopilot.
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Prepare for the Age of Autonomy
Past predictions →Channels & Media
Retail & Commerce MediaRetail media turns commerce into content. Every retailer now operates as a measurable media property.Marketplaces & ChannelsMarketplaces demand deliberate channel diversification. Every retailer now manages a portfolio of commerce channels.Social CommerceSocial commerce is cultural infrastructure, where discovery, identity, and purchase converge at the speed of culture.AI & Agentic CommerceAI is the new front door to commerce. Brands must serve humans and agents, or risk the Agentic Ghetto.Brand & Loyalty
Creator EconomyCreators are now structural to commerce. They supply the audience, the channel, the CMO, and often the brand.Retention & LoyaltyCustomer loyalty is arbitrage, not affection. As performance marketing decays, retention becomes the whole game.Culture & Experience
Physical Retail & ExperiencePhysical retail is a sensory medium, measured by Return on Experience rather than sales per square foot.Luxury CommerceLuxury commerce is not a price tier. It manufactures desire, status, scarcity, and meaning.Commerce Policy & GeopoliticsCommerce policy is technology policy. Tariffs, antitrust, and data rights shape the infrastructure of global trade.Rather browse by format?
Columns & Series
The Senses
The dispatch decoding the cultural forces shaping commerce, brands, and consumer behavior.
Insiders
Numbered essays on brands, cultural meaning, and the business systems behind them.
Field Notes MEMBERS
Retail store teardowns scored against the Senses Matrix and reported from the field.
The London Brief
Field reports on London retail, luxury commerce, culture, and the future of the store.
Latest Research
1,000 Consumers Told Us How They Use AI to ShopHoliday shopping data with Cimulate: how consumers actually shop with AI. Includes the companion film, Your Store is a Chatbot Now.
Read the research →Topics+
FORESIGHT AND TRENDS2026 Predictions: The Age of Autonomy & SovereigntyListen to Ep. 435 →
Channels & Media
Retail & Commerce MediaMarketplaces & ChannelsSocial CommerceAI & Agentic CommerceBrand & Loyalty
Creator EconomyRetention & LoyaltyCulture & Experience
Physical Retail & ExperienceLuxury CommerceCommerce Policy & GeopoliticsRead & Watch+
Columns & Series
The SensesInsidersField NotesMEMBERSThe London BriefInsights & Research
GuidesFC InsightsVISIONSWord-of-Mouth IndexMEMBERSMember BriefsMEMBERSWatch & Learn
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