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2026 PredictionsThe Age of Autonomy & Sovereignty: the collapse of consumer trust meets the retailer on AI autopilot.
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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?
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The dispatch decoding the cultural forces shaping commerce, brands, and consumer behavior.
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
NEW DATA: Who’s holiday shopping in the K-shaped economy?Four types of shoppers are still spending this holiday. Discover what earns their next purchase in The K-Shaped Holiday, our free 34-page report with research by Merciv.
Read the research →Our shows
Step by StepOperator playbooks. One problem at a time for people who ship.DecodedThematic explainers that decode one big shift in commerce per season.Infinite ShelfHuman-centric brand building, and retail culture with Ingrid Milman Cordy.
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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+
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