Commerce Experience (Bloomreach)

E-commerce technology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. With its rapid growth, the industry has also faced a number of challenges pertaining to gender diversity and inclusion — and these challenges are ones faced by nearly every business today.

In this episode, Brian discusses gender equity, representation, and inclusion with the Chief Marketing Officer of Bloomreach, Amanda Elam.
Join us as we discuss:

• The barriers that women and other underrepresented groups face across industries
• How you can craft a more equitable and balanced workplace
• The positive impacts of having a diverse workforce, both for the individual and the company

March is Women's History Month, and what better way to celebrate than by highlighting the achievements of women in retail and e-commerce?

In this episode, we’re joined by a special guest guide, Amanda Elam, Chief Marketing Officer at Bloomreach, as she speaks with Vickie Bond Mrva — a marketing leader for some of the most notable brands (Apple, Walmart.com, Clorox, and Lululemon to name a few) in the world and the newest board member of Bloomreach.
Join us as we discuss:

• How representation can drive better outcomes
• The importance of data in building brands consumers love
• Ways that uncertainty and constraint can drive focus and innovation

For years Amazon has been an unstoppable e-commerce juggernaut with innovation mojo and an investment thesis that gave them license to spin Bezos’ legendary flywheel so fast that no one could keep up.

But now? That mojo has turned to mush.

Today, Brain explores the complex trap that sets Amazon up for a painful awakening.
Join Brian as he walks us through:

• Amazon’s private label programs, politics, and antitrust pressure
• The state of offshore third-party marketplace sellers
• The evidence for and against having reached “peak Amazon”

Straight from ShopTalk, it’s Commerce Experience!

In this episode, Brian sits down with Pete Franco, President of livingapaces.com, live from the showroom floor at ShopTalk to discuss the best practices for procuring the right technology solutions. As someone with over 30-40 solution partners, Pete shares some of the lessons he's learned along the way and offers guidance for others looking to select the right vendors.

Discussed in this episode:

• Takeaways from the ShopTalk conference
• How to procure the best technology solutions
• How brick-and-mortar and online retail complement each other

Are you tired of wondering what your customers really want? Do you wish you had the key to unlocking their buying behavior?

Today, Brain is joined by Monica Sharma-Patnekar, an accomplished brand, marketing, and strategy leader with over 17 years of global experience building brands. Monica is here to share her expertise on the psychology of customers in e-commerce and how to truly connect with them.

Discussed in this episode:

• How to differentiate between real and ideal customers
• The challenges of customer research
• Executing personalization at scale

So, whether you're a seasoned e-commerce pro or just starting out, this episode is a must-listen.

How can businesses effectively leverage Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to gain a competitive edge in the e-commerce industry?

Today, two customer data experts, Amanda Elam (CMO at Bloomreach) and Cindy Marshall (CEO of SHINE Strategy) discuss the Customer Data Platform (CDP) space and its relevance and power within e-commerce.

Join us as we discuss:

• Quality components of CDPs
• The power of front-end segmentation
• Finding the right technology solution for your business

Generative AI may be the most significant technology innovation to impact human culture and commerce since the iPhone launched in 2007, or for that matter, maybe the Internet itself.

In this special narrative episode, Brian looks at the future of digital commerce and the ever-growing role that generative AI will play in the shopping experience. How’d we get here? How can we utilize these tools today? And what can we do to stand out from the competition for years to come?

Special thanks to our guests on this episode: Raj De Datta (Co-Founder and CEO at Bloomreach), Anirban Bardalaye (Chief Product Officer at Bloomreach), and Paul Edwards (Technical Product Strategist at Bloomreach).

For more on The Edge Summit, click here.

“I admire speed and companies that are able to execute fast because they will make a difference.” - Christian Maaß

In this episode, we delve into the world of music, art, and digital commerce with Christian Maaß, CDO & MD at Thomann Music. Brian and Christian dive into the impact of the pandemic on creative pursuits, the challenges of entering new markets, and uncover key insights for better differentiation.

Join us as we discuss:

• Thomann's unique approach to customer experience
• The challenges and considerations of expanding into new markets
• The power of personalization at scale

Generative AI has been all the talk this year, and the speed at which things continue to evolve and the implications for commerce as a whole are fascinating.

In this episode, together with a handful of guests, we are going to look at questions about how this AI evolution is being experienced by marketers today and what that may look like in the future.

Special Thanks to our guests, Daniel Edelman CEO of Runic, Keval Baxi CEO of Codal, and Paul Blankley CTO at Zenlytic.

In August industry leaders gathered in Napa Valley to discuss the exciting fusion of AI and e-commerce with a particular focus on the challenges and potential solutions within the online shopping journey.

With visionary keynotes and sessions focused on new and emerging applications of AI, the Edge Summit shapes a new future for online shopping — from marketing to site search and beyond.

In today's episode, we're highlighting some of the best moments from the Edge Summit Main Stage.

For more Edge Summit content visit: theedgesummit.com/

In August industry leaders gathered in Napa Valley to discuss the exciting fusion of AI and e-commerce with a particular focus on the challenges and potential solutions within the online shopping journey.

With visionary keynotes and sessions focused on new and emerging applications of AI, the Edge Summit shapes a new future for online shopping — from marketing to site search and beyond.

In today's episode, we're highlighting some of the best moments from the livestream, insightful interviews, recorded from the Bell Suite on-site in Napa.

For more Edge Summit content visit: theedgesummit.com/

In this episode, we’re delving into the economic growth opportunities and challenges faced by retailers across North America, with a special focus on Canada. From the influx of immigrants to the transformation of skill sets and technology investment, we explore the evolving landscape of the retail industry.

We’re joined by Michael LeBlanc, Michael is the Founder and president of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to the Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing and e-commerce leadership experience and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is also the producer and host of a network of leading industry trade podcasts, including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail.

Join us as we discuss:

• The influence of immigration on Canada's economy and its implications for retailers
• The strategic approach Canadian retailers are taking toward technology investment and the delicate balance between customer focus and channel focus
• The changing dynamics of cross-border commerce between the United States and Canada, and its impact on businesses and consumer behavior

Welcome to the all-new, Commerce Experience podcast. We're still bringing you must-hear insights, but now with a new host, Elena Kacan!

Elena is a dynamic marketing strategist and community marketing manager with a passion for empowering data-driven creators and optimizers who are looking to take their game to the next level.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, we're on a mission to highlight those doing things a bit differently in the world of e-commerce.

You can expect Elena & her guests to bring a fresh & unique perspective on trends, strategies, and tech stacks all while giving you the insights you need to stay a few steps ahead in this ever-evolving industry.

To connect with Elena, click here.

And be sure to follow Commerce Experience so you never miss an episode.

What are the traits of a limitless leader, and how would you transform in 2024 if you tapped into this wisdom?

Today, Elena is joined by Dr. Mary Hemphill, a leadership expert and development coach, author, and highly regarded communicator. She holds a PhD in Leadership Studies and has impacted nearly 50,000 leaders around the world with her transformational and innovative development strategies. Mary is the proud CEO and founder of The Limitless Leader LLC™, an organization that helps people ignite the leader in themselves.

Discussed in this episode:

• Mindset shifts necessary to operate as a limitless leader
• Explore the importance of creating conditions for creativity in the workplace
• Understanding the impact of technology on leadership and the need for ethical considerations in AI and beyond

AI is the new hire you’ve always dreamed of. But the onboarding process is going to take some time. For the time being, your team’s knowledge and skillset will be the secret sauce to reaping the benefits of the AI technology that’s evolving in front of our eyes by the minute.

Joining Elena on the Commerce Experience to talk about using AI in e-commerce, marketing, and more are two of Bloomreach’s most seasoned ambassadors, Lasse Pedersen, Lead Architect at Nexus Ambition, and Rita Sousa, Head of CRM at Lounge. The conversation is sure to leave you pondering about how you’re using AI in your daily workflow, yet, with some of the tips discussed here, you’ll be eager to dive into that next big project.

Discussed in this episode:

• Various AI use cases and the importance of prompting correctly
• The recent boom of AI adoption and how it will change the ways we work
• The impact of AI on professional and personal growth

Elena links up with Desiree Natali, the innovative Director of Social Media at The Honey Pot Company, for a chat about community marketing, grassroots efforts, experimentation and testing, and much more.

In marketing, one fundamental lesson remains true: embracing change and being open to trying new things is key. In this episode of the Commerce Experience, Desiree Natali, the Director of Social Media and Community at The Honey Pot Company, shares her invaluable experience and marketing wisdom that underscores the essence of adaptability and innovation.
The Honey Pot Company, a pioneer in feminine hygiene and wellness, has blazed a trail marked by its unwavering commitment to experimentation and a profound connection with its community. This journey has led the company to uncharted territories, defying convention and setting new standards for authenticity and storytelling in modern marketing — and isn’t that what all marketers ultimately aspire to do?

On this episode:

• The unlikely, and yet obvious mascot that’s helped bring The Honey Pot vast success
• Why engaging with potential customers in meaningful ways means everything
• How experimentation, grassroots efforts, and AI can bring you serious success
• All things social media and when is the right moment to embrace new trends

How well do you know your customers?


Yes, yes, you “know them.” You know their purchasing habits, their demographics, and the various styles trending. But how deep down the rabbit hole are you going as a retailer in trying to truly understand and connect with them on a personal level?

In today’s episode of Commerce Experience, Jillian Borde, Marketing Director at Double Stitch by Bedsure, talks about radical customer engagement for the 76% of consumers who think companies should know and anticipate their needs, underscoring the necessity for nuanced and targeted marketing approaches that are more experience-driven than anything else.

Join us as we discuss:

• How AI can play a role in shaping unique customer experiences
• The art of leveraging customer data
• The most thoughtful examples of brands interacting with customers

Marketing teams run a million miles a minute, but one central focus fuels those that win — impenetrable teamwork and a customer-centric approach that focuses on curating the shopping experiences that make sense to them. This unwavering dedication to understanding and meeting the ever-changing needs of their customers sets the stage for groundbreaking strategies and unparalleled business success.

Today, Elena sits down with Mark Frenette, the B2B Digital Commerce Manager at Hershey, to discuss B2B digital transformation, the B2C comparisons that plague B2B, and the power of creative consistency and digital strategy. Mark shares his vast marketing wisdom and underscores the need to push beyond limits to achieve true success.

Discussed in this episode:

• Why B2B companies often lag behind B2C companies in digital transformation despite the need to meet customer expectations
• “Consistency,” “patience,” and “thinking creatively” as the core values to B2B (and B2C) digital transformation and overcoming internal resistance we feel as humans
• The importance of aligning technology with your strategy and goals as an organization

In the current economic environment, the directive to "do more with less" has become an inescapable reality for marketers. Tasked with driving ambitious results on a shoestring budget and a lean team, the challenge is not merely to keep pace but to stand out and thrive. 

Into this challenging scenario, Natalie Marcotullio, Head of Growth and Operations at Navattic, brings to the table a unique framework designed to empower small marketing teams. Joining Elena in an eye-opening conversation, Natalie shares how embracing innovative strategies can transform limitations into strengths, ensuring your brand not only resonates in a crowded market but shines distinctly.

Discussed in this episode: 

• Managing a marketer’s workload without burnout 
• Outsourcing tasks for productivity enhancement
• Finding the best time to pitch ideas to leadership

In 2023, there was a spike in experience, or experiential, retail. But what is experience retail? It’s a strategy that focuses on creating unique, immersive, and memorable experiences for customers — both online and in store. For example, the widespread excitement around pop culture-related events, like the Barbie movie or the Taylor Swift Eras tour, helped immerse consumers wholly into a particular experience — while also driving related purchases for themed outfits, accessories, costumes, and so on.

With experiential marketing continuing to refine itself, we’ll see a brand’s ability to adapt get a lot quicker, allowing them to gauge important insights, shift merchandising strategies, and capitalize on pop culture trends. In today’s episode, which was recorded during Bloomreach's Commerce Experience Summit, Elena sits down with Christy Augustine, COO at Bloomreach, and Stefani Rosenberg, the former Senior Director of Marketing Product and Process at Macy’s, to explore the dynamic intersection of AI, experiential marketing, and ecommerce.

Join us as we discuss: 

• Adapting merchandising strategies to incorporate cultural trends and experiences
• Leveraging live shopping and partnerships for emotional buy-in
• Evolving consumer expectations in retail and what it means to your brand

Ecommerce continues to evolve at a pace that is hard to fathom — let alone keep up with. In this episode of the Commerce Experience, which was recorded live at Shoptalk Spring in Las, Vegas, Elena sits down with Jennifer Peters, Senior Manager of ECommerce at OLLY PBC, and Phillip Jackson, Co-Founder of Future Commerce, to look at how e-commerce is prioritizing  simplicity over complexity with the democratization of platforms and staying agile and attentive to customers' expectations.

Join us as we discuss: 

• The importance of omnichannel for the modern consumer and how to consider it in your planning
• The evolution of ecommerce tech stacks and the crucial nature of integrations in the age of simplicity 
• The role of cultural relevance in marketing for all generations and the need for brands to adapt quickly to their desires

With the increasingly crowded ecommerce landscape of 2024 and beyond, carving out your brand's unique online merchandising strategy is paramount. But how do you get started?

In today's episode, Elena is joined by Salee Suwansawad, the trailblazing Digital Site Merchandising Leader at VF Corporation, which is home to brands like Vans, Timberland, Northface, and more. With a wealth of experience in the space, Salee unveils the blueprint for constructing a commerce empire that stands the test of time.

Discussed in this episode:

• Merchandising tactics tailored for both online and brick and mortar
• The secrets behind effective marketing strategies and mastering the art of brand management
• Navigating the evolving retail landscape with insights on trends, personalized consumer experiences, and technology adoption

A large market shift is happening in luxury ecommerce. Millennials and Zoomers alike are prioritizing value over brands, and with dupe culture being extremely popular amongst the younger demographic, luxury ecommerce needs help to stay relevant. Even big media outlets, like The New York Times, are noticing the change in its recent article, “Has the Luxury E-Commerce Bubble Burst?”

Today, Elena and Roxy Couse, Director, Customer Experience Group, sit down at Bloomreach’s Charlotte, North Carolina office to break down the nuances behind the current market trends and discuss strategies to navigate the changing tides in luxury e-commerce. They'll examine how these preferences for value and authenticity over mere brand names are reshaping consumer behavior and what this means for luxury retailers.

TLDR;

• Shift in consumer preferences toward value over brand names
• The rise of dupe culture and its impact on luxury ecommerce
• Strategies for luxury brands to adapt and stay competitive in the changing market

Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly transforming the e-commerce industry, urging forward-thinking businesses to dream bigger than ever before. Among the burgeoning areas of innovation is conversational commerce, which is increasingly becoming a dedicated budget item for marketers and merchandisers. 

For deeper insights into this evolving field, Elena got together with Vikas Jha, VP of Engineering, Conversational Commerce at Bloomreach. With an impressive track record, including stints at Google and as the Founder/CEO of Radiance Commerce (acquired by Bloomreach in 2023), Vikas offers a rich perspective on the subject.

TLDR;

• The explosive rise of GenAI that has refined conversational commerce technologies over the last 24 months
• Exciting ways AI-powered shopping assistants are set to revolutionize both marketing and merchandising 
• Tips and tricks for getting the green light and budget to dive into the world of conversational commerce

Discover how loyalty programs can transform customer relationships. From Sephora to Kohl's and Elf, brands are evolving to incentivize and gamify the customer journey, creating extraordinary experiences that go beyond “just perks.”

In this episode, Elena and Roxy delve into the distinctions between loyalty and rewards programs and explore how to tailor the best approach for your e-commerce business.

TLDR;

• The critical role of loyalty programs in customer retention
• Gamifying the customer journey
• Designing exclusive and personalized experiences

How are AI and data science transforming data teams’ workflows, business strategy, and the overall customer experience? 

Prakash Hariharabalan, Senior Director of Marketing Analytics at Signet Jewelers — an overarching umbrella company that houses Jareds, Zales, Kay Jewelers, and more — stops by the show to break down the secrets of truly leveraging data in ecommerce. He and Elena delve into data privacy, ethics, and the importance of cultivating a data-driven culture in retail.

Crafting a buzzworthy launch is truly an art form, especially in a crowded market — like beauty — where it can be tough to stand out.

Today, we’re joined by Cherene Aubert, VP of Digital & Commerce at ILIA Beauty, who has a proven track record of disrupting industries with her innovative ideas around product launches. She and Elena delve into the realities of omnichannel marketing, how creativity can be empowered by AI, and the evolution of personalization and brand in the age of data privacy. 

TL;DR:

• Discover how to create a big splash with your product launch and maintain momentum with smart marketing strategies 
• Learn to balance data-driven decisions with human creativity in e-commerce
• Explore the challenges and approaches for delivering personalized experiences amidst data privacy concerns

Too many conversations about AI in commerce fail to account for the legitimate questions and concerns of retailers that are being asked to take a huge leap of faith into a new world. Without clear guidance from trusted sources, the gap between technological advancements promoted by AI providers and the readiness of retailers to adopt these technologies will only continue to widen.

This week, Elena speaks with Andrew Laudato, COO at The Vitamin Shoppe, the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Retail AI Council, and Josh Baumrind, Chief Partnership Officer at the Retail AI Council. Andrew and Josh are committed to educating commerce professionals about the potential of AI and bridging the gap between partners and retailers — meaning, there’s no one better equipped to provide a trusted overview of the opportunities, challenges, and concerns presented by artificial intelligence.

TLDR;

• Why AI can enhance customers’ shopping experiences with relevant information 
• What you should do to maintain realistic discussions about AI commerce solutions
• How to address the latest ethical and legal considerations of AI in retail

The combination of AI and personalization is shifting customer expectations for shopping experiences at an astonishing pace.

In today’s episode, we’ll get a first-hand look at the real-world application of AI to create personalized customer experiences at scale, with the Head of Digital and Ecommerce at Miele, Sergei Moiseev-Liberman.  

As a high-end German manufacturer of premium home appliances and commercial equipment, personalization is crucial for Moiseev-Liberman’s team at Miele. With Elena, the two explore how integrating AI-driven personalization engines into marketing strategies and creating seamless "phygital" (physical and digital) experiences are now essential focuses for ecommerce companies.

TLDR:

• Leveraging AI to enhance customer experiences and streamline workflows
• How to bridge the gap between online-offline journeys
• Improving brand loyalty a customer-centric approach that measures delight

In order to unlock AI’s highest potential in shopping experiences, we need to understand how AI understands us: our language, our buying patterns, and our search preferences.

Joining co-hosts Elena and Roxy on this week’s episode is Xun Wang, CTO at Bloomreach, who gives the 411 on how AI and large language models (LLMs) are revolutionizing the way consumers search online. When the customer is granted a more personalized and relevant shopping experience, it’s better for both the customer and the brand — Xun breaks down exactly how AI can assist commerce professionals in achieving that goal.

TLDR

• How LLMs and vector technologies help search accuracy and personalization
• Why intent, product performance, and sophisticated algorithms improve ecomm search
• The ways merchandisers can tap into AI to make product discovery a better experience 

With grocery prices on the rise, are private-label products the answer for cost-conscious consumers? Today, we’ll explore how big-name retailers are shaping the future of affordable shopping through proprietary brands.In this episode of Commerce Experience, Roxy and Elena dish their thoughts about Walmart's latest private label launch, Bettergoods, chat about their personal favorites — like Target’s 50+ private labels — and explore how these products offer quality to consumers at a lower cost to brands, as well as increased personalization, improved customer loyalty, and more.

TLDR

• The rise of private-label brands and notable examples in the grocery industry and beyond
• The role of consumer data in creating personalization for successful private-label products
• Walmart’s launch of Bettergoods and the strategy behind the company’s first private brand food launch in 20 years

Virtual concerts on Roblox gained massive popularity during the pandemic, but did you know brands are now using the game to leverage immersive marketing tactics to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha?

In this episode, Roxy and Elena explore the growing appeal of Roblox as a marketing channel, where major brands like Nike, Hilton, and Paramount are crafting virtual experiences to build brand awareness among younger audiences. With marketers feeling the pressure to be everywhere at once, our co-hosts ask the critical question: Is it truly effective to be on every, single marketing channel?

TL;DR

• Roblox’s emergence as a key platform for brand engagement, driven by the growing demand for experiences
• Tips for experimenting with, navigating, and optimizing your chosen marketing channels
• Data’s role in understanding your audience and making impactful, personalized marketing decisions

Brands and retailers are experiencing a shake-up unlike any before, driven not by tech but by the growing use of weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. With millions of Americans turning to these GLP-1 medications, supplement stores, including GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, are just a small fraction of businesses, racing to tap into the trend.

In this episode, Roxy and Elena explore how retailers are adapting their strategies, from redesigning store layouts to targeting new customer segments. They’ll explore the ripple effects these medications have on consumer behavior, the challenges and opportunities, and what they mean for the future of industries, such as health and wellness, food and beverage, and beyond.

TL;DR

• How GNC and Vitamin Shoppe are rethinking their store layouts to appeal to GLP-1 users
• The wider industry reaction — from Walmart to Nestlé — to shifting consumer habits
• The market potential and concerns around GLP-1 medications and their influence on retail strategies

Online payments are rapidly becoming more seamless, and the question is: Is your brand keeping up? As consumers increasingly demand convenience, simplified payment options are not just a preference; they're reshaping the future of ecommerce transactions.

In this episode of Commerce Experience, Roxy and Elena discuss the evolving landscape of online checkouts, from one-click purchasing to MasterCard's bold initiative to eliminate manual card entry by 2030. The two also explore how these advancements are transforming shopping experiences on a large scale, making it easier and faster for consumers to complete their purchases (perhaps, too easy!).

TLDR

• MasterCard's initiative to phase out manual card entry by 2030 and its impact
• How innovations like digital wallets and one-click shopping are streamlining consumer transactions
• The effects of streamlined checkouts on consumer behavior and retail strategies 

With one-click orders and two-day shipping becoming the norm, how can companies align with these consumer expectations while embracing sustainability? In today's episode of Commerce Experience, Roxy and Elena chat about the sustainability landscape in ecommerce. They highlight cost-saving and eco-friendly strategies while discussing how brands, like Patagonia and IKEA, are embracing sustainability through initiatives such as buyback programs.

TLDR 

• Exploring the balance between rapid delivery and eco-conscious strategies
• Unpacking how leading brands weave sustainability into their DNA
• How AI innovations are revolutionizing green business practices

Subscriptions are everywhere, from streaming services to pet supplies delivery — and they’re changing the ecommerce industry in ways we couldn’t have imagined even 20 years ago. 

In today’s episode of Commerce Experience, Roxy and Elena examine the world of subscription models and how brands are building loyal customers (and recurring revenue streams) with convenience and predictability. But as competition grows, so do the challenges of standing out and keeping subscribers engaged and interested in your services.

Is there a secret behind successful subscriptions? And what does it take to win over the notoriously fickle modern customer long term?

TL;DR:

• How subscription models have transitioned from novelty to a cornerstone of modern ecommerce
• The balance between predictable revenue benefits and the challenges of churn and customer fatigue
• Proven strategies to attract, engage, and retain loyal subscribers through personalization and consistent value

As eCommerce accelerated in the wake of the pandemic, a shift in focus away from branch sales saw B2B manufacturers facing huge disruption to their traditional distribution model. To delve deeper into what's been happening in B2B manufacturing over the past year, Brian Walker speaks to Randy Higgins, Chief Strategy Officer at Shift7 Digital, the leading digital agency for manufacturers. Together, they discuss the changing roles of manufacturers and distributors, how the B2B sales process has been transformed, and the opportunities this has created, including: - How the increase in self-service is pushing manufacturers to improve their digital experiences and what the best in the sector are doing to stand out from the crowd. - Why B2B buyers are willing to pay more for a better commerce experience, and how manufacturers can adjust for this. - And why manufacturers need to be considering the impact that Amazon Business and other marketplace channels could have on their sales strategy and what they should do to respond. This episode offers many fascinating insights on how the B2B manufacturing space is changing and what manufacturers need to do to adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviors. If you’re a manufacturer looking for best practice insights on how to effectively sell your products in a post-covid world, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Randy a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-higgins-8620413/ Find out more about Shift7 Digital at: https://www.shift7digital.com/

When you take up a new role as CEO, your first year is usually very hands-on as you scope out the challenges that lay before you. But what happens when that new role coincides with the worst global pandemic in the last 100 years? To find out how one global industry leader has navigated this huge challenge, Brian Walker speaks to Charlie Cole, CEO at FTD, the 110-year-old flower and gift delivery business with operations in over 125 countries. Together, they discuss how to get consumers and employees to embrace change in a post-Covid world, the importance of market differentiation and how to overcome the challenges the global pandemic has brought on. They go into detail on a range of fascinating topics, including: - The changes FTD had to make to their supply chain in response to Covid and how they were able to do this without impacting customer experience. - Charlie’s lessons from leading a business through the crisis and how he was able to do so, even without having ever met most of his team in person. - And why Charlie is looking forward to the death of the Cookie, and what it means for customer experience in eCommerce. This episode offers many fascinating insights into the role of the modern CEO, what it takes to lead a global business through a major crisis and what you should be thinking about for your eCommerce strategy for the coming year. Whether you’re looking to make the step up to your first CEO role, or you already head up an eCommerce business, Charlie shares some great insights that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Charlie a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliecole/ Find out more about FTD at: https://www.ftd.com/

While many organisations have diversity and inclusion initiatives, there’s still a long way to go to make the C-suite, VP and director level grades as diverse as the consumers they serve. To find out how we can level the playing field, Brian Walker speaks to John Thompson, former SVP and GM at Best Buy, and one of the few black leaders at the helm of the US e-commerce industry. Together, they discuss the transformation of big box retailers into e-commerce stores and what businesses can do to further open the industry to a more diverse talent pool, including: - What the next chapter of retail looks like, and what the future holds for both malls and retailers with physical stores. - The crucial steps businesses need to take to make diversity and inclusion a priority and how higher education could play a huge role in this. - And John’s thoughts on how the industry can support and encourage both black Americans and other marginalized communities to pursue e-commerce careers. This episode offers many fascinating insights into how you can improve the approach to diversity and inclusion in your e-commerce business, with several real-life examples of industry programs that are leading the way. If you’re looking to grow a diverse team that embraces new ways of thinking, John shares some great insights in this episode that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know John a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-thompson-28ab2081/ Find out more about Best Buy at: https://www.bestbuy.com

People don’t go online because they want to watch ads, they go online because they want great experiences. That’s exactly why Raj De Datta co-founded Bloomreach back in 2009. In today’s ‘The State of Commerce Experience’ episode, Brian Walker speaks to Bloomreach CEO Raj De Datta to learn more about his entrepreneurial background and his role in evolving Bloomreach into the industry leader for eCommerce experiences. Together, they discuss the story behind Bloomreach, how the company made the most of the pandemic, and the strategies eCommerce businesses should adopt as the world heads back to normality, including: - Where the idea for Bloomreach came from, the surprises and discoveries that Raj has encountered over the past decade, and the lessons he’s learned. - The strategy behind Bloomreach’s acquisition of the customer data and experience platform Exponea earlier this year. - And an introduction to Raj’s new book The Digital Seeker: A Guide for Digital Teams to Build Winning Experiences. This episode offers fascinating insights into the entrepreneur’s mindset, including what it takes to found, lead, and grow a successful company. If you’re looking to deliver better digital experiences, you won’t want to miss the crucial insights Raj shares in this episode. For more on Raj’s new book, The Digital Seeker, make sure you come back next week for the launch of part 2 of this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Raj a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdedatta/ You can also pre-order Raj’s new book The Digital Seeker ahead of its launch on June 1: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Seeker-Guide-Winning-Experiences/dp/0231202202

In part one, Brian spoke to Bloomreach CEO Raj De Datta about his entrepreneurial journey and his role in evolving the company into the industry leader for eCommerce experiences. In this, the second half of their conversation, Brian speaks with Raj about his new book ‘The Digital Seeker,’ a how-to guide for digital teams to build winning digital experiences. Together, they discuss what it means to be ‘seeker-centric’, why it’s important, and how digital teams must evolve to meet the new and growing expectations of consumers, including: - What brands like Bayern Munich, Peloton, Spotify and the UK’s National Health Service are doing to build winning experiences for seekers over transactional consumers. - How you can encourage your customers to give you more of their data in return for delivering a better experience. - And how Raj would approach pitching a CEO or a board member on the importance of a digital-first, seeker-centric approach to product service and experience design and execution. This episode offers in-depth, compelling insights into the difference between customers and seekers, and how the organizations of tomorrow are building their offerings around the latter. If you’re looking for some brilliant examples of companies who are putting seekers first, and ideas for how you can develop and differentiate great digital experiences, you won’t want to miss this episode. Pre-order The Digital Seeker ahead of its launch on June 1: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Seeker-Guide-Winning-Experiences/dp/0231202202 We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us . And you can get to know Raj a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdedatta/

To stay ahead of the latest retail trends and keep pace with ever-changing consumer behaviors, you need data gathered from the front lines of commerce. And that’s where today’s guest has spent her entire career. In this episode, Brian Walker speaks with Sucharita Kodali, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, and leader of the 2021 State of Commerce Experience Report - a study of US, UK and German eCommerce consumers, B2B buyers, and the decision makers within the businesses serving them. Together, they discuss why research like this is crucial for B2B and B2C retailers, the picture it paints of the future of commerce, and what it means for decision makers as they reassess post-pandemic retail strategies. They cover a range of topics in their conversation, including: - The growing importance of a brand's direct website and how the direct-to-consumer experience is crucial in keeping customers coming back. - How, despite the large shift towards D2C, there’s still a large role for distributors to play as trusted advisors. - And how to invest in best-in-class digital capabilities that consumers expect, while overcoming the huge disconnect between buyers and sellers that the research has highlighted. This episode offers many fascinating insights into where digital commerce is heading, and what you must do to educate others inside your business about what needs to happen. If you’re looking to conduct a maturity assessment, benchmark yourselves, or build a business case for change, Sucharita shares some invaluable insights that you won’t want to miss. You can also download the report now for a complete view of the research: https://www.bloomreach.com/en/state-of-commerce-experience-hub If you’re looking for even more digital commerce insight, then you’ll want to catch up on last month’s Commerce Experience Summit 2021, where over 1000 ecommerce and marketing professionals came to discuss the latest digital commerce trends and consumer shifts: https://visit.bloomreach.com/commerce-experience-summit We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at: https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Sucharita a little better by checking out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sucharitamulpuru/ And find out more about Forrester Research at: https://go.forrester.com/

How can industries that operate in physical experiences, many of which were hit hard by the pandemic, drive greater success by thinking like an e-commerce company? This is what Brian Walker and Ari Greenberg - Chief Commercial Officer at Brightline Trains, dig into in this episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience'. Brightline Trains is the first and only privately funded high speed rail company in Florida. In this episode Brian and Ari discuss how Brightline is optimizing its mobile experience, data operations, and purchase funnel to power the business forward into the post pandemic world. They cover a range of topics in this conversation, including: - How Brightline is breaking down the perceived barriers of high-speed rail travel in the same way airlines have done. - The importance of frictionless user journeys. - And how the company is reimagining the traditional train ticket model. This episode is packed with insights into how thinking like an e-commerce company can help you raise awareness and change customer behaviours. If you’re looking to challenge the traditional ways of working, or blend physical experiences with digital experiences, Ari shares some great ideas in this episode that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Ari a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aripaulg/ And find out more about Brightline Trains at: https://www.gobrightline.com/

Digital has changed the landscape of retail, and colleges and universities are beginning to find innovative ways to reflect that in their curriculum. Brian Walker speaks to Professor Kirthi Kalyanam of Santa Clara University, a leading academic with research and expertise in retailing, internet, and multi-channel marketing, to learn how classrooms are evolving to keep pace with a changing industry. Together, they discuss the role of education post-pandemic and how businesses can better support the retail talent pipeline from classroom to career. They cover a broad range of topics in this conversation, including: - The evolution of retail and e-commerce, and how that’s been viewed within academia. - How the pandemic has impacted students, not only in the classroom, but also in their ability to prepare for the future ahead. - The importance of training students on the platforms and technologies used in retail today. - What businesses can do to better support the classroom to career pipeline for students. This episode offers many fascinating insights into how modern business and academia overlap, and how education must evolve at the same rate as the e-commerce industry in order to thrive in the new landscape. If you’re looking for ways to help the next generation of bright business minds, Dr. Kalyanam shares some invaluable insights in this episode that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Dr. Kalyanam a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkalyanam Learn more about the Retail Management Institute’s Digital Merchandising Certification program here: https://www.scu.edu/business/retail-management-institute/digital-merchandising-certification/

Though the impacts of the pandemic have been seen across the globe, it is clear that, while widespread, those impacts were not necessarily equal. One area where this is evident is in the disparity between US and EU/UK e-commerce growth, where increases in the EU and UK lag far behind that of the US. To learn more about the trends and business leader sentiment guiding EU e-commerce strategy through the pandemic and beyond, host Brian Walker speaks to Victor Terpstra, the Chief Commercial Officer at Amsterdam-based digital experience agency SQLI International. Together, they discuss the differences in both consumer confidence and economic conditions in Europe, and how SQLI’s engagement model is evolving with the market. They cover a range of topics in this conversation, including: - Why European based businesses are behind the US when it comes to aggressive investment in digital transformation. - How the digital agency model has evolved without on-site or in-person meetings, and how this has affected system integrations with clients. - And what impact the recent digital inflection will have on European business leaders’ approach to serving consumers and B2B customers post-Covid. This episode is packed with insights on the European digital commerce climate, and how agency-client relationships in the region are evolving to be more ongoing and collaborative rather than single-project delivery. If you’re keen to build more engaging experiences with your clients, or you’re looking to evolve into a digital-first business, Victor shares some great ideas in this episode that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Victor a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vterpstra/ And find out more about SQLI International at: https://www.sqli.com/en

It’s not only digital technology that’s advancing at warp speed — customer expectations have grown exponentially in recent years too. And when brands can’t keep up, customers simply move on. So how can businesses build loyalty in this challenging digital environment? To get first-hand insight into how brands need to be engaging with today’s consumer, Brian Walker speaks to Steve Soechtig, Global CEO of Ogilvy Experience. Together, they discuss the evolution of digital and the challenges and opportunities its prevalence across all aspects of our lives creates, including: · The need to differentiate the experience you provide from your competition in a way that connects with potential customers. · How to tap into what the next generation of consumers, who’ve known digital all their lives, expect online. · And why businesses need to step back from specific tools and products to define what their objectives are and use that to build a digital strategy. Steve offers some fascinating insights on what is shaping e-commerce today and in the near future, and how your business can turn these trends into opportunities. If you’re looking for ways to stay at the cutting edge of what’s possible and grow your business in new markets, you won’t want to miss this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Steve a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssoechtig/

Every e-commerce leader has a vision for how their brand is going to stand out online. But forcing off-the-shelf commerce functionality into their digital architecture makes it difficult to bring that exact vision to life. To learn more about how composable commerce empowers digital teams to realise their visions of taking complete control of their digital commerce strategy, Brian Walker speaks to Jamus Driscoll, CEO at headless commerce platform, Elastic Path. Together, they discuss the concept of composable commerce versus headless commerce, the importance of investing in new digital capabilities, and what the next 12 to 24 months holds for e-commerce, including: · When it’s time for e-commerce businesses to start moving towards more flexible digital platforms that allow them to adapt to customer needs as they change. · How to get your leadership team on-board with digital architecture changes by asking “is the business living up to its digital aspirations?” · And how we’re technologically not far away from commerce being so embedded in our lives, that we’ll be able to use our televisions to order products. This episode is packed with insights on the technology and business benefits of composable commerce, including the ways future-thinking brands are already using composable commerce to create tailored customer experiences. If this is something your company is thinking about, or you’re just keen to know what the future of digital commerce architecture looks like, Jamus shares some brilliant insights in this episode that you won’t want to miss. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please contact us at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Jamus a little better through his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamusdriscoll/ And learn more about Elastic Path: https://www.elasticpath.com/

With customers now expecting unified digital experiences wherever they shop, the need for digital transformation has never been more urgent to businesses. But there’s a huge difference between identifying what needs to change and making transformation happen. To learn more about what digital transformation really means, and to help you navigate the process within your company, host Brian Walker speaks to Howard Tiersky, CEO at FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, and author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance. Together, they discuss why digital transformation is so hard to do, yet so important, and why it’s crucial to get inside the heads of your consumers from the outset to understand what really matters to them. They cover a range of topics in this conversation, including: • The tools and techniques you can use to define what needs to change in your digital customer experience. • How to articulate the need for digital transformation to your senior leadership team, especially when they haven’t got an appetite for change. • And what risk factors you need to look out for once your transformation project has been given the green light. This episode is packed with practical advice on how to manage the technology, the people and the politics involved in any big digital transformation project, and the key things you need to consider when it’s time to instigate change. Whether you’re just building the business case, or you’re already underway and facing some challenges, Howard shares some brilliant insights that can guide you towards success. You won’t want to miss it. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Howard a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiersky/ Order Howard’s book, Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance https://winningdigitalcustomers.com/freechapter And find out more about FROM: https://www.from.digital/

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and retailers are in store for one of the most challenging seasons in recent memory. With low inventories related to supply chain and logistics, labor challenges, and drops in consumer confidence, retailers are preparing themselves for an interesting few weeks to come. To highlight the factors impacting online shopping this holiday, as well as how retailers are responding, Brian Walker hosts a special 10-minute, solo episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience.’ He discusses a range of topics, including: · His holiday season forecast made weeks prior, and how that forecast has evolved as we’ve gotten deeper into the holiday season. · The challenges facing retailers right now, from supply chain and logistics to waning consumer confidence. · And the changes in strategy retailers are adopting in order to navigate the complexities of this holiday season. This episode is packed with fascinating insights about the build up to the holiday shopping season, where we are now, and where Brian sees us heading in the weeks to come. You won’t want to miss it. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Hear more insights from Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankwalker/

In this special episode of The State of Commerce Experience, host Brian Walker speaks with Igor Gorin, Founder & Global Chief Strategy Officer of Astound Commerce, who grew up in Ukraine. Astound is a commerce technology services business with a significant business presence in North America, UK, Europe and with software development centers in Bulgaria, Colombia, Slovakia, Turkey, and four locations in Ukraine, including Kiev. In this episode, Igor speaks to his personal journey growing up in Ukraine, his career journey as he immigrated to the US, his perspective on the ongoing war in Ukraine, what people can do to help, and more. To support any of the organizations mentioned in this episode, visit the links below: International Medical Corps: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/astound-commerce-imc Nova Ukraine: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/astound-commerce-nova-ukraine Save the Children: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/astound-commerce-save-the-children Kto pomôže Ukrajine (Who’ll help Ukraine): https://www.donio.sk/kto-pomoze-ukrajine?fbclid=IwAR0hr8vPAnnBgr08Xa-0Ee95g7Fq7vCa3KLWrzm9iowiC7wZpOTcS2lbPKU Člověk v tísni (People in need Czech Republic): https://www.clovekvtisni.cz/darujte/jednorazove?amount=1000&accountId=7

In 2022, companies are being pressed to find new, more effective ways to find and keep customers. The 2022 Digital Trends & Investment Priorities Report, co-published by Comm-X and CommerceNext, found that companies are still concerned with ongoing supply chain problems, rising customer acquisition costs, data privacy, and more. Facing these challenges, how are companies positioning themselves to find success this year? Hear our conversation with Scott Silverman, Co-Founder at CommerceNext, and Chris Hardisty, VP of Commerce at K-Swiss covering: How companies are forecasting growth for 2022 How rising customer acquisition costs could be a good thing for both brands and consumers The increasing importance of first-data The ripple effect from tragedies around the world on commerce supply chains How site personalization and experience investments are leading the way in building customer loyalty More information about Scott Silverman, Chris Hardisty, and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrsilverman/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hardisty-499b4b4/ Other Relevant Links: https://commercenext.com/2022-digital-trends-investment-priorities/ Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Commerce Experience in your favorite podcast player.

In our ongoing “Take 10” series, Brian takes (at least) 10 minutes to share some perspective on current events, hot topics, and controversial issues within the commerce landscape. The metaverse fits in all three of those boxes, with gaming, NFTs, and AR and VR technology making waves seemingly day after day, it’s important for companies to measure how they should engage with the metaverse, how much they should prioritize it, and what’s at risk if they do or don’t. In this episode, Brian discusses: The Metaverse definition How companies are prioritizing the Metaverse The pros and cons of being an early investor in the Metaverse How many consumers are actually engaging with the Metaverse How NFTs and gaming within the Metaverse are being embraced by consumers Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Commerce Experience in your favorite podcast player.

In this episode, we are continuing the discussion we started in our last episode on the Metaverse. In that episode, we looked at a high-level view of the Metaverse’s impact on digital commerce. In this episode, Johnny Rodriguez, Director of Strategic Innovation at Fresh Consulting and thought leader in the Metaverse space, joins the show to share his experience with the Metaverse and how it is impacting brands today. We discuss: -The many definitions and facets of the Metaverse -How brands have utilized the Metaverse for digital and physical commerce -The roadblocks for building and sustaining Metaverse initiatives in the current landscape -The pros and cons of embracing Metaverse technology

While everyone is looking at how the metaverse will impact the future, mobile apps are still king of the hill for creating omnichannel customer experiences and assisting consumers through their buying journeys. How can mobile apps help businesses succeed in 2022 and what new and innovative features are just around the corner? Matt Hudson joins the show to answer that and more. Matt is an experienced app developer with a focus on retail, including the development of the app for Belk, a US-based retail chain with over 300 locations. He is an expert who understands how mobile impacts the retail experience and customer journeys and how brands should approach mobile app development in order to make it sustainable and profitable. Join us as Brian and Matt discuss: Innovative ways retailers are using mobile apps How mobile apps as an omnichannel approach are a huge win for customers and retailers How businesses can determine if a mobile app is right for them How apps can be transformative for customers How to get customers to gravitate toward your app

Conversational Commerce may be on the rise in the US, but in many parts of the world, it’s already a normal part of everyday life. Across the globe, brands are engaging directly with their customers through text, WhatsApp, and other text-based apps, guiding them through the buying journey for everything from ordering a pizza to buying new clothes. Michael Ricci, Senior VP of Strategy at Sinch, joins us to talk about how companies are utilizing conversational commerce to elevate the customer experience and connect directly to their customers. Join us as Brian and Michael discuss: How conversational commerce is currently being utilized around the world The role of AI and Machine Learning in conversational commerce Why consumers are seeking personalized digital shopping experiences How companies can integrate conversational commerce into their commerce experience flow

The process of scaling an e-commerce business internationally is tumultuous. Whether it’s tax and financial transparency regulations that vary from country to country or how you display pricing so that customers can make fully-informed buying decisions, there are a lot of potential pitfalls that companies can fall into that can have a seismic impact. Evan Wright, Senior Director of Cross-Border Growth at Avalara, joins the show to discuss what you need to know about successfully scale an e-commerce brand internationally and how you can best serve international buyers. Join us as Brian and Evan discuss: - How to navigate the complexities of cross-border tax compliance - Best practices for scaling internationally - The cost considerations brands need to account for before and as they scale - Examples of varying regulations from country to country

Without fulfillment, there is no product for the customer, no experience with your product awaiting them, and ultimately, no reason to sell a product. In this episode, we are exploring both domestic and international fulfillment and logistics with Brittany Smith, CFO at ShipBob, an international tech company that helps D2C e-commerce brands scale their fulfillment experience. Join us as Brian and Brittany discuss: -What to look for in 3PL and potential fulfillment partners -How fulfillment can be a brand’s differentiator for customer experience -How to approach taking fulfillment in-house vs. finding a partner -Challenges companies face when scaling fulfillment internationally -How to differentiate when facing financial constraints

As the economy continues to shift, brands are frantically planning and strategizing for a potential downturn. Unfortunately, many companies are making cuts in the wrong areas, or basing their decisions on KPIs that don’t provide the correct information. So, where should brands be focusing with their marketing and content strategies, and how should they go about executing and measuring their performance? Joe Yakuel is joining the show to answer that question and more. Joe is the Founder and CEO at Within, a performance marketing company that helps consumer brands scale through media and content across digital marketing platforms. Here's what we cover: -How brands should think differently about performance marketing -What KPIs brands should be focusing on -How brands should adapt their content and media strategies -Why most brands are wrong about how they prioritize content

While Facebook and Instagram still dominate much of the paid social marketing space, competitors like TikTok and YouTube are gaining more and more real estate. The constantly-changing trends, platforms, and audiences make it seemingly impossible to nail down a creative strategy that can actually work. Lauren Schwartz, a Creative Strategist and Owner of The Loft 325, a creative studio that specializes in paid social, joins the show to break down how brands can find success with their creative strategies on any platform, or how to pivot existing strategy so that it can be successful. Join us as we discuss: What brands should consider when selecting a creative agency or studio The “myth” of guaranteed virality in a creative strategy How understanding your ideal customer is a key to success on any platform Why brands need to throw their brand book out the window to balance “polished” advertising with embracing more organic content What else needs to be in place in the customer journey for any marketing campaign to be successful The importance of testing and iteration in creating successful campaigns.

While the all-in-one enterprise suite has become increasingly popular, it doesn’t come without its pitfalls. There are complicated update processes that can be expensive and time-consuming, they lack needed flexibility, and often companies are forced to choose between using outdated technology or accepting an update that may change the entire way that software is used. What alternatives are available to leaders that no longer want to deal with the headache of all-in-one suites? Kelly Goetsch, Co-Founder and Chairman of the MACH Alliance, joins the show to share about his work with the MACH Alliance (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-Native SaaS, Headless), why the alliance was formed, and how MACH can totally transform your organization’s innovation roadmap, affording you greater agility, flexibility, and composability. In this episode, Brian and Kelly discuss: Why the MACH Alliance was formed The challenges of all-in-one enterprise suites How business leaders should be thinking about cloud technology, SaaS, and modernizing their tech stack How the MACH Alliance balances market competition with mutual interests Why an enterprise tech ecosystem leads to greater agility, interoperability, and flexibility Why MACH also improved speed-to-market through faster iterative processes

In these uncertain times, it’s crucial to see the digital commerce landscape with clear eyes in order to choose the right path forward. Today, we’re discussing e-commerce in Central Europe and the evolving trends in digital commerce with Nils Weber. Nils is the Founder & Managing Director at Valantic CX, a digital transformation consulting firm with over 3,000 people based in Germany. We discuss: - The state of e-commerce and digital transformation in this uncertain economic climate - The migration to customer-driven, real-time technology solutions away from legacy software and processes - The importance of prioritizing data and brand simultaneously We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please contact us at www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Nils better through his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-weber-6b81b276/ And learn more about Valantic: https://www.valantic.com/

According to the 2022 Global Customer Loyalty Report, 67% of companies want to increase their investment in customer retention, but what’s the top way to achieve this? Loyalty programs. Today, we’re discussing the current state of loyalty programs and how to get the most from your own with Zsuzsa Kecsmar. Zsuza is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Antavo, a leading Loyalty Managment solution — and is listed as one of the top 100 European leaders in technology by Forbes. Join Brian and Zsuzsa as they discuss: - The recurring loyalty program mistakes to avoid - How the current economic climate is impacting investment in loyalty programs - Loyalty programs as a fantastic source for first-party data collection

The impact of digital transformation on retailers cannot be overstated. With tackling commerce in the digital age, there are countless priorities, but what must be prioritized to see success in 2023 and beyond? Today, Brian speaks with Amy Eschliman, Managing Director of Cloud Retail Industry Solutions at Google. Join Amy and Brian and they discuss: - The pace of e-commerce modernization - Tools for digital transformation - Questions to assess cloud technologies

What does it take to market to and serve Gen Z effectively? What motivates them? What channels do they use? And how do they engage with brands? Join us as we explore the future of marketing and how to connect with the next generation of consumers. Tune into this special episode for discussions around: - Gen Z and Social Media - Pulling the Curtain Back on Influencer Marketing - The Need for Sustainable Business Practices Special thanks to our guests on this episode: Daniella Avila, Writer & Editorial Assistant at People Magazine William Lynch, Marketing Strategist at We Make Websites Johnny Rodriguez, Director of Innovation at Fresh Labs

Some people view the grocery industry as a commodity, but at Lowes Foods a sense of fun, entertainment, and strong customer engagement has been fostered, differentiating the experience of shopping for groceries along the way. Today, we’re discussing the importance of creating customer experiences that surprise and delight with Tim Lowe. Tim is the CEO and President of Lowes Foods — a leading regional grocery store chain known for its commitment to creating a fun and engaging shopping experience for customers, both in-store and online. Join us as we discuss: Creating synergy between an online and in-store experience Developing strong customer engagement How to be a disruptor in any industry

"It is somewhat Darwinian...but companies who had already been investing in digital [before the crisis] are in a better position to adapt and survive." In today’s episode, your host Brian Walker speaks with Allen Bonde. Allen has a deep background in eCommerce and has held a wide range of research, consulting and marketing leadership roles over his career. Allen’s current role is VP and Research Director at Forrester, where he leads a group of diverse analysts and researchers covering the strategies, models, services and enabling technologies for digital experience. Allen is a widely respected figure in the field of eCommerce. (So much so that he’s known as the “the godfather of commerce analysts” within Forrester – not a title that’s easy to come by!) In this conversation, Brian and Allen dive into the world of eCommerce as Allen shares his wealth of experience on a range of topics, including: - Insights on how shopping behaviour is changing - How Forrester are guiding commerce companies through the Covid-19-pandemic - His perspective on how eCommerce will change post-Corona Whether you’re new to the world of eCommerce or have decades of experience under your belt – this conversation is filled with valuable insights for you. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests you’d like to see us talk to, so please get in touch. To learn more about Allen, you can find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenbonde/ To learn more about Forrester, visit https://go.forrester.com/ Specific things discussed in the show: Forrester Research - https://go.forrester.com/ Forrester on Covid-19 - https://go.forrester.com/covid19/ McKinsey - https://www.mckinsey.com/

“I think that coming out of this crisis, we're going to see even more distinction between the idea of going shopping as an experience and actually having to buy something, whereas before the internet, the two were intimate. You had to go shopping to buy but today you do not.” In today’s episode Brian speaks with Pam Danziger. Pam is co-founder of Unity Marketing, the disruptive marketing agency helping retailers solve their most complex customer acquisition challenges. She is a respected author, researcher and Forbes senior contributor focused on Luxury, Retail and the affluent American consumer. In this episode, Brian and Pam discuss all things retail, eCommerce and how the current Covid-19-pandemic will influence the ‘H.E.N.R.Y’ (high-earners-not-rich-yet) demographic. In this conversation they dive deep into the role of customer experience in retail including: - The impact that the current crisis is having on retail and Pam’s take on what retail will look like after the Covid-19-pandemic - How the affluent H.E.N.R.Y consumers are changing their buying behaviours and what this could mean in a post Covid-19 world - Pam’s thoughts on the role of AI in retail and why face-to-face customer experience won’t be replaced anytime soon. Pam shares some great insights and offers valuable advice for anyone working in retail. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests you’d like to see us have on the podcast. Please get in touch. To learn more about Pam, you can find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamdanziger/ To learn more about Unity Marketing, visit https://unitymarketingonline.com/ Specific things discussed in the show: Unity Marketing - https://unitymarketingonline.com/ Pam’s Forbes articles - https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/#3a99e7787988 Books written by Pam Danziger - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Pamela+Danziger&ref=nb_sb_noss

“I believe that in the next 12 months we will see the battle between Mercado Libre and Amazon ramp up, because both of them realise that Mexico could be the big Latin American market that scales up so big that it becomes more important than Brazil.” In today’s episode, Brian speaks with Hendrik Laubscher, CEO and Founder of boutique research consultancy, Blue Cape Ventures. Hendrik and Brian have known each other for many years and have shared many meaningful conversations in the past. Knowing how much strategic value Hendrik brings to his clients, Brian invited him on to “The State of Commerce Experience” to share his experience with you. Back in Brian’s Forrester days, Hendrik was his “go-to” source for intel on what was happening in emerging markets such as Africa, Indonesia, South Asia and the Middle East. Continuing the trend, this episode focuses on the impacts that the current healthcare crisis is having on global eCommerce. In today’s show, Brian and Hendrik discuss some of the key topics at the top of many global CEOs’ priority lists, including: - The typical challenges that businesses face when expanding into Africa and the logistical issues to consider. - The future of eCommerce in Mexico and how Mercado Libre is paving the way for Mexico to become an even more important market than Brazil. - How western brands can leverage the opportunities that the Chinese eCommerce landscape has to offer, and what companies need to think about before launching in China. This episode is filled with valuable insights on global commerce developments and what you need to know if you’re operating in some of these rapidly growing markets. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch. To learn more about Hendrik Laubscher, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/henlaub/ To learn more about Blue Cape Ventures, visit https://bluecapeventures.com/

“The current healthcare crisis has accelerated B2B eCommerce by at least two years. Anyone buying anything for their business right now has to do it via eCommerce channels.” In today’s episode Brian speaks with B2B eCommerce expert, advisor and author, Brian Beck. Brian is a highly respected thought leader in the world of B2B digital commerce and the owner and Managing Partner of Enceiba – the leading eCommerce agency helping B2B and B2C companies grow their businesses on Amazon. The world of B2B eCommerce is one that’s not often talked about, even though it’s close to three times the size of the B2C eCommerce market. If you’re not familiar with the B2B landscape, today’s episode will give you meaningful insights into some of the key topics you’ll want to know about, including: - What the current B2B eCommerce landscape looks like and where the next big opportunities lie for businesses today. - The relationship between B2B companies and Amazon, and how manufacturers and distributors can make the most of the opportunities Amazon offers to them. - And the short and long-term impacts that coronavirus is likely to have on B2B eCommerce. This episode is packed full of valuable insights into the world of B2B eCommerce and what you need to know if you’re looking to make the most of this market to help grow your business. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch. To learn more about Brian Beck, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecommerceexpertbeck/ To learn more about Enceiba, visit https://www.enceiba.com/

“I don’t think Amazon have a single threaded business model where, if any one really negative event happened, it would signal the end of their business" In today’s episode, Brian speaks with advisor, author and Managing Partner at Rossman Partners, John Rossman. John and Brian met while working at Amazon in the mid-2000s, when John ran ongoing services and support for retail customers as part of the Amazon’s Enterprise Services division. Since then, John has published three books focused on what eCommerce businesses can learn from Amazon, including his latest book, Think like Amazon: 50 ½ Ideas to Become a Digital Leader. Throughout this meaningful conversation, John shares a number of strategic insights into the relationship between Amazon and Commerce, including: - How Amazon has responded to the Covid-19 crisis and what other businesses can learn from its response and approach. - What the future looks like for Amazon and what this could mean for eCommerce businesses. - Critical takeaways from his new book, Think Like Amazon, that you’ll want to start applying straight away in your own business. This episode is packed with high-value insights into the current commerce landscape, the impact that Amazon’s having on it and what changes we can expect in a post-Covid-19 world. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch with us. To learn more about John Rossman, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rossman/ To learn more about Rossman Partners, visit https://www.Rossmanpartners.com

“There's a misconception that because it's headless, it has nothing to do with the experience. But it’s the opposite. With the headless approach, it's way easier to build a unique experience that is suited to your customers than customizing an existing one.” In today’s episode, Brian speaks with Dirk Hörig, Founder and CEO of commercetools. Dirk is a true pioneer of the API-first approach. His business, commercetools, has quickly grown from a one-man band to a multinational organization at the forefront of innovation in digital commerce. In this insightful conversation, Brian and Dirk touch on a number of topics relating to commerce platform technology, including: - How Dirk became a pioneer of the API-first approach and why it’s integral to success in eCommerce. - The benefits and misconceptions about headless commerce and how to best articulate its benefits to the key stakeholders in your business. - How Covid-19 will shape the future of eCommerce and what this could mean for the adoption of AR and VR over the coming months. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, this episode is full of information about transforming commerce platform technology. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Dirk, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkhoerig/. To learn more about commercetools, please visit https://commercetools.com/.

“If [B2B companies] go online, they can enter markets where they’ve never been before and there are a lot of markets demanding online experiences from them right now.” In today’s episode, Brian speaks with Sirko Schneppe, Founder and Managing Director of diva-e - Germany’s largest independent eCommerce agency. With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Sirko is undoubtedly one of the industry’s most distinguished leaders. Throughout this conversation, Sirko shares his wealth of experience and lessons learned from the German eCommerce landscape, including: - How COVID-19 is going to result in a seismic shift in the German marketplace, working practices and consumer behavior, where traditional retail chains and physical cash still dominate. - Why Germany’s eCommerce industry relies heavily on B2B companies - the so-called hidden champions – and the opportunities this presents for other businesses looking to enter the market. - How the role of consultancies will evolve to help companies implement their digital transformation programs. This episode is filled with valuable insights and gives you a unique European viewpoint on the changing face of eCommerce. If you’re looking to expand your operations into Germany or other central European markets, this episode is a must-listen. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Sirko, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sirkoschneppe/. To learn more about diva-e, please visit https://www.diva-e.com/en/.

“Five or six years ago, there were a bunch of folks that took a chance in the B2B space and really tried to change their business models to be more digital and commerce-focused, but there's still a fair amount of holdouts…and I think [COVID-19] is going to light a fire underneath them.” Brian Walker has the pleasure of speaking to Brian Grady, CEO of Gorilla Group, one of the industry’s fastest-growing commerce experience agencies. Following a successful career with various technology leaders in the industry, Brian acquired Gorilla in 2008 when it was a small Chicago-based development shop. Since then, Brian has grown the agency into a team of over 370 employees working across 4 countries, with a cumulative 9-year growth rate of 945%. In this episode, Brian and his guest share notes on some of the most pressing topics in digital commerce today, including: - Why the COVID-19 crisis has dramatically accelerated B2B digital commerce and what that means for the industry as a whole. - The top considerations for B2B digital experiences beyond the point of transaction, what customers want to see and how business models need to evolve in response. - How the current travel restrictions will change the face of eCommerce consulting and talent acquisition forever. Whether you focus on B2B, B2C or straddle both, this episode is jam-packed with valuable strategic advice on navigating the digital economy in the current economic climate. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Brian, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-grady-079a552/. To learn more about Gorilla, visit https://www.gorillagroup.com/.

“I think that retailers need to do two things. One is developing their own private label brand […] and then the other piece is to look at building their own marketplace.” Today’s episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience’ takes a closer look at the Amazon marketplace, with Kiri Masters, Founder & CEO of Bobsled Marketing and a leading authority on all things Amazon. While building a successful career as a commercial banker at JPMorgan Chase, Kiri launched her first eCommerce business on Amazon. Based on this first-hand experience, Kiri saw a gap in the market and decided to launch Bobsled Marketing, the leading Amazon agency which now helps clients around the world get discovered, bought and loved on Amazon. Alongside running Bobsled, Kiri has a weekly column in Forbes, hosts the ‘Ecommerce Braintrust’ and ‘Amazon For CMOs’ podcasts, and is the author of two books – ‘The Amazon Expansion Plan’ and ‘Amazon For CMOs’. In their conversation, Brian and Kiri discuss: - Whether traditional CPG brands should view Amazon as a threat or an opportunity. - The different ways retailers can tap into the power of Amazon and the one strategy they must adopt to ensure they can compete in today’s climate. - How Covid-19 is impacting supply chains and consumer behavior, what it means for Amazon and what it could mean for your business. Whether you’re only at the early stages with Amazon or you’re already using it and looking to ramp up your ROI, this episode is full of valuable insights and advice to help you master Amazon for your brand. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Kiri, check out her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/. To learn more about Bobsled Marketing, visit https://www.bobsledmarketing.com/.

“What we have to remember here is that epidemiology is the captain, not the economy. This is a health issue and health is going to drive our economic recovery, our ability to travel and the way we live our lives.” When it comes to the impact of COVID-19, the travel industry has by far been the most significantly affected. To get a better insight into what’s happening in travel right now, Brian speaks with Henry Harteveldt, Co-Founder and President of Atmosphere Research Group. Henry is one of the travel industry’s most sought-after thought leaders and has been dubbed the “prophet of travel” because of his keen eye for predicting future trends. As a true travel sector veteran, Henry started his career in the early ‘80s in marketing and advertising management roles for companies including TWA and Continental Airlines. In the early 2000s, Henry shifted gears to become Vice President, Principal Analyst and Head of Global Travel Industry Research at Forrester, where he and Brian first met. After almost 12 years at Forrester, Henry launched his own market research and advisory firm serving the global travel industry, helping clients to understand emerging trends and develop actionable strategies to make them more successful. In today’s episode, Brian and Henry explore the impact Covid-19 has had on the travel industry and discuss the key strategic implications for the future of digital commerce in the space, including: - How the evaporation of current demand and a shift in consumer attitudes will change the face of the travel industry forever. - Why the road to recovery will be a “patchwork” pathway and what the near future holds for travellers, agencies, airlines, and service providers alike. - Why travel is becoming less about brand loyalty and how digital commerce innovations can help brands respond to this change. As we all know, the travel industry often sets the digital commerce trends that other sectors follow. So even if you don’t work in travel, you’re going to want to give this a listen. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Henry, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryharteveldt/. To learn more about Atmosphere Research Group, visit https://atmosphereresearch.com/.

“Covid made it much more transparent to many people how dependent they are on local suppliers… people just want to support their community and now they order a lot of stuff in the shops around the corner.” Europe is an incredibly large market and while much of the region is united by a common currency, each country has its own diversity, cultures and customs that you must navigate to be successful. To help you navigate the rich tapestry that is the European eCommerce landscape, Brian speaks with Markus Tillmann, Executive Vice President at Mindcurv. Markus has been at the forefront of the European eCommerce scene for the past 20 years and currently heads up the Cologne office of Mindcurv – a leading digital experience and commerce systems consultancy. Markus’ first foray into the world of eCommerce was back in 1998 when he founded a startup marketplace for design lighting products, but found he was a little ahead of his time. Markus then moved into Project Management and Consulting in the IT sector, before branching out as an independent eCommerce Consultant. In 2015, he joined Mindcurv, which now has a team of 250 people across 6 cities. In today’s episode, Brian and Markus explore the evolution of eCommerce in the European region, including: - A whistle-stop tour of eCommerce in some of the major European markets, including Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands. - How Covid-19 is impacting the way that businesses are viewing digital channels, remote working and the resulting shift in consumer sentiment. - Lifting the lid on what a great B2B digital commerce experience really looks like from a customer’s perspective and how business leaders like you can use this approach to help improve your own business performance. With recent events causing some seismic changes across the region and indeed the industry as a whole, this episode is a must-listen if you want to get to grips with what’s happening now and what’s in store for European eCommerce in the very near future. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Markus, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markustillmann/?originalSubdomain=de. To learn more about Mindcurv, visit https://mindcurv.com/.

"Everybody’s got to get much better at what really differentiates them. Where’s your value add? You may think it’s at the top of the funnel but it might not be, and you better know that because your customers are going to decide on their own.” B2B digital commerce has always been a challenging landscape to navigate. But with a surge in innovation and the current Covid-19 pandemic, businesses are having to react quicker than ever before. To help make sense of this new ‘normal’ and get an insight into what else is likely to change in the coming weeks and months, Brian speaks with Andy Hoar, CEO of research and consulting firm Paradigm B2B and Co-Founder of the must-attend industry conference, B2B Next. Andy and Brian first met at Forrester, where Andy cut his teeth on the world of eCommerce. Climbing the ranks and publishing his now infamous research report – ‘The Death of a B2B Salesman’ – which in 2015, discussed the large-scale displacement of B2B sales reps by 2020. Off the back of the experience he gained at Forrester, Andy launched Paradigm B2B – the leading research and consulting firm that specializes in guiding mid-market B2B companies through today’s complex and digitally-disrupted commerce landscape. In addition to leading his own firm, Andy is also the Co-Founder of the leading eCommerce industry event, B2B Next: the annual conference that brings together the industry’s top figures to discuss the most pressing eCommerce challenges of the day. Knowing Andy’s track record, Brian knew that he would make a great guest for the show and bring tons of strategic insight on the current challenges that B2B eCommerce companies are facing. In this episode, Brian and Andy explore various aspects of the B2B Digital Commerce landscape, including: - The adoption and maturity of eCommerce in B2B and where the industry is heading next. - A retrospective look at Andy’s “Death of a B2B Salesman” report and how his views, and the market, has evolved since its publication back in 2015. - The impact of Covid-19 on the B2B digital commerce industry and, importantly, what the pandemic means for the future of Andy’s B2B Next conference and others like it. Whether you’re looking to take your first steps into the world of eCommerce, or you’re a veteran yourself and want to hear the latest from one of the industry’s most prominent thought leaders, you won’t want to miss this one. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Andy, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhoar/. To learn more about Paradigm B2B, visit https://www.paradigmb2b.com/. To learn more about the B2B Next Conference, visit https://www.b2bnext.net/.

Few industries have seen as much turbulence over the past few months as sport has. To find out how one of the global heavyweight sports brands has been playing to its digital strengths, Brian speaks to Ken Kralick, Global Director of eCommerce at PUMA Group. Ken’s love of sales began at Sears in the early 90s, and it was these formative experiences of selling the benefits of their products to customers that led him to pursue a career in marketing. It was from here that he began dabbling in eCommerce in the early 2000s, while growing the marketing agency Blizzard Internet Marketing. Since then, Ken has gone on to work for a range of leading agencies and brands and spent the last 18 years honing his craft. He’s worked with some of the world’s greatest brands to transform their sales and marketing for the digital age, just as he’s done for PUMA. As a proud eCommerce evangelist, he joined PUMA in 2011 and climbed through the ranks quickly. As head of Global eCommerce, he now oversees all of their eCommerce strategy and works with the business to shape their vision for the future while helping them attract customers. In this episode, Brian and Ken explore PUMA's evolution from brand marketing and wholesale distribution to direct-to-consumer, and discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the global brand’s digital transformation, including: - The challenges with selling performance products online and the importance of reinforcing, not rejecting, personal recommendation as part of the sales process. - How Ken and the team at PUMA shifted the entire organization to think “digital first” and the complexities that they had to overcome as part of their journey - from aggregating masses of product information to educating retail partners on the role of digital. - How to provide an immersive digital commerce experience and what it takes to enrich digital channels and give them the intimacy of an in-person sales experience. With organized sports canceled and people in lockdown increasing their daily exercise, it’s been a strange time for the global sports industry. Listen in to see how PUMA’s eCommerce strategy has helped them weather this storm and ensure they’re set up for a successful future. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Ken, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkralick. To learn more about PUMA Group, visit http://www.puma.com.

“They [certain eCommerce retailers] are offering financing options and it's increasing cart values by 30/40%, increasing conversions by 25% and having an astronomical impact on their ability to serve the customers who come to their site.” The eCommerce industry is booming off the back of the work-from-home economy that the Covid-19 crisis has created. Powering this incredible upsurge in online transactions is an ever-growing number of digital payment providers. To understand more about the role of digital payments, and how they’re driving the future of eCommerce, in this episode, Brian speaks with Jason Nyhus. Jason is Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and Partnerships at Digital River, the global eCommerce, payments and marketing services company, which has been disrupting the commerce industry for the last 25 years. Brian and Jason explore the strategies, challenges and innovations that are shaping the global digital payments space, including: - The business model behind digital payments and wallets, the issue of payment fraud and the importance of having human-machine teams that can defend against it. - How the Covid-19 crisis has changed the direct-to-consumer strategy for many businesses, and why establishing balance between your channels is crucial to achieve your business goals. - The future of online payments and whether blockchain will ever become mainstream. If you’re thinking about making a move into the digital payments sphere, or you’d like to pick up some fascinating insights from a sales and marketing leader who’s witnessed the evolution of the space from day one, you won’t want to miss this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Jason, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonnyhus/. To learn more about Digital River, visit https://www.digitalriver.com/.

"Innovation is often just a consulting project or a task force, or an ideas program, not something that is a true discipline with a budget, measurements and new capabilities. So it's not surprising to me that retailers haven't produced a lot of innovation.” Global retail has seen a seismic shift in the past decade, with the Covid-19 pandemic placing even more pressure on retailers to adapt to the digital world. But how are retailers reassessing their approach to innovation? And what will they do to keep pace with rapidly changing consumer expectations? To delve deeper into the retail landscape, Brian speaks with Steve Dennis, one of the world’s leading retail influencers, consultant to multiple Fortune 500 retailers, senior contributor to Forbes and author of the best-seller “Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Digital Disruption”. With over 30 years’ experience advising some of the biggest names in retail under his belt, Steve currently heads up SageBerry Consulting, where he provides strategic advisory services to the retail, fashion and luxury industries. In this episode, Brian and Steve explore where retail is today, and discuss some the opportunities and challenges that retailers face over the rest of 2020 and beyond, including: - Whether the rumours of the retail apocalypse are overrated, and why it took a crisis for retailers to start innovating. - How retailers are beginning to understand the role that digital plays in all customer journeys, and how this could affect the architecture of physical stores in the coming years. - What the second half of 2020 may look like for retailers, and how they should address their supply chain and inventory challenges to respond to it. If you’re currently navigating this changing market for your business, or you’re keen to understand more about what the future holds for the industry, you won’t want to miss this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Steve, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpdennis/. To learn more about Steve’s consulting, speaking and thought leadership work, visit https://stevenpdennis.com/.

“If you're a seller online, you have no choice but to sell on Amazon. And when Amazon's algorithm unfairly suspends your product or fails to reinstate you, for whatever reason, it raises questions around its business practices.” With digital innovation advancing faster than ever, there’s never a dull moment as a tech reporter. But how has the role changed during the Covid-19 pandemic? And how is the world’s biggest eCommerce brand adapting to change? To get the inside scoop, Brian speaks with Eugene Kim, Chief Technology Correspondent at Business Insider, in the latest episode of The State of Commerce Experience. Eugene has previously written for CNBC.com, Fortune Magazine Korea and The Information, but has spent the past six years covering the consumer and enterprise tech sector, with a particular focus on Amazon. Brian and Eugene discuss life on the front line of tech journalism and explore some of the biggest stories emerging from Amazon in recent months, among other topics including: - The challenges of publishing news behind a paywall and how a subscription model raises the bar in terms of story quality and reader expectations. - How Amazon is handling issues around warehouse workers’ safety, and if increased employee activism is driving changes in policy. - Whether stories about Amazon are balanced and accurate, or whether the company is held to a different standard because of its size. If you’re keen to understand what the future holds for business journalism, or you’re wondering what it’s like writing breaking stories on the world’s biggest tech companies, you won’t want to miss this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us To learn more about Eugene, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenekim222/

“China is certainly at the forefront of retail when it comes to blended digital and physical experiences…some of the bigger trends related to eCommerce in China will at some point catch on in the US, livestreaming being the most obvious one.” Covid-19 has changed consumer behavior forever. What was once a slow march of digital adoption has been fast-tracked to become a sprint in which no one wants to be left behind. From AR and VR to livestreaming and robotics, the eCommerce landscape is levelling up. But who are the industry leaders and who has some catching up to do? In this episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience’, Brian is joined by Zia Daniell Wigder, Chief Global Content Officer at Shoptalk and Co-Founder of Groceryshop – two of the retail industry’s leading events. Zia was previously VP and Research Director at Forrester, and her combined 25 years working as an analyst made her a great guest to discuss present and future eCommerce trends, as we emerge from the Covid-19 lockdown. In this conversation, Brian and Zia dig deep into retail’s digital future, covering a wide range of industry-critical topics, including: - The big shift in CPG to focus on best-selling key products only, rather than offering lots of variety and how this will affect competition in the industry going forward. - The future of blended digital and physical retail experiences in a world where advances like influencers, livestream ‘shopping entertainment’ and AR are increasingly informing consumers’ decision making. - How Shoptalk and Groceryshop have reacted to the pandemic and what the future of digital events will look like in a ‘post-Covid’ world. If you’re looking to stay up to date with the bleeding edge of retail technology, or simply want to find out about the latest developments in consumer culture, you won’t want to miss this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Zia, check out her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziadaniellwigder/. To learn more about Shoptalk and Groceryshop, visit: https://shoptalk.com/ https://groceryshop.com/

“eCommerce is huge in China – there are large populations in cities that are very dense; this, combined with low-cost couriers and wide availability of companies both large and small that cater to all sorts of niches, means a different level of adoption than you see elsewhere.” China has always been a fast-moving market when it comes to eCommerce and innovation, but the Covid-19 pandemic has given eCommerce companies even more opportunities to accelerate their growth. To get a candid insight into the Chinese eCommerce market and how the pandemic has impacted this, Brian speaks with Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-In-Chief of SupChina and Co-host of the Sinica podcast. Jeremy has spent the last 20 years reporting on the Chinese eCommerce market. He founded multiple Beijing-based magazines before joining China’s leading news platform, SupChina, as its Editor-in-Chief in 2016. Alongside SupChina Editor at Large, Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy hosts the Sinica podcast, where they discuss the latest in Chinese current affairs with leading figures from the world of journalism, academia and business. In today’s episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience’, Jeremy and Brian discuss the latest eCommerce trends that are impacting both the Chinese and wider global market, including: - The challenges and opportunities that the mass adoption of frictionless payments through digital wallets presents. - What life was like in China as the pandemic started to hit and how the already booming eCommerce landscape has reacted to the lockdown. - How the lines between entertainment and shopping are increasingly blurring as live streaming continues to grow in China. If you’re looking for intelligence on how one of the world’s biggest eCommerce markets continues to advance and sets the pace for the rest of the world, then you’ll definitely want to tune in to this episode with Jeremy Goldkorn. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Jeremy, check out his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremygoldkorn/. To learn more about SupChina and the Sinica podcast, visit: https://supchina.com/ https://supchina.com/series/sinica/

“The way to handle customer mythology is not to gather data first. Stop for a second and illuminate that mythology, get it out on the table, because it doesn't match leader to leader to leader. And those mismatches cause misunderstandings and misalignments that are invisible to the people who are making these decisions that are now pulling the organization in slightly different directions.” Most of the big user design questions have already been answered. But as the pandemic has completely shifted eCommerce priorities, it has raised a new question that’s top of many eCommerce executives’ lists - “can and will customers happily do the things that make your business thrive?” To find out more about the changing questions that eCommerce leaders are asking and to get a candid insight into the challenges of aligning executives for design change, Brian speaks with Tamara Adlin, the President of customer experience strategy consultancy, Adlin Inc. Tamara has previously helped bring cutting-edge user centred design methods to Amazon and has consulted dozens of others, from leading industry players, like Apple and Microsoft, and international organizations like the United Nations. She doesn’t just share her expertise with her own clients but is also the author of the hugely influential Persona Lifecycle book series and a sought-after speaker for events and conferences. In this episode, Brian and Tamara discuss how UX design has evolved and explore some of the more practical approaches to delivering a great eCommerce experiences, including: - How to articulate the business benefit of a UX design journey by putting yourself in your customers’ shoes. - The quick and easy ways to challenge your customer mythology and gain a deeper understanding of the people buying your products. - And how to achieve executive alignment by asking the basic questions that the rest of the organization won’t ask. If you’re trying to get to grips with what post-Covid UX design will look like or want to find out what aspects of UX your eCommerce business should be focusing on next, then you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Tamara, check out her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-adlin-4a6a2/. To learn more about Tamara’s company, visit: https://adlininc.com/

"As an agency there was a time when you could just be tech focused and not worry about the creative design or the business strategy or how a particular solution was going to be operated. But now organisations are expecting those multi-disciplinary capabilities." The world of eCommerce is constantly evolving, and the pace of change has accelerated like never before during Covid-19 as the whole economy shifts further online. In turn this has had a profound impact on the digital marketing agencies working in this space. To keep up with their clients they’ve had to move beyond marketing to become multi-disciplinary service providers. Having held senior leadership roles at both Adobe and Accenture, Jay Dettling has witnessed the evolution of digital first-hand. He’s now leading the global marketing and technology firm Ansira, as CEO, and we couldn’t have spoken to a better person to check in on regarding the latest developments of the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing agencies. In this episode Jay and Brian discuss how marketing and technology are two sides of the same coin that go hand in hand. They cover lots of interesting topics, including: - The challenges of meeting your consumers’ high eCommerce expectations and the opportunities this presents. - How the needs of eCommerce clients have grown and how digital agencies need to respond to that through strategy and supply chain knowhow. - The value of working in partnerships in the relentlessly innovative technology market and the things you can do to make sure collaboration is fruitful for both parties. This episode really shines a light on the growing influence and scope of digital, which is so integral to the success of many businesses. If you’re working with eCommerce clients or you’re looking to grow your own eCommerce business, you’ll definitely want to listen to Jay’s critical insights. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Jay a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydettling/ And find out more about Ansira by visiting: https://ansira.com/

“Retail sites are a very static framework… they don’t represent at all how you walk into a mall or walk into a store and discover a product. To me, it's been an area begging for evolution for quite some time.” Digital marketplaces and eCommerce specialists were already forcing traditional stores to move from brick-and-mortar to a virtual world, but Covid-19 has dramatically accelerated the pace of change. Successfully making this transformation is challenging, but for the businesses that do it well, there are huge opportunities. To explore these opportunities and find out more about how businesses can overcome the most common challenges faced when going through a digital transformation, Brian talks to Carrie Tharp, Vice President of Retail and Consumer at Google Cloud. In this episode, Carrie and Brian discuss how retailers can weather the current storm and make the most of the digital tools available to them, including: - How the pandemic has changed consumer behavior and the way physical stores will be used by consumers as we move towards Christmas. - How brands can use tools like Machine Learning to transition from brick-and-mortar retail to digital commerce, without loosing that personal touch. - The value of working with partners such as Google to build your digital presence and offer, rather than starting from scratch. This episode gives some brilliant insights into how retailers of every variety and size can take advantage of eCommerce. If you’re currently leading a store-first business and considering how you make the move into digital or you’re looking for ways to boost your existing online offering, you won’t want to miss Carrie’s great advice in this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Carrie a little better by checking out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-tharp/. And find out more about Google Cloud by visiting: https://cloud.google.com/

"In about a year and a half, Amazon Business will be the biggest industrial distributor in the US by sheer product volume alone." Covid-19 has driven the fastest ever growth in eCommerce, but it alone isn’t the only factor behind shifting behaviours in B2B transactions. To explore how the market is evolving and find out more about how businesses can keep pace with ever-increasing customer demands, Brian speaks to Mark Brohan - Vice President at Digital Commerce 360, in the latest episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience’ podcast. Mark and Brian discuss what the future holds for B2B digital commerce, and how companies must adapt to avoid being left behind, including: - Why B2B is much more than just eCommerce and how EDI still has a big role to play. - Why over half of B2B buyers would pay for a better user experience, and how you can deliver it. - What B2B merchants really think about the potential of Amazon Business, and why you need a strategy that allows your business to compete. This episode gives some brilliant insights into the opportunities and challenges anyone in the B2B commerce world can expect in the upcoming months and how you can ensure your business is ready for the changes ahead. If you’ve been thinking about how you can sharpen up all your touchpoints as B2B competition increases, you won’t want to miss Mark’s great advice in this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Mark a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brohan-86b53a93/ And find out more about Digital Commerce 360 by visiting: https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/

"In customer experience, you have to tell a story. And that story is not just a customer story. It's an operational story, a cost story or a technology story that takes pretty sophisticated individuals to pull together. Tools are not going to help you as much as you might hope." When bank branches suddenly closed during the pandemic, it left many customers with no option but to try digital banking channels for the very first time. To discuss the impact this overnight change had on one of the world’s largest banks, and what the future holds for traditional and digital banking, Brian Walker speaks to Brad Strothkamp - Senior VP of Customer Experience, Corporate Strategy, Innovation and Digital at Wells Fargo. In this episode, they discuss how digital channels and customer experience are evolving in the world of banking, including: - How the role of the branch will become more focused on financial health education and investment advice than day-to-day transactions. - Why challenger banks face an uphill struggle if they prioritize deposit relationships over lending products where the real profits are made. - How voice-to-text AI tools present the biggest opportunity to banks looking to enhance customer experience by discovering trends in sentiment and reacting to negativity at speed. This episode gives some brilliant insights into how the banking industry has moved forward in recent months, and the tools and approaches that might help if you’re looking to invest in digital channels for your own business. If you’re looking to enhance your customer experience and differentiate yourself from your competitors, you won’t want to miss Brad’s fantastic advice in this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Brad a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bstrothkamp/ And find out more about Wells Fargo by visiting: https://www.wellsfargo.com/

“Stop thinking the only way you can make money is by selling assets that you make or buy. You can also make money by mutualising and monetising assets you have built over time, whether it's your brand, your partner network, your customer base or your access to markets.” Today’s customers expect to be able to buy exactly what they want, when they want it and for the best price available. This rise in hyper personalized shopping has led to a boom in online marketplaces, and the trend for these platforms seems to only be going in one direction, up. To help you navigate this growing channel, Brian sought out one of the industry’s leading figures to share his perspective on marketplaces and what you really need to know. In this episode, Brian speaks to Adrien Nussenbaum, CEO and Co-founder of Mirakl, the leader of online marketplace solutions. They discuss the transformative impact marketplaces can have on a company and how to successfully integrate one into your business, including: - The efficiencies marketplaces can generate in both B2B and B2C by allowing brands to build their value chains around their specific needs. - Why making a marketplace a core part of your business requires buy in from the very top and is a long-term commitment that may take time to pay off. - How marketplaces enable companies to be resilient, agile and innovative, putting them in a strong position to thrive during times of upheaval and uncertainty. The move towards digital marketplaces has accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic and with more countries heading into a second lockdown, now is the perfect time to explore the opportunities a digital marketplace could offer your business. So, if you’re looking for more insights into what you need to consider before implementing a digital marketplace in your business, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Adrien a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anussenbaum/ And find out more about Mirakl by visiting: https://www.mirakl.com/

“The companies that are becoming the future unicorns have the best data about their customers. We have clients that are 6X up, year-over-year. You can’t do that without knowledge of your customers.” Collecting customer data is key to any successful business that is looking to scale. But simply collecting masses of data won’t give you a competitive advantage – you have to truly understand that data in order to make the most of it through digital marketing. In the latest episode of the ‘The State of Commerce Experience’ podcast, host Brian Walker speaks to Peter Irikovsky, CEO at Exponea to discuss the evolution of customer data, and ways forward-thinking eCommerce brands are using it to build better relationships with their customers, including: - How companies that had the best customer data during Covid were able to change their business models overnight and still drive growth. - The role of the Customer Data Experience Platform (CDXP) in 2021, what it enables your business to do, and the challenges you face if your customer data is too siloed. - How the imminent elimination of third-party cookies will shake up the market, and how zero-party data will improve customers’ experiences with brands they trust. This episode gives some brilliant insights into the power of the ‘single customer view’, and the benefits of investing in a customer data platform for your own business as data regulations evolve. If you’ve been thinking about shaking up your approach to customer data and experience, you’ll want to listen to this episode to hear what’s worked for some of Exponea’s most successful clients. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Peter a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irikovsky/ And find out more about Exponea by visiting: https://exponea.com/

As one of the world’s leading organizations, Amazon’s approach to culture, leadership and best practices are unlike any other company out there. Brian speaks to Colin Bryar, former Technical Advisor to Jeff Bezos, to discuss what’s driven the incredible success of the eCommerce giant over the past three decades. Co-Author of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, released today, Colin reveals the unique principles and processes that have led to Amazon’s meteoric rise. Brian and Colin go into detail on Amazon’s relentless focus on the customer and the key elements that underpin its phenomenal strategy, including: - How Amazon ensures customer-centric product design by starting with an idealized future Press Release that would accompany a product on its launch. - Why the company replaced PowerPoint presentations with laser-focused 6-page narratives to communicate complex ideas more efficiently. - And how it has managed to reinforce ‘Amazonian’ culture so consistently, by instilling 14 leadership principles into everything it does. This episode offers many never-before-heard insights into how Amazon has become one of the world’s greatest innovators and the leading light in eCommerce. And as Colin explains in today’s show, much of its approach can be applied to your own business, giving you a repeatable and scalable model for success. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Colin a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbryar/

Like many in online retail, BigCommerce saw incredible year-on-year revenue growth during 2020, the year that was ‘make or break’ for so many businesses out there. But it didn’t come easy. To find out how they transformed their strategy to respond to the pandemic and were able to successfully complete an IPO in the midst of the downturn, Brian Walker speaks to Brent Bellm, CEO at BigCommerce. Together they discuss the impact of the pandemic, the shape of the eCommerce market today, and the opportunities open to small businesses, including: - The biggest benefits that brands get from having a direct-to-consumer relationship and a digital-first strategy. - How BigCommerce overcame its two biggest challenges in the early days of Covid-19. - And the top three things consumer packaged goods business leaders need to think about as they lean into digital commerce. This episode offers many fascinating insights into how BigCommerce have successfully navigated the pandemic as well as a unique ‘behind the curtain’ look at how the business has had to evolve since going public. If you’re considering your investment options and thinking of listing, or you want to know what you should be thinking about to transform your eCommerce strategy, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Brent a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bellm-3b305214/ Find out more about BigCommerce at: https://www.bigcommerce.com/