Keeping Commerce Weird

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with ecommerce strategist and industry commentator Vinny O'Brien for an unfiltered conversation on AI, commerce, and the stories everyone keeps getting wrong. From hot takes on profitability, marketplaces, and industry hype to why B2B might have more to teach us than B2C, they unpack what's actually changing — and what isn&#3...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess is joined by B2B commerce strategist, former Forrester analyst, and author Andy Hoar to unpack what AI actually means for the future of B2B. They explore why AI adoption may be happening faster than most people realize, why the biggest opportunities aren't always customer-facing, and why changing processes might matter more than buying new...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess is joined bt analyst Heather Hershey to unpack why AI in commerce feels both inevitable and a little unhinged. They dig into what’s actually changing (hint: it’s not just the storefront), why product data is suddenly the main character, and how brands are navigating a world where bots are rewriting the rules of discovery and decision-making. T...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with futurist Anders Sörman-Nilsson for a candid conversation on what happens when AI stops assisting the shopper and starts becoming the shopper. They unpack how agentic commerce is reshaping discovery, trust, and the customer journey — and how annoying CAPTCHAs have gotten. Tune in for a preview of Anders’ upcoming Commerce Live ke...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with digital transformation veteran Andy Lark for a candid conversation on what AI transformation really means. They unpack why this isn’t just another tech upgrade but a full systems rethink — from feeds and data to orchestration and customer experience. Tune in to hear why most companies are stuck in old patterns (yes, still repain...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with Patchworks CEO Jim Herbert for a candid CEO-to-CEO chat. Tune in to hear them unpack what real leadership looks like under pressure — delegating without losing control, embracing the lonely parts of the job, and building teams that can handle growth without chaos. They dig into why APIs are the backbone of modern commerce, where...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with Commerce CPO Vipul Shah to talk product strategy through the most serious lens imaginable: pizza. Tune in to hear them unpack how great products are built — nailing the basics, balancing speed with quality, and knowing when to take bold swings without breaking trust. It’s a conversation about catering to customers, nailing your...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess hits the streets of NYC, literally, from the Commerce Cab during NRF 2026. Joined by Dave Brown from Accenture Song , the conversation covers what retailers are really talking about coming out of Retail’s Big Show, why AI has officially moved from buzzword to business mandate, and what the newly announced Commerce + Accenture partnership signa...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with RMW Commerce founder and Watson Weekly host Rick Watson to unpack what happens to digital agencies when AI, tighter budgets, and platform wars hit all at once. Together they unpack everything from doomed pricing models to the real opportunities ahead, while digging into how agencies can move beyond implementation work and actual...

Nearly half of consumers wake up already thinking about what to buy — which explains a lot about our overflowing carts and our collective inability to log off TikTok. In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess sits down with Future Commerce’s Philip Jackson and Alicia Esposito to make sense of a world where discovery, decision, and purchase now happen in the same scroll. From AI recomm...

In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Travis Hess grabs a barstool with StrategyēM co-founders Bill Friend and Brian Walker — the analyst duo mixing speakeasy vibes with sharp strategy. Expect product enrichment for answer engines, agents that shop for you, and how poetry sharpens positioning. Plus: duck-fat bourbon, milk-clarified cocktails, and a definitive “Aperol? hard no.” Looking for mo...

Uh oh, is your shopping cart sentient? In this episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, host Travis Hess and Sharon Gee dive headfirst into the great AI unknown — where data is power, agents are customers, and shopping might just outsmart us all. Tune in to see why in the race to the future, weird is the winning strategy. Plus, don't forget to check out our BigSummit Youtube playlist for more AI ins...

Last year, shoppers spent a staggering $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday — and 2025 is already shaping up to be another wild ride. In this episode of Keeping ⁠Commerce⁠ Weird, host Travis Hess chats with B2C VP Al Williams about her winding road to Commerce and her first-hand survival tips for navigating the holiday rush. Along the way, Travis launches an unapologetic anti–pumpkin spice campaign, we u...

In this inaugural episode of Keeping Commerce Weird, Commerce CEO Travis Hess and CMO Michelle Suzuki dive into the wonderfully strange side of modern commerce — where quirky ideas, bold brands, and unexpected customer stories redefine what it means to stand out. From sharing BigSummit conference insights to recounting some of their favorite Commerce customers (cuckoo clocks, anyone?) to discussin...