The Watson Weekly: eCommerce Strategy & News

What does it actually take to go from AI experimentation to real business impact? In this episode of the Watson Weekly, Rick Watson sits down with Anne-Claire Baschet , Chief Data and AI Officer at Mirakl — the enterprise marketplace platform powering some of the world's largest retail brands. Anne-Claire shares how she went from a passion for sci-fi and mathematics to leading AI transformation at...

The AI shopping revolution is here — but who actually controls it? In this week's Watson Weekly, Rick Watson breaks down four stories reshaping the future of e-commerce. The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara visit - https://www.avalara.watsonweekly.com/ 🛒 Shopify vs. AI Agents — Shopify is making a bold bet: positioning itself as the back office of record for...

Welcome to this weekend edition of Watson Weekly with Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky! Today, we’re breaking down the biggest moves in retail and e-commerce from the past week.. We start with Target’s latest earnings, where a 1.7% dip in net sales has triggered a major turnaround strategy focused on beauty, food, and the Target Circle 360 premium membership. Then, we dive into Shopify’s investor e...

The dust has settled on Q4 and full-year 2025, and the numbers tell a fascinating story about the future of how we buy, ship, and sell. From Amazon’s record-breaking AWS growth to Walmart laying down the gauntlet, we are diving deep into the ripple effects these giants are creating across the entire ecosystem. In this episode, Rick Watson breaks down the split personalities of Meta, the agentic ju...

Today on our show: Walmart Continues Its Tear: eCom Growth at 27% Perplexity Abandons Advertising to Maintain User Trust The Great Parcel Reconfiguration No One is Talking About About That 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis - and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl. https://www...

The Big Retail Shakeup: Stripe’s PayPal Play & Walmart’s High-Income Takeover The retail and fintech worlds are moving faster than a 150-day tariff cycle, and this week, Watson Weekly Weekend edition hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky break down the seismic shifts you can’t afford to ignore. From "sharks in the water" at PayPal to Walmart’s sneaky-good transformation into a tech-first power...

The "subscription box" era might be over, but the membership era is just beginning. In this episode, Rick Watson sits down with John Roman, CEO of BattlBox, to pull back the curtain on how they survived the collapse of the 2015 subscription craze to become a powerhouse in the outdoor and survival space. John shares the unfiltered truth about why he prefers the term' membership' over 'subscription...

Today on our show: Stripe’s $140 Billion Question Why Temu is the New Cross-Border Standard The UPS $150k Exit: Strategic Rightsizing or a Teamster Trap? Is Agentic Commerce a Nothingburger? The Agentic Debate Series, presented by Logicbroker. - and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored...

This week on the Watson Weekly Weekend edition, Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky are breaking down a massive shift in the retail and tech landscape. From the dramatic fall of a luxury giant to Walmart's historic milestone and the high-stakes risks facing Silicon Valley’s finest, we’ve got the insights you need to stay ahead. In This Episode 🎭 As the House of Luxury Turns: The Saks Global Saga We t...

Is SaaS really dead? Will AI take your job next year? In this Watson Weekly Interview, Rick Watson talks with Dr. Daniel Hulme , Chief AI Officer at WPP and CEO of Satalia, to debunk the biggest myths surrounding Artificial Intelligence. From the changing architecture of software to the rise of "Economic Singularity," Dr. Hulme provides a masterclass on how businesses and individuals can navigate...

Today on our show: Amazon is a Vertically Integrated Utility Shopify Fiscal Year 2025 Earnings: a Pony with One Great Trick, Could it Be More? Kroger Opens a New Marketplace Paypal Earnings and David Marcus - and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl. https://www.watsonweekly....

Welcome to the Watson Weekly Weekend Edition . Hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky dive into the post-Super Bowl landscape to break down the biggest moves in retail, tech, and AI. From the high-stakes world of $7 million for 30 second ads at the big game to the massive earnings reports from industry titans (hello Amazon), we’re unpacking what these shifts mean for the future of commerce. In This...

In this episode, host Rick Watson is joined by Mark Rubin , CEO of Kasama , to cut through the noise of the current agency landscape. Mark brings decades of experience from his time at Lyons Consulting, Precision Design Studios, and Moku Collective to discuss why the "AI Gold Rush" might be a trap and why replatforming your e-commerce site might be a mistake in 2026. In this episode, we discuss: T...

The Watson Weekly podcast, sponsored by Rithum, presents the keynote speech delivered in New York City on Sunday, January 11th, prior to the National Retail Federation Big Show. The. Watson Weekend Live at NRF Presented by Radial, keynote speech focused on "being bold in 2026.” The core idea is the "Goliath paradox," which argues that while David won, businesses often forget why Goliath lost. Rick...

Join your Watson Weekly Weekend Edition hosts, Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky, as they break down the biggest shifts in tech, retail, and e-commerce. From Pinterest’s AI pivot to Starbucks’ massive loyalty shakeup, we’re diving deep into the news moving the needle this week. 📌 Pinterest’s AI Evolution Pinterest is cutting 15% of its workforce (approx. 700–800 roles) to go all-in on AI. We discus...

Is retail suffering from "buzzword fatigue"? In this 25-minute deep dive, Nick Kaplan and Rick Watson debrief the biggest themes, surprises, and reality checks from NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show. From the noise surrounding "agentic commerce" to the practical startups actually moving the needle, we break down what brands need to know to survive the next era of retail. Key Takeaways: The Buzzword Barr...

Today on our show: ChatGPT's 4% Fee Confirms Marketplace Economics American Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics Business UPS Releases 4Q 2025 Earnings and Provides 2026 Guidance Meta Earnings in Superintelligence We Trust - and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum. https://www.rmw...

In this Friday edition of Watson Weekly, Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky dive into the major shifts rocking the retail and tech landscape. From Shopify’s controversial partner strategy to Apple’s "defensive sprint" into wearable AI hardware, we break down what these moves mean for the future of the industry. On this week's episode: * The Fall of Quiet Logistics: American Eagle is sunsetting its Qu...

In this episode of The Watson Weekly, Rick Watson sits down with Gareth Cummings, CEO of eDesk, to discuss the massive shift in how brands interact with their customers. From pioneering domain-specific language models in 2018 to navigating the rise of TikTok Shop and Agentic Commerce, Gareth shares a masterclass in staying ahead of the tech curve. Gareth Cummings is the CEO of eDesk, an AI-native...

Today on our show: Sam Altman Testing Ad Lowes to license its checkout AI meets Davos and a Jassy Sighting Claude Code Is Having a Viral Moment - and finally, The Investor Minute, which contains 3 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum. https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Most AI pilots fail—at least, that’s the headline. But today’s guest is proving that doesn’t have to be true. In this Watson Weekly interview, Rick Watson goes behind the scenes with Chris Kellner, CEO of DigitalGenius, to discuss how a decade-old AI pioneer is navigating the modern LLM explosion. We move past the hype to explore how AI is actually rewriting the playbooks for sales, marketing, and...

Today on our show: Walmart Shakes Up Its Leadership Ranks NRF 2026 Recap More Content Coming To You from the Watson Weekly - and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 4 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum. https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Today on our show: It’s Time to Be Bold in 2026 Welcome to NRF - and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Rithum. https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Today on our show it’s no news, just thank yous. It’s been a roller coaster of a year for everyone, and despite everything, you have tuned in. Walking your dog, on the way to work, even in the shower you were there. Listening, laughing, cringing, and hopefully, even learning. I started this podcast back in 2021 and look forward to doing it for many more years. The fact that our content and presenc...

Today on our show: Shopify Winter Editions 2025 Special Podcast - and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs. Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl. https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly