Future Commerce

Welcome to Future Commerce Rewind, where we revisit our deepest and most enduring conversations. This week, we're playing back our April 2025 conversation with Andrew McLuhan, grandson of Marshall McLuhan and director of The McLuhan Institute. Andrew joins Phillip and Brian to explain why his grandfather's ideas still hold up: the side effects of a technology tend to become its main effects, and the Global Village was never as idyllic as it sounds.

Insiders #240: Walmart’s Collectibles Play is Showing Us Where Retail is Heading 21.9.2026 Insiders #240: Walmart’s Collectibles Play is Showing Us Where Retail is Heading Insiders #240: Walmart’s Collectibles Play is Showing Us Where Retail is Heading September 21, 2026 The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.

Pinterest’s Big Pivot to “Intentionality” is Actually All About Commerce 17.9.2026 Pinterest’s Big Pivot to “Intentionality” is Actually All About Commerce Pinterest’s Big Pivot to “Intentionality” is Actually All About Commerce September 17, 2026 The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture of the United Kingdom’s capitol city. Bill Ready has always been very honest about what he thinks about social media.

Young Pet Parents Are Loving This 60-Year-Old Retailer 16.9.2026 Young Pet Parents Are Loving This 60-Year-Old Retailer Young Pet Parents Are Loving This 60-Year-Old Retailer September 16, 2026 The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture of the United Kingdom’s capitol city. From Lassie to Marley, “man’s best friend” has been a steady companion in pop culture.

The in-house research team has hollowed out, and the LLMs picking up the slack are only delivering their best guesses. Merciv, the agentic brain behind Future Commerce’s Signal Reports, has set out to deliver auditable, defensible, and unified reporting solutions — and it’s redefining what brands are capable of achieving in-house in the process.

Insiders #239: The “Quiet Season” Fallacy - Why Waiting for Black Friday is Destroying Your Retail Business 14.9.2026 Insiders #239: The “Quiet Season” Fallacy - Why Waiting for Black Friday is Destroying Your Retail Business Insiders #239: The “Quiet Season” Fallacy - Why Waiting for Black Friday is Destroying Your Retail Business September 14, 2026 The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.

Nikita Walia and Elliot Vredenburg of U.N.N.A.M.E.D. Studios took to the VISIONS stage at MoMA last year to enlighten a room of retail executives and brand marketers about the realities of worldbuilding. Their theory: a brand’s final form is decided by the public—and the strategist's job is to navigate that story, not control it. And they use Mercator, Buckminster Fuller, Guy Debord, free public Wi-Fi, and an acne sticker to back up their claims.

Insiders #238: Where Were You When the Monoculture Returned? 9.9.2026 Insiders #238: Where Were You When the Monoculture Returned? Insiders #238: Where Were You When the Monoculture Returned? September 9, 2026 The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture of the United Kingdom’s capitol city. The internet has relentlessly fragmented culture, breaking every possible idea, interest, or aesthetic into its own niche.

The next big advertising opportunity is here. The audio systems in Dollar General’s 21,000 stores connect shoppers with advertisers and drive loyalty. Austin Leonard, VP and GM of Dollar General Media Network (DGMN), sits down with Phillip and Alicia to explain why the retailer has doubled down on audio and the role that non-endemic advertisers play in his long-term vision.

Roots to Rock: How Two New York Icons Are Redefining Modern Community 31.8.2026 Roots to Rock: How Two New York Icons Are Redefining Modern Community Roots to Rock: How Two New York Icons Are Redefining Modern Community August 31, 2026 The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture of the United Kingdom’s capitol city. In the city of Manhattan, change is the only constant. Of the city’s 37,000 active commercial storefronts, about 49% have been open since Q1 2020.