The Watson Weekly: eCommerce Strategy & News
Episodes
March 23rd, 2026: The Shoptalk Edition
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Watson breaks down four stories worth your attention before Shoptalk.OpenAI's internal "code red" and what a pivot to enterprise and coding reven...
Dollar Stores Win, Prime Day Jumps the Calendar, and the AI Reboot Begins
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dollar stores are quietly winning, Prime Day is jumping the calendar, and the AI arms race just hit its first major reboot. Rick Watson and Jessica Le...
Why Most AI Projects Are Failing — And What to Do Before It's Too Late
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Schmitt is CEO of Radial, North America's largest third-party fulfillment provider — and a company about to become something bigger. As part of ...
March 16th, 2026: Stripe’s Agentic Suite, Salesforce Marketing Cloud Rebrand, Costco Earnings, Customer Wallet Share Research
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Stripe just released an Agentic Technology Suite and positioned it as the infrastructure layer for the next era of commerce.]So who is Stripe actually...
Analyzing Dick’s App Success, Nike’s Strategy, and the Amazon-Walmart Gap
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s Watson Weekly weekend edition, hosts Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky talk about Dick’s Sporting Goods' viral Move moment, Elliott H...
From 50% to 95% AI Adoption: How Mirakl's Chief Data & AI Officer Is Disrupting Enterprise Commerce
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ann...
March 9th, 2026: Shopify Middleware? Stripe Letter, Amazon-OpenAI Deal, & Thoma Bravo
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Who Is Really Winning Between OpenAI and Amazon?
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Retail Earnings Breakdown: Who’s Winning 2026?
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
March 2nd, 2026: Walmart Continues Its Tear: eCom Growth at 27%, Perplexity Abandons Advertising to Maintain User Trust, The Great Parcel Reconfiguration No One is Talking About, and About That 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Walmart Continues Its Tear: eCom Growth at 27%Perplexity Abandons Advertising to Maintain User TrustThe Great Parcel Reconfiguration...
Trump Tariff Doo Doo Doo
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Big Retail Shakeup: Stripe’s PayPal Play & Walmart’s High-Income TakeoverThe retail and fintech worlds are moving faster than a 150-day ta...
The Death of the Subscription Box & The Rise of Membership
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Batt...
February 23rd, 2026: Stripe’s $140 Billion Question, Why Temu is the New Cross-Border Standard, The UPS $150k Exit: Strategic Rightsizing or a Teamster Trap? and Is Agentic Commerce a Nothingburger?
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Stripe’s $140 Billion QuestionWhy Temu is the New Cross-Border StandardThe UPS $150k Exit: Strategic Rightsizing or a Teamster Tra...
She Broke The Saks Global Saga
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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. Fr...
Mythbusting AI: Why SaaS Isn't Dead and Your Job Might Be Safer Than You Think
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 WP...
February 16th, 2026: 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, and Paypal Earnings and David Marcus
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Amazon is a Vertically Integrated UtilityShopify Fiscal Year 2025 Earnings: a Pony with One Great Trick, Could it Be More?Kroger Ope...
Shopify: It’s Always Been About the Checkout Stupid
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why Your Agency is Falling for the AI Trap
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 decade...
February 9th, 2026: Being Bold in 2026 Special Episode
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I wanted to bring you something a little special. If you didn’t know, we host our own events here at the Watson Weekly, and our last one was ...
Whatnot vs Traditional E-commerce: The Shift No One’s Talking About
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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....
NRF 2026 Debrief: Beyond the Buzzwords & The "Age of Intelligence"
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is retail suffering from "buzzword fatigue"? In this 25-minute deep dive, Nick Kaplan and Rick Watson debrief the biggest themes, surprises, and reali...
February 2nd, 2026: ChatGPT's 4% Fee Confirms Marketplace Economics, American Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics Business, UPS Releases 4Q 2025 Earnings and Provides 2026 Guidance, and Meta Earnings in Superintelligence We Trust
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:ChatGPT's 4% Fee Confirms Marketplace EconomicsAmerican Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics BusinessUPS Releases 4Q 2025 Earnings and Pro...
The Shopify Massacre No One Wants to Talk About
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Friday edition of Watson Weekly, Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky dive into the major shifts rocking the retail and tech landscape. From Shopif...
How AI is Redefining E-commerce Support & Customer Loyalty | eDesk CEO Gareth Cummings
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The "Growth at All Costs" era is over. Welcome to the era of Trust and AI Efficiency.In this episode of The Watson Weekly, Rick Watson sits down with ...
January 26th, 2026: Sam Altman Testing Ad, Lowes to license its checkout, AI meets Davos and a Jassy Sighting, and Claude Code Is Having a Viral Moment
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Sam Altman Testing AdLowes to license its checkoutAI meets Davos and a Jassy SightingClaude Code Is Having a Viral Moment- and final...
From Playbooks to Pipelines: How DigitalGenius Is Scaling AI in SaaS Sales & Service
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
January 19th, 2026: Walmart Shakes Up Its Leadership Ranks, NRF 2026 Recap, and More Content Coming To You from the Watson Weekly
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Walmart Shakes Up Its Leadership RanksNRF 2026 RecapMore Content Coming To You from the Watson Weekly- and finally, The Investor Min...
January 12th, 2026: It’s Time to Be Bold in 2026 and Welcome to NRF
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:It’s Time to Be Bold in 2026Welcome to NRF- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of ve...
December 19th, 2025: Thank You!
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. Wal...
December 15th, 2025: Shopify Winter Editions 2025 Special Podcast
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ve...
December 8th, 2025: Black Friday Cyber Monday - You Devil You! Sam Altman Calls a Code Red to Stop Google Threat, Amazon and Visa Partner on Agentic Payments, and Nike CEO Purges John Donahoe’s Lieutenants
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Black Friday Cyber Monday - You Devil You!Sam Altman Calls a Code Red to Stop Google ThreatAmazon and Visa Partner on Agentic Paymen...
November 24th, 2025: Walmart Plans a CEO Transition, Commerce Operations Foundation Critical to Our Common Agentic Future, Intuit's Announcement Makes it Clear: OpenAI Coming for Operating Systems, and Walmart Earnings Call Important for Everyone to Understand
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Walmart Plans a CEO TransitionCommerce Operations Foundation Critical to Our Common Agentic FutureIntuit's Announcement Makes it Cle...
November 17th, 2025: Same-Day Facilities Key to Amazon's New Powerful Grocery Strategy, Walmart CEO Doug McMillion Steps Down, TheRealReal Records Record GMV During Earnings, and Google Releases Some AI Shopping Updates
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Same-Day Facilities Key to Amazon's New Powerful Grocery StrategyWalmart CEO Doug McMillion Steps DownTheRealReal Records Record GMV...
November 10th, 2025: Implications of Amazon Working with OpenAI and ChatGPT, Shopify Reports Great Q3 Earnings, Some of the Worst Mistakes I Made First Time as CEO, and Klaviyo’s Earnings Answer Some Key Questions
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Implications of Amazon Working with OpenAI and ChatGPTShopify Reports Great Q3 EarningsSome of the Worst Mistakes I Made First Time ...
November 3rd, 2025: Walmart Holiday Plans Shows There Will Be Blood, UPS Gains Margin, Plans Strong Peak, But Remains Mired in Uncertainty, Amazon All In On Agentic - Reports Great Earnings, and Shopify Merchants Go Live with ChatGPT Instant Checkout
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Walmart Holiday Plans Shows There Will Be BloodUPS Gains Margin, Plans Strong Peak, But Remains Mired in UncertaintyAmazon All In On...
October 27th, 2025: Commercetools CEO is out, so what’s next? Bigcommerce partners with Paypal to improve monetization, Will the new Ulta Beauty marketplace cook? And Shopify and Lovable Integration Shows a Fire and Motion Strategy
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Commercetools CEO is out, so what’s next?Bigcommerce partners with Paypal to improve monetizationWill the new Ulta Beauty marketpl...
October 20th, 2025: Walmart Partners With OpenAI, Cannot Hold Back the Tide, S&P Global Puts Tariff Costs at $1.2T This Year, Salesforce Partners With OpenAI, and Saks Struggles to Deliver in Q2
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Walmart Partners With OpenAI, Cannot Hold Back the TideS&P Global Puts Tariff Costs at $1.2T This YearSalesforce Partners With O...
October 13th, 2025: Process Re-Engineering Is a Key Skill in the Age of AI, Stripe Link Moving More Consumer Facing, Is OpenAI Building a Super App? And Shopify CRO Bobby Morrison Forced Out
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Process Re-Engineering Is a Key Skill in the Age of AIStripe Link Moving More Consumer FacingIs OpenAI Building a Super App?Shopify ...
The CEO Spot with Matt Harris of Harris Digital
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this second episode of The CEO Spot, Rick Watson sits down with Matt Harris, Founder of Harris Digital. The interviews were conducted at Shoptoberf...
October 6th, 2025: ChatGPT Is Actually The Ultimate In Influencer-Driven Commerce and OpenAI x Stripe Agentic Commerce Protocol Has Makings of Silicon Valley Catfight
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:ChatGPT Is Actually The Ultimate In Influencer-Driven CommerceOpenAI x Stripe Agentic Commerce Protocol Has Makings of Silicon Valle...
September 29th, 2025: What the Hell Will Happen At Tiktok? Ryder Releases New eCommerce Study, Klaviyo Innovations Made Possible By Different Ecosystem Approach, and OpenAI Announces They Are Pursuing Ads
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:What the Hell Will Happen At Tiktok?Ryder Releases New eCommerce StudyKlaviyo Innovations Made Possible By Different Ecosystem Appro...
September 22nd, 2025: Google and Paypal Announce New Commerce Partnership, Fireside Chat With Andy Jassy at Amazon Accelerate Conference, and The First Q4 Holiday Predictions Appear
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Google and Paypal Announce New Commerce PartnershipFireside Chat With Andy Jassy at Amazon Accelerate ConferenceThe First Q4 Holiday...
September 15th, 2025: The Future is Less If Then And More Prompts, Agents, and MCP - A SVP Looks to the Future
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have a special episode of the podcast this week. Today we preview a new podcast from RMW Commerce — actually a Youtube Exclusive, called “Oh Sh...
September 8th, 2025: Shopify Betting Big on Design, Amazon Still Stuck Muddling Through Day 2, Why Software Sales Is Still Hard in 2025, A New Podcast where SaaS Meets AI: Oh Shift
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify Betting Big on DesignAmazon Still Stuck Muddling Through Day 2Why Software Sales Is Still Hard in 2025A New Podcast where Sa...
September 1st, 2025: Best Buy Relaunches Its Marketplace, Target Earnings: Like a Slow-Moving Train Wreck, Upcoming RMW Commerce Events in Second Half of the Year, and Walmart Raises Revenue Guidance in Earnings Call
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Best Buy Relaunches Its MarketplaceTarget Earnings: Like a Slow-Moving Train WreckUpcoming RMW Commerce Events in Second Half of the...
August 25th, 2025: Shipping Smackdown: Nate Skiver on the Parcel Industry's Biggest Myth
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Rick and special guest Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management, as they dive into a fiery discussion about the state of shipping in e-commer...
August 18th, 2025: We Once Made a Deal with Google. The Deal Has Changed, The Unspoken AI Enthusiasm Gap At Large Companies, The Road Ahead for Commerce.com, and An Update On Gnawing Your Arm Off, or Replatforming
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:We Once Made a Deal with Google. The Deal Has ChangedThe Unspoken AI Enthusiasm Gap At Large CompaniesThe Road Ahead for Commerce.co...
August 11th, 2025: Amazon Reports Earnings, Dogged by AI Questions, Shopify Q2 Earnings Show Its Not Going Anywhere, Klaviyo Delivers Growth, But Efficiency Still Lacking, and Recap from Austin: Auctane’s Spicy Innovation Delivered Event
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Amazon Reports Earnings, Dogged by AI QuestionsShopify Q2 Earnings Show Its Not Going AnywhereKlaviyo Delivers Growth, But Efficienc...
August 4th, 2025: Bigcommerce Rebrands as Just Commerce, UPS Q2 Earnings Highlights Strange Economic Times, Last Flight of the Aggregator: OpenStore Valuation Burns, and Amazon Pulled out of Google Shopping for AI, not for Advertising
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Bigcommerce Rebrands as Just CommerceUPS Q2 Earnings Highlights Strange Economic TimesLast Flight of the Aggregator: OpenStore Valua...
The CEO Spot: From Silicon Chips to Supply Chains – Dipti Desai’s Mission to Modernize EDI
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this debut episode of The CEO Spot, Rick Watson sits down with Dipti Desai, Founder and CEO of crstl, for an unfiltered look into one of the most q...
July 14th, 2025: NRF Files Suit Against NY State Law, Why Is There No Best Practice for ECommerce Org Structure, Amazon Quietly Cornering Market on Robot Patents, and LuluLemon in Markdown Hell
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:NRF Files Suit Against NY State LawWhy Is There No Best Practice for ECommerce Org StructureAmazon Quietly Cornering Market on Robot...
June 30th, 2025: Klarna CEO Claims They Will Be a Super App, Walmart Investor Event Sheds New Light, Should You Put a Chatbot In Front Of Your Retail Store, and Musings from CommerceNext and Mirakl’s Summit
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Klarna CEO Claims They Will Be a Super AppWalmart Investor Event Sheds New LightShould You Put a Chatbot In Front Of Your Retail Sto...
June 23rd, 2025: Saks Global Still Sounds in Trouble, Facebook Says eCommerce is Great -- For Other People, Jassy’s AI Memo Was a Snoozefest, In a Good Way, and Amazon Extending Prime Day Doesn’t Give me Warm Fuzzies
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Saks Global Still Sounds in TroubleFacebook Says eCommerce is Great -- For Other PeopleJassy’s AI Memo Was a Snoozefest, In a Good...
June 16th, 2025: Palantir Partners with Bolt, Amazon Releases AI Video Generation Tools, Sezzle Sues Shopify For AntiCompetitive Practices, and Walmart Releases New AI Tools
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Palantir Partners with BoltAmazon Releases AI Video Generation ToolsSezzle Sues Shopify For AntiCompetitive PracticesWalmart Release...
June 9th, 2025: Shopify MCP Server Raises More Questions Than Answers, Could the AI Race Become a Hardware Race, and Temu Half Off - Just In Time For Summer
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify MCP Server Raises More Questions Than AnswersCould the AI Race Become a Hardware Race?Temu Half Off - Just In Time For Summe...
June 2nd, 2025: Salesforce to acquire Informatica, Social Commerce Panel Reveals Influencer Importance, Lowes Launches Its Marketplace, and Tariff Feud Event with Passport Recap
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Salesforce to acquire InformaticaSocial Commerce Panel Reveals Influencer ImportanceLowes Launches Its MarketplaceTariff Feud Event ...
Special Episode: Scott Eckert on Leading Mirakl and the Marketplace Revolution
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special CEO spotlight edition of the Watson Weekly, host Rick Watson welcomes Scott Eckert, newly appointed CEO of Mirakl, for an inside look ...
May 26th, 2025: Rapid Fire Headline Update and Shopify Releases Its Summer Editions
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Rapid Fire Headline UpdateShopify Releases Its Summer Editions- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week fr...
Special Episode from Shopware Partner Day– Pimcore & the Data Layer Revolution in B2B
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s Watson Weekly is a special edition that is one of a series of three interviews recorded at Shopware’s Partner Day on April 24th, 202...
May 19th, 2025: Amazon Announces New AI Tool to Enhance Product Listings, Venture Capital Dominated by AI Right Now, FedEx and Amazon Strike Up a Partnership, and Klaviyo Reports Q1 2025 Earnings
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Amazon Announces New AI Tool to Enhance Product ListingsVenture Capital Dominated by AI Right NowFedEx and Amazon Strike Up a ...
Special Episode from Shopware Partner Day– Conscious Commerce & Regulated Realities: The Aysnd Way
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s Watson Weekly is a special edition that is one of a series of three interviews recorded at Shopware’s Partner Day on April 24th, 2025...
May 12th, 2025: Shopify Needs Incentive Alignment to Win in Enterprise, 3 Notables From BigCommerce earnings call, Instacart CEO Departs for OpenAI, and Shopify Reports Solid Earnings Amid Global Uncertainty
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s Watson Weekly, we will discuss Fidji Simo is out at Instacart CEO to join OpenAI. This is a huge feather in Simo’s cap and le...
Special Episode from Shopware Partner Day– Inside B2B Growth: Smith Commerce on Scaling Smart
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s Watson Weekly is a special edition that is one of a series of three interviews recorded at Shopware’s Partner Day on April 24th, 2025...
May 5th, 2025: Amazon Reports Q1 2025 Earnings, Walmart Releases an Annual Shareholder Letter, UPS Reports Q1 2025 Earnings, and Kohl’s Fires Its CEO
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Amazon Reports Q1 2025 EarningsWalmart Releases an Annual Shareholder LetterUPS Reports Q1 2025 EarningsKohl’s Fires Its CEO- and ...
Turning Tariffs into Tactics — Cross-Border Commerce in 2025 with Alex Yancher, CEO of Passport
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this insightful episode, The Watson Weekly welcomes Alex Yancher (Yon-cher), CEO of Passport, just hours after the U.S. government announced sweepi...
April 28th, 2025: Composable Conference in Chicago shows MACH progress, ChatGPT and Shopify partnership teased, and Shopify promotes internally for Chief Design Officer: What's going on?
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Composable Conference in Chicago Shows MACH ProgressChatGPT and Shopify Partnership TeasedShopify Promotes Internally for Chief Desi...
April 21st, 2025: Walmart Investor Day shows strong tariff headwinds, is 2025 the year to eat the entire enchilada, Shop for Brands on Amazon seen in the wild, and Amazon surveys its sellers on tariffs
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Walmart More Exposed to Tariffs Than They Are Admitting?In a recent investor day, Walmart indicated that only one-third of its products are not mad...
The Debate: Is Replatforming Worth It?
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest debate in eCommerce.The business case for replatformingReplatforming can either be trying to use a band-aid on a large wound or it could b...
Redefining Retail: Commercetools, InStore, and the Future of Unified Commerce – A Conversation with Dirk Hoerig
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of The Watson Weekly, we sit down with Dirk Hoerig, co-founder of Commercetools, to explore the company’s journey from Germa...
April 7th, 2025: Key takeaways on public and private markets, Shoptalk did not answer my key industry questions, Consumers getting stressed out, and Amazon makes last minute bid to buy TikTok
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is There a Worse Owner For TikTok Than Amazon?Look, I am going to bottom line it for you guys. I can’t think of a worse owner for Tiktok than ...
Watson Weekly: Navigating the Digital Commerce Maze with Bryan House
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is digital commerce still hitting roadblocks in 2025? In this special episode, Bryan House of Elastic Path joins us to unpack the paradox: compani...
March 31st, 2025: Shoptalk Recap
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shoptalk Recap- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, a...
March 24th, 2025: Adobe teases new commerce offerings, BigCommerce launches new account functionality, Klarna files IPO paperwork, and welcome to Shoptalk Week!
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Adobe Hopeless or Will The New Product Teases Get Them Back in the Game?This week on the Watson Weekly podcast, we unpack two new product announcem...
March 17th, 2025: Paypal in hot water over its Honey application, AllBirds sales plunge in 2024, why did Walmart buy a mall? And upcoming eCommerce debate event at Shoptalk
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Paypal Running an Affiliate Scam? That’s What Google’s New Chrome Rules Seem to Be Saying. Many users don’t realize that Paypal’...
March 10th, 2025: Target 2024 earnings shows company falling behind, when will merchants stop treating data as a project? Commercetools layoffs throws into question IPO plans, and has Shopify Enterprise turned a corner?
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Target 2024 earnings shows company falling behindWhen will merchants stop treating data as a project?Commercetools layoffs throws in...
March 3rd, 2025: Is Beyond.com doomed? Klaviyo reports 2024 earnings, Klaviyo coming for Salesforce Service Cloud, and Paypal Investor Day offers problematic vision
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Is Beyond.com doomed?Klaviyo reports 2024 earningsKlaviyo coming for Salesforce Service CloudPaypal Investor Day offers problematic ...
February 24th, 2025: Walmart reports fiscal year 2025 earnings, Saks stopped paying vendors on time, TikTok subscriptions could help creators, and BigCommerce reports 2024 earnings
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Walmart reports fiscal year 2025 earningsSaks stopped paying vendors on timeTikTok subscriptions could help creatorsBigCommerce repo...
February 17th, 2025: Shopify Q4 2024 earnings: The age of efficiency comes to Shopify, it’s not just you - age of efficiency accelerating, Amazon Q4 earnings wins the Grammy for free cash flow, and Amazon ad engine getting hungry: look out Google Shopping
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify Q4 2024 earnings: The age of efficiency comes to ShopifyIt’s not just you - age of efficiency acceleratingAmazon Q4 earnin...
February 10th, 2025: Trump eliminates the de minimis for China, AI won't solve all the problems, but we don't realize it yet, UPS Q4 2024 earnings, AI is not the new SEO. Brands could be in a marketplace without realizing it
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Trump eliminates the de minimis for ChinaAI won't solve all the problems, but we don't realize it yetUPS Q4 2024 earnings: steering ...
Special Episode: Global eCommerce Leaders Forum, Cross-Border Trends, & Honoring Kent Allen
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on a special edition of our show:Remembering Kent AllenEvolution of Global eCommercePioneers in Cross-Border TradeCurrent Trends and PlayersJim ...
February 3rd, 2025: Risks to Amazon in the AI Wars, private equity outlook in 2025, Artificial Intelligence moving from creating to doing with OpenAI Operator, how to grow faster is an elusive question
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Risks to Amazon in the AI WarsPrivate equity outlook in 2025Artificial Intelligence moving from creating to doing with OpenAI Operat...
Shaping the Future: Social Commerce, AI, and Predictions for 2025 with Kelly Goetsch
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of this special 3-part Watson Weekly series, Rick Watson is joined by Kelly Goetsch, Advisor at Commerce Tools, to disc...
January 20th, 2025: Our 2025 NRF event analysis, recapping the first ever RMW Commerce Five Forces event in New York City
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Our 2025 NRF event analysisRecapping the first ever RMW Commerce Five Forces event in New York CityAnd finally, The Investor Minute,...
Modernizing B2B Commerce: Overcoming the Bob Problem with Kelly Goetsch
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of this special Watson Weekly series, Rick Watson and Kelly Goetsch dive deep into the complexities of B2B commerce. They discuss:...
January 13th, 2025: Shopify 2025: The Entrepreneur, the Rulemaker and the Bridge-Builder, Mastercard Holiday numbers show roses for eCommerce, Is 2025 the year of the niche down? And Amazon still the king of warehouse growth
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify 2025: The Entrepreneur, the Rulemaker and the Bridge-BuilderMastercard Holiday numbers show roses for eCommerceIs 2025 the y...
Breaking Barriers in E-commerce and Healthcare with Kelly Goetsch
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of Watson Weekly, Rick Watson is joined by Kelly Goetsch, a Commercetools Advisor and industry thought leader. Kelly shar...
December 23rd, 2024: Amazon building 25% of all warehouses, UPS hiking SurePost rates by 10%, Lowes develops a new marketplace, and Quickbooks partners with Amazon Marketplace Seller Central
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Amazon building 25% of all warehousesUPS hiking SurePost rates by 10%Lowes develops a new marketplaceQuickbooks partners with Amazon...
December 16th, 2024: Shopify releases a boring update, was Amazon haul launched sooner as political strategy? What is the potential impact of tariffs on eCommerce? And why use an outside consultant to help you solve a problem?
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify releases a boring updateWas Amazon haul launched sooner as political strategy?What is the potential impact of tariffs on eCo...
December 9th, 2024: 3 observations from Cyber Week, the 3 coming wars in the next 5 years, and 5 reasons Klaviyo is growing faster than most anyone right now
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:3 observations from Cyber WeekThe 3 coming wars in the next 5 years5 reasons Klaviyo is growing faster than most anyone right nowAnd...
We'll be back next week!
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Attention, Watsonians! Pardon us as we were on a brief hiatus over the holiday week - we'll be back next week with a brand new episode! This podcast u...
November 25th, 2024: How you should read the Gartner Quadrant, Wordpress is the Craigslist of website builders, Target reports terrible earnings, and Walmart reports great earnings
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:How you should read the Gartner QuadrantWordpress is the Craigslist of website buildersTarget reports terrible earningsWalmart repor...
November 18th, 2024: Shopify reported Q3 2024 earnings, Klaviyo reports even better Q3 earnings, new RMW Commerce event being held in January, and BigCommerce trying to escape the Alabama mud like My Cousin Vinny
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify reported Q3 2024 earningsKlaviyo reports even better Q3 earningsNew RMW Commerce event being held in JanuaryBigCommerce tryi...
November 11th, 2024: Amazon reports great Q3 2024 earnings, Children's Place partnership with Shein could be genius, the state of SaaS venture capital valuations, and AI platforms looking to challenge every software category
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Amazon reports great Q3 2024 earningsChildren's Place partnership with Shein could be geniusThe state of SaaS venture capital valuat...
November 4th, 2024: CEO merry-go-round continues, Paypal earnings report show progress and challenges, UPS releases Q3 earnings, and everyone in retail copying everyone else
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:CEO merry-go-round continues Paypal earnings report show progress and challengesUPS releases Q3 earningsEveryone in retail copy...
October 28th, 2024: Is 2024 the Generative AI holiday? Amazon's new low cost store concept might as well be called "Off-Prime", is 2025 the year bad eCommerce content officially dies? And BigCommerce expands its leadership team
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Is 2024 the Generative AI holiday?Amazon new low cost store concept might as well be called "Off-Prime"Is 2025 the year bad eCommerc...
October 21st, 2024: Optimization will be the watchword in 2025, OpenStore pivoting into Helpdesk Software, Walmart appoints Seth Dellaire as Chief Growth Officer, and new report shows Unicorns lack exit options
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Optimization will be the watchword in 2025OpenStore pivoting into Helpdesk SoftwareWalmart appoints Seth Dellaire as Chief Growth Of...
October 14th, 2024: Holiday season preview, what’s happening with Shop Promise? Former Amazon leader Dave Clark raises $100M for Auger and marketplaces like eBay are dropping their fees
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Holiday season previewWhat’s happening with Shop Promise?Former Amazon leader Dave Clark raises $100M for AugerMarketplaces like e...
October 7th, 2024: Lightspeed exploring strategic alternatives, Loop creates offset return feature, CVS conducting a strategic review, and Travis Hess named new BigCommerce CEO
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Lightspeed exploring strategic alternativesLoop creates offset return featureCVS conducting a strategic reviewTravis Hess named new ...
September 30th, 2024: John Donahoe steps down from Nike, Amazon introduces new supply chain service, what’s going on with the retail job market? And the fight over de minimis and how this will end
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:John Donahoe steps down from NikeAmazon introduces new supply chain serviceWhat’s going on with the retail job market?The fight ov...
September 23rd, 2024: Shopify’s progress in the enterprise market, Biden White House makes de minimis announcement, Amazon’s return to office memo code for layoffs, and Salesforce makes several release announcements at Dreamforce - or does it?
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on our show:Shopify’s progress in the enterprise marketBiden White House makes de minimis announcementAmazon’s return to office memo code fo...