A 30-Year Fixed for My Burrito??
Welcome to Friday, futurists.
This was a heck of a week for Future Commerce. We’re on a heater.
👸🏽We welcomed THE Orchid Bertelsen back to chat SkinnyTok on the podcast, dive deep into the strategy behind the Sperry x Aritzia collaboration, poked holes into the Poppi x PepsiCo acquisition, and explored the dark side of Russian “hot girl” propaganda on the internet.
⏳THEN we published the first part of our 100 Days of Commerce series documenting the new modern Commerce department and Secretary Howard Lutnick, the face of the Trump Tariffs. In our Members-Only brief we break down the definitive timeline of Commerce Secretary Lutnick’s first 30 days in office with day-by-day tracking of his historic reshaping of the office.
🔮On Wednesday, Adobe announced their successor to Magento, and we broke down their strategy, the product, and what the pundits have to say about it. And, as usual, have a clear and distinct point of view (they should have had better marketing).
👂For Plus Members we published an exclusive After Dark bonus podcast episode about Bryan Johnson’s new “Don’t Die” religion, and a lengthy discussion about digital consciousness and longevity. It’s available on the private feed, or you can listen to the Teaser clip on Spotify. (Can’t access? No problem, Join Plus today to get access to all our bonus content).
— Phillip
P.S. Heading to Vegas for Shoptalk? This is your last chance to sip a Maury Domaine de la Coume du Roy (1925) at our exclusive merchant-only and Plus members event at Rivea. Apply to attend and check out all of our other activities at Shoptalk: futurecommerce.com/shoptalk
Tou-can’t Sam. General Mills plans to reduce prices for items like fruit snacks amid a weakened consumer outlook and forecast cut, but it’ll have to do so by cutting $100M in expenses amid a slowdown in snacking. The CPG giant joins the parade of brands reading economic tea leaves and finding them less than appetizing.
The Commerce x Culture Crucible. America's commerce landscape is experiencing a profound ideological bifurcation, with DEI initiatives becoming financial flashpoints as Black shoppers divert dollars from backpedaling brands. Target's 2023 Pride collection has transformed from seasonal marketing into pension fund litigation, while Ben & Jerry's alleges its parent Unilever executed an executive coup d'état over progressive postings. The commodification of social values has evolved from performative allyship to balance sheet dialectics, revealing the true cost of conviction in an era where market share and moral positioning have become inextricably—and expensively—entangled.
First, it was a Burrito on the Blockchain. Now it’s a Burrito on Layaway. The collision of fintech and fast food has manifested in DoorDash's partnership with Klarna, transforming culinary cravings into amortized obligations. This gastronomic-fiscal fusion—which Dave Ramsey condemned—enables consumers to structure their taco financing with all the reckless abandon of a teenager with their first credit card at a mall food court. If this doesn’t point to weakening consumer confidence, then what does?
Electrile Disfunction. Tesla's Cybertruck faces its eighth recall since deliveries began just over a year ago, with regulators recalling nearly all vehicles. The angular apocalypse-ready status symbol continues its bumpy road to market viability.
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