This week, we are talking Home Depot’s b-hole reminiscent chatbot and vibecoding JD Vance’s face. Plus—the biggest mystery in American shopping: why does TJ Maxx make people need to poop? Also on tap: Apple’s iPad launch cringefest and a surprising rise in Android smartphone adoption among creatives AND finance bros alike.

• Home Depot's "Magic Apron" and Lowe's "Milo" chatbots launched within hours of each other—proving that every brand now needs an AI assistant, even if they all look the same.
• AI is speeding towards eliminating websites as we know them—future shopping experiences will be conversations, not catalogs.
• Apple's recent marketing attempts are wildly out of touch—trends about trends are dead, but nobody told Tim Cook.
• Are we Pavlov-ing ourselves into using the bathroom at TJMaxx? All signs point to yes
• Vibe coding is taking over—non-coders can now generate functional apps, proving that AI isn’t just summarizing things anymore—it’s building them from scratch.
• [00:01:19] “Eenie meenie miney Milo. Home Depot's chatbot looks like a b-hole.” - Phillip
• [00:55:05] “AI is fundamentally changing the way we interact with software. Convenience is the ultimate aim of technology, and we're just at the beginning of this shift.” - Brian

• In-show mention: Purchase The Lore Journal
• In-show mention: Home Depot Chatbot and Press Release
• In-show mention: TJMaxx Reddit Thread
• In-show mention: Register for Shoptalk Afterparty
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This episode of Future Commerce is brought to you by Future Commerce Plus and our sponsors Omnisend and MotionApp and Keen Decision Systems.

Scripted, mass-produced influencer marketing has sent the internet spiraling toward a dystopian era of “loser-generated content.” Plus, we share key insights from eTail West, a sneak peek into Future Commerce’s Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, and dissect some disturbing internet finds of the week.The End of the World As We Know It

• [04:00] Lemon Balm Tea’s influencer campaign: Meanwhile, on TikTok, a scripted ad for Lemon Balm Tea sparks hundreds of fake testimonials. How many “highest-paid nutritionists” can there really be?
• [14:00] Old men yell at the Cloud: Is the internet dead? TikTok, Twitter, and even LinkedIn algorithms are riddled with bots and unchecked scripted influencer marketing.
• [32:00] The Word of Mouth Index: FC+ and Fairing collaborate on a one-of-a-kind index – available to all FC+ members now.
• [33:00] eTail recap: Future Commerce’s seven sessions included a keynote from Phillip on time capsules and what they represent for commerce and culture. Brian closed out eTail with three sessions in a row on ___
• [35:00] Overheard at eTail: A lot of concern around tariffs, anticipation for Target’s earnings (not looking good), and other fears around national commerce.
• [45:00] Obvi’s viral organic ad: An Arcads.ai employee brags about the efficacy of a recent Obvi TikTok marketing a weight loss supplement. The 14.1-million view video likely drove over five figures of revenue, but critics claim a lack of legality and raise an important question about AI marketing regulation.
• “It’s the grossest way to market.” – Brian
• “Social is bought and paid for and sold.” – Brian
• “The greatest reach I’ve had on Twitter happened when I left a benign comment on Kieran Culkin’s Oscar speech and thirty people made fun of me.” – Phillip
• “Cultural production is downstream of commerce and commerce-driven social discourse happening on the internet.” – Phillip
• “There are two ways people pay attention to things: If they’re funny or if they’re hot.” – Brian

• Insiders: Alex Greifeld’s The End of Outside
• Order your copy of LORE
• Steph Liu on X
• Word of Mouth Index - designed in partnership with Fairing
• Barry Hott on X

• Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
• Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

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