The “easy” part of e-commerce ended years ago. Now brands are expected to deliver perfect product content, navigate an increasingly crowded digital shelf, and prove performance across retail media while the rules keep changing underneath them. I’m joined by retail commerce expert Blake Taylor to break down what’s actually working right now and what’s quietly becoming non-negotiable for the next wave of digital commerce.

We talk through why content is still the foundation of e-commerce success, not just to answer shopper questions on the product detail page, but to feed the systems that increasingly shape visibility. That leads into scraping, data availability, and why retailers’ first-party data and clean room capabilities are changing how brands plan and measure. We also dig into Walmart-specific shifts like Scintilla insights moving closer to the store level and what that could mean for availability, assortment, and conversion when online demand meets in-store reality.

From there, we get honest about the state of the digital shelf: more sponsored placements, more competition for premium real estate, and a growing “retail media tax” that forces brands to pay to be seen. Blake shares practical guidance on building a real Walmart Connect strategy instead of dumping budget and hoping for magic, plus why chasing first-time buyers can beat obsessing over ROAS alone. We close by exploring AI’s role in commerce, from personalization and data orchestration to AEO and GEO, and even a bold prediction about whether search grids survive the agentic shopping era.

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