Phillip Jackson’s media company, Future Commerce, focuses on trends and developments in business.

The company surveyed U.S. shoppers during the 2025 holiday season. He says one insight stood out: when AI recommends a product, 77% of respondents leave the platform to buy on the brand’s site.

Phillip first appeared on the podcast in early 2024. In this our latest conversation, he addressed the downsides of optimized ecommerce sites, the outlook of traditional search, and, yes, the rise of autonomous shopping agents.

The entire audio of our conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.

Eric Bandholz: Bring us up to date.

Phillip Jackson: Future Commerce is a media company exploring the culture of commerce through newsletters, podcasts, research, and events.

When you and I last spoke, I remember thinking, “I’m made for this.” It felt like everything I’ve learned over my entire career was in one place.

Ecommerce was difficult when I started in 1999. I spent more than a decade working for a direct-to-consumer seller of natural health products. We hand-coded sites in HTML, ran Google AdWords, and scaled multiple brands.

**Bandholz: **Is it better in 2026?

Jackson: I’ve been saying since around 2019 that we’ve reached the ideal website. We’ve optimized ecommerce experiences to death, and what’s left is efficiency and boredom.

We do a lot of consumer and executive research at Future Commerce. In one study published around 2022, we analyzed about 15 of the world’s highest-traffic ecommerce sites, excluding Amazon. Think brands like Bath & Body Works and Bed Bath & Beyond. We removed logos and navigation, then showed the pages to consumers. Most people couldn’t tell one site from another because they’re functionally identical.

That level of optimization is powerful, but it has a downside: it’s unmemorable. These sites are designed for conversion, not for recall or cultural impact. They’re slippery. You buy, you leave, and nothing sticks.

You see this everywhere in culture. Netflix is a great example. It’s incredible how they use data to maximize completion rates, which is why they release entire seasons at once. The data probably proves it works. But it doesn’t show what’s lost: cultural conversation. Shows released across many weeks remain part of the culture for extended periods.

The same thing has happened in ecommerce and product design. Websites, sport utility vehicles, smartphones, and even electric toothbrushes all converge on the same form.

Many industry folks hope AI will make ecommerce exciting again, but real innovation requires risk, which few companies are willing to take on.

**Bandholz: **Will marketplaces and AI replace brand websites?

Jackson: There’s a lot packed into that question, and we actually have data around it. On the practical side, the website isn’t going anywhere. Advertisers may shift platforms, and AI-driven discovery is clearly changing behavior, especially among Gen Zs. Generative AI sites have become a trusted source for product and brand discovery.

We researched consumer AI usage before and after the 2025 holidays. One insight stood out. When AI recommends a product, shoppers overwhelmingly prefer to leave the platform and visit the brand’s website. Across two studies, two cohorts, and multiple English-speaking countries, 77% said they would rather click through to the website than buy inside the AI interface.

That challenges the narrative that AI agents will handle all purchasing. I’m bullish on agents long term, but the website remains the center of context, trust, and information for generative engines.

Interestingly, AI may affect physical retail more quickly than digital. In our data, 35% of Gen Zs and 40% of Gen Xs said they’d rather buy based on an AI recommendation than go to a store.

More broadly, old and new systems always coexist. Markets don’t disappear; they evolve. The brands that survive will have durable products, a clear identity, and strong relationships. Almost certainly they will have websites. Everything else is still up for debate.

**Bandholz: **Will genAI replace traditional search?

Jackson: We’re seeing signs of that shift. However, there are economic questions to answer. What companies win the AI race? Which consumer products become dominant?

Yes, AI is disruptive, but it’s also introducing a new modality in our relationship with digital culture. It isn’t just a search box. It’s a different kind of interaction. I see it as complementary rather than exclusive. Traditional systems don’t vanish overnight; they adapt and coexist. AI changes behavior, but it layers onto existing habits rather than erasing them.

**Bandholz: **What’s your advice to folks starting in ecommerce?

Jackson: Some level of investment in genAI visibility is non-negotiable. Consumers are increasingly turning to engines like ChatGPT for product recommendations. If you’re not tracking whether your brand shows up there, you should be. It may be the closest thing we have to true organic discovery.

Beyond that, many newer providers aren’t living up to their promised disruption. TikTok Shop, for example, is essentially an affiliate channel. It’s powerful, but it’s not going to change fundamentally how everyone shops.

**Bandholz: **What major macro trends are you watching?

Jackson: The first is machine autonomy. Every business, from the smallest startup to the largest enterprise, is pushing for more automation and productivity. You see it with self-driving vehicles, delivery robots, and last-mile automation. You also see it in companies, with systems that operate without human intervention. That shift is happening fast.

The second force is human sovereignty, driven by mistrust in institutions. The Edelman Trust Barometer in early 2026 is at a 25-year low. People don’t trust governments, corporations, or systems the way they used to. At the same time, they now have tools to verify claims, build their own worldviews, and take control of decisions.

Healthcare is an example. Individuals can now monitor their own health and interpret data in ways that weren’t possible five years ago.

These two forces — autonomy and sovereignty — can complement each other, but they can also collide. Brands that understand how to navigate both, at any scale, will define the next era of commerce.

Bandholz: How can listeners follow you and reach out?

Jackson: Our site is FutureCommerce.com. We’re on X, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I’m on LinkedIn as well.