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  • AI's Transformative Role in Retail at NRF 2025

AI's Transformative Role in Retail at NRF 2025

Plus, How to Optimize your Remote Work Life

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The TL;DR:

  • Let’s Chat D2C: AI’s Transformative Role in Retail at NRF 2025!

  • Building in Public with SCALIS: Lessons from Launching in December.

  • What I’m Thinking about this Week: Remote Work—The Best of Both Worlds

  • The D2Z Podcast: In this week’s episode, I sat down with Makoto Kern, Founder @ IIIMPACT, about the challenges faced by legacy tech companies, the importance of user-centric design, and the role of AI in modern software development.

  • App Updates & Highlights: Swym - Wishlists for Shopify.

  • Upcoming Events: I’m in NYC today until Wednesday night for NRF and Monterrey/San Francisco, CA next Tuesday-Friday for DTC Wine Symposium if you’re in the area and want to connected!

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Let’s Chat D2C: AI’s Transformative Role in Retail at NRF 2025

The NRF 2025 conference is buzzing with discussions around the groundbreaking ways Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping retail. From customer experiences to backend operations, AI is becoming the cornerstone of modern retail strategies. Here’s a look at the hot topics dominating the show floor:

Personalized Customer Experiences

Retailers are leveraging AI to create hyper-personalized shopping experiences. AI-driven tools now:

  • Predict customer preferences based on purchase history and browsing behavior.

  • Deliver tailored product recommendations in real time.

  • Enhance customer support with AI-powered chatbots that provide instant and accurate responses.

These advancements are helping retailers engage customers more deeply, increasing loyalty and lifetime value.

Optimizing Supply Chains with AI

AI’s impact isn’t limited to customer-facing applications. It’s revolutionizing supply chain management by:

  • Predicting demand more accurately to reduce overstock or understock scenarios.

  • Streamlining inventory management by identifying trends in real time.

  • Automating logistics to improve delivery speed and reduce costs.

As retailers adopt these tools, they’re achieving greater efficiency and agility in navigating supply chain challenges.

Navigating Data Privacy in AI Applications

With great power comes great responsibility—especially regarding customer data. The emphasis at NRF this year is on ethical AI and:

  • Using first-party and zero-party data to respect customer privacy.

  • Building trust through transparent data practices and compliance with evolving regulations.

Ethical AI practices are becoming a competitive differentiator in an era where consumer trust is paramount.

AI-Driven Competitive Edge

Retailers embracing AI are reaping rewards through:

  • Enhanced decision-making driven by actionable insights.

  • Automating repetitive tasks to allow teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

  • Driving higher ROI by targeting the right customers with the right message at the right time.

This year’s NRF highlights how AI isn’t just an enhancement—it’s a necessity for retailers looking to thrive in a fast-evolving market.

AI is no longer the future of retail; it’s the present. Are you ready to embrace it?

Building in Public with SCALIS - Lessons from Launching in December

Launching a new product is always an adventure, but doing so right before the holiday season adds an extra layer of complexity. When we officially launched SCALIS in early December, we knew we were up against the challenges of a time when many businesses slow down, defer decisions, or enter full vacation mode. But, we didn’t want to hold back the release any longer, so we went for it! Here’s what we learned.

The Challenge: Delayed Onboarding

While our initial launch week saw incredible interest—over $60K in ARR and a waitlist representing $2.25M in potential revenue—many prospects were hesitant to commit immediately. Several prospective customers expressed enthusiasm but opted to delay onboarding until January, citing the holiday break as a reason to avoid adding complexity to their operations during a busy or transitional time.

The Silver Lining

Although frustrating, the delay came with its benefits:

  1. Refining the Onboarding Process: The extra time allowed us to iron out details in our onboarding flow, ensuring a smoother experience for customers when they’re ready to jump in.

  2. Building Relationships: We used the time to deepen our connections with prospects, running personalized demos and gathering feedback to better meet their needs.

  3. Fine-Tuning the Product: With fewer immediate implementations, we were able to address key product improvements based on early feedback.

Where We’re Headed

Now that we’re in the second week of January, things are picking up rapidly. Onboarding calls are scheduled back-to-back, and our waitlist is converting into active customers. The momentum is palpable, and it’s a reminder that while timing might not always be perfect, perseverance and preparation pay off.

The holidays may have slowed us down temporarily, but the lessons we’ve learned from this experience are already making us stronger as we push forward into 2025.

That being said, our sales cycle as we work our way more upmarket is NOT short, because most of these businesses are in 1-2 year agreements with their current provider. That’s why it was so critical I started outreach to companies all the way back in May of last year, because we’re coming up on converting some businesses in Q2 that our first touchpoint with them was almost a year ago. If they were JUST learning about us now that the product launched, we wouldn’t be in their RFP process for this year.

Stay tuned—this is only the beginning.

What I’m Thinking About This Week: Remote Work—The Best of Both Worlds

Kalalau Lookout

This past week, I’ve been reflecting on how remote work offers the opportunity to craft a life that balances productivity with personal fulfillment—if you’re intentional about it. I recently spent time in Hawaii, waking up at 4 AM to start my workday early. By the time most people were just logging in, I’d already knocked out key tasks. That left the rest of the day to spend with my girlfriend and our dog, exploring the island and soaking in the sun.

Why This Matters

Remote work isn’t just about working from anywhere—it’s about finding the rhythm that works for you. This experience reminded me of how the right environment and schedule can fuel both focus and joy. It’s a balance that traditional office settings rarely offer.

The Upsides and Challenges

  • Flexibility: You can create a schedule and environment tailored to your needs, which helps with focus and creativity.

  • Eliminating Commutes: More time for the things that matter, like family or personal growth.

  • Blurring Boundaries: The downside is that it’s easy to overwork or feel “always on,” making it harder to truly disconnect.

  • Isolation: Without intentional efforts, remote work can sometimes feel lonely or disconnected from team culture.

Lessons Learned from My Trip

  1. Structure Enables Freedom: Waking up early gave me the discipline to focus during work hours while fully enjoying personal time afterward.

  2. Environment Shapes Energy: Whether it’s Hawaii or a cozy home office, the right setting can make all the difference for your mindset and productivity.

  3. Presence is Key: Once work is done, unplugging and being fully present with loved ones is crucial—it’s a reminder of why we work in the first place.

Finding Your Balance

Remote work is a double-edged sword, but it’s also a chance to rethink how we approach work. For me, this week highlighted the importance of intentionality—structuring your day and making choices that align with your priorities.

This Week’s The D2Z Podcast

#135 – Incorporating AI into your Product

🎧 Listen Now 🎧

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Makoto Kern, Founder @ IIIMPACT, about the challenges faced by legacy tech companies, the importance of user-centric design, and the role of AI in modern software development.. Specifically, we explored the following:

💡 Key considerations for incorporating AI into product development

📈 How AI can improve efficiency and customer satisfaction

🧠 Overcoming challenges in AI integration, from technical to strategic

🔑 Real-world examples of businesses transforming their products with AI

🚀 The future of AI-driven products and innovation

App Updates & Highlights: Swym - Wishlists for Shopify

What is it: Swym is a powerful app that allows customers to save products for later via wishlists, improving customer experience and driving conversions.

Differentiator: Unlike basic wishlist apps, Swym offers deep Shopify integration and advanced features like cross-device syncing, email reminders, and analytics to track saved items.

Starting Price: Free for basic features, with paid plans starting at $19/month.

How I use it:

  • Enabling customers to save items across devices, increasing the likelihood of return purchases.

  • Automating email reminders for abandoned wishlists to re-engage customers.

  • Gaining insights into popular products through wishlist analytics to optimize inventory and marketing strategies.

Swym isn’t just a wishlist app—it’s a retention powerhouse, helping merchants turn browsers into buyers with minimal effort.

Upcoming Events

I’m in NYC today until Wednesday night for NRF and Monterrey/San Francisco, CA next Tuesday-Friday for DTC Wine Symposium if you’re in the area and want to connected!

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