In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, Renee Hartmann and Chris Baker sit down with Michael Zakkour—founder of Five New Digital and Managing Director at The Sell Side Group—to unpack the biggest transformations shaping global commerce.

From platform commerce and immersive video strategies, to the rise of creator-driven retail and the collapse of traditional loyalty, Michael offers a sharp, forward-looking view of what’s next in retail, marketing, and digital strategy.

• Why retail is no longer a place—it’s everywhere

• The rise of platform commerce: Netflix, Roblox, TikTok, and beyond

• The two “margin monsters” brands face today: CAC & logistics

• What Western brands can (and can’t) copy from the Chinese retail playbook

• Why trust is the new loyalty, and how creators are reshaping retail influence

• The shift from paid media to organic UGC and influencer marketing

• Michael’s Venn diagram: attention economy, creator economy, automation economy

• What it means to build a video commerce strategy, not just livestreams

• Advice for the next generation of retail professionals (and what his teenage son taught him about the funnel)

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, hosts Renee Hartmann and Chris Baker sit down with Vincent Diallo, venture capitalist, Investment Partner at Progression and General Partner at Interlace Ventures, to explore how commerce is being transformed—from the inside out.

Vincent shares his insights on:

• 🤖 The real impact of agentic AI on every layer of the retail value chain

• 🛍️ Why hyper-personalization and intimate data are reshaping the consumer experience

• 🌐 How cultural mindset, regulation, and legacy tech shape innovation across China, the U.S., and Europe

• 📺 The rise of live shopping and niche commerce communities (like exotic plant lovers!)

• 🚚 What autonomous logistics and spatial computing could mean for the future of retail

With examples from Y Combinator Demo Day to real-world investments like Palm Street, Vincent offers a global, VC-level perspective on where retail innovation is happening—and what brands and retailers must do to keep up.

If you're a brand leader, investor, or startup looking to future-proof your strategy, this episode is your fast pass to what's next.

In this episode of Commerce Beyond Borders, hosts Chris Baker (Vancouver, Canada) and Renee Hartmann (Sintra, Portugal) sit down with Swagat Choudhury, Global Digital Commerce Director of the Perfect Store at Mars. With a background that includes years of global digital leadership at Diageo, Swagat brings a deep perspective on the evolution of e-commerce and how Mars is embracing the future.

They unpack what it really means to create a "perfect store" online — from building frictionless customer journeys to leveraging AI and data for personalization, global content strategies, and omnichannel excellence.

Topics discussed include:

• What "Perfect Store" means in a digital context

• Balancing global consistency with local relevance across markets

• The rise of social commerce, on-demand delivery, and conversational shopping

• How written content, reviews, and voice search are transforming product discovery

• Why Mars prioritizes customer-first thinking in every innovation initiative

• Practical advice for brands navigating the AI transformation

“Be very clear on your outcome, and find the best path to it. Sometimes the answer might not be AI — but increasingly, it is.” — Swagat Choudhury, Mars

Whether you're a global brand builder or a startup navigating commerce at speed, this episode will help you rethink the way you engage consumers in a fast-evolving digital landscape.