Wanna win in retail? Win customer loyalty? Drive incrementally? Improve profitability? Yes!?! Follow this principle: eliminate friction.

Last week, I attended Hyve’s flag ship conference on the Grocery Industry. My #1 take away: Frictionless commerce is no longer a luxury, it’s become table stakes. It’s a fundamental expectation of modern consumers. It represents the seamless integration of technology + experience. Shortening the path from awareness to purchase.

Reducing the purchase process to a single, or even zero, click.

The Collapse of the Funnel

The traditional shopping journey, a linear path from "saw in store" discovery to purchase, is being profoundly disrupted by digital platforms, social media, and powerful AI tools. This disruption is driven by an intense focus on removing cognitive burden for the customer.

My Shoptalk Fall 2025 debut put me front row with leaders from the Hardware + Home Improvement Space → The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and ACE. Three masterclasses on how to scale brick-and-mortar in a digital world squeezed by giants, challengers, and scrappy startups.

Five themes that cut through the noise, plus quick takeaways from each executive.

The 5 Thematics

1) Omnichannel = Stores as Fulfillment Engines

“Online” and “in-store” aren’t separate worlds anymore. The fastest last mile often starts on the shelf around the corner. Think hybrid delivery, local stores as nodes, and designing journeys that start online and finish in person. Speed wins.

2) AI for Service, Not Just Selling

AI shows up as a coach, an assistant, and a productivity lift. Not a gimmick. Guided selling, on-the-fly training for reps, and smarter recommendations all help customers get it right the first time.

Summer of 2025 was one for the record books!

Lets start by looking at the highlights:

🎂 Turned 50 years old.

💍 Daughter got engaged to a young man we adore.

🎓 Son (Sam) interned at Dassault Systèmes (2nd summer). Will be graduating in May from Tufts University w/a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Anyone hiring? Warm intros welcome!

🏖️ Took multiple weeks of vacay to spend time with my family.

💋 Attended 4 concerts, including the famous Cold Play “kiss-cam” show!

🏆 Agencies won over $2 million in fees, from net-new clients, this summer.

💰 Startups raised money (still not done); while crushing short-term goals.

✍🏼 Wrote a couple of blog posts here.

🪴 Bottled dozens of mason jars w/my special salsa & pickles.

👀 Scroll down for Channel M Partner Updates.

The World Pet Association’s (WPA) 75th Annual SUPERZOO is officially in the books.

“This year’s SuperZoo proved again that our industry is never standing still. From new categories like functional foods to services inspired by human trends, the show highlights where the business is heading and how retailers can win in the years to come.” - Jeff SanSouci, Past Chair + Active Member at the WPA

Like every year I’ve attended, I left with a full brain, a full heart, and a sore neck from keeping my head on a swivel. Listening twice as much as I spoke.

Here are my key takeaways from walking the 330k+ square feet of floor space:

• More Cats. Gen Z and Millennials are embracing feline life. Traveling more, tightening budgets, and still wanting pets. Brands are catching on, giving cats their moment in the spotlight.

On August 12, 2025 the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced the 2025 Human Animal Bond Innovation Award winners. The annual awards, held on the first night of the World Pet Association’s (WPA) SUPERZOO, were filled with energy and optimism. It was also a reminder of the powerful connection between people and pets.

“We want to shine a light on innovators who are tapping into the positive potential of the human-animal bond - it is exciting to see how the power of pets can transform lives and entire communities.” - Steve Feldman, President at HABRI

But this year felt different. The awards served as a canary in the coal mine. It’s TIME for brands outside the pet industry to take notice.

Retail moves fast, up / down, erratic, unexpected… but one thing is for certain, it’s never standing still. Are you prepared to move at the speed of retail?

All jokes and metaphors aside, these 10 frameworks below aren’t silver bullets, but they are guardrails. They’ll help you stay agile, grounded, and growth-focused as the landscape shifts beneath your feet. Consider them your Dramamine for the chaos of commerce. Hold on tight. 💥

Now, if I worked in retail—which I do—here are the 10 frameworks I’d want every brand to embrace (or at least explore):

1. Pervasive AI Integration: AI is a significant force for creating efficiencies across a business and solving knowledge problems by integrating large amounts of information. Companies should lean into AI and empower employees to explore its uses. Combining AI's strengths with human skills is essential.

   • Action: Identify specific…

Everyone knows I go to conferences. You might even say I collect conference apps like some people collect sneakers (I collect sneakers too, lol).

But why do I do it? How do I get the most out of my investment?

Here’s the thing: I don’t go just for the swag or the fancy hotel coffee. I go because nothing—and I mean nothing—beats the magic that happens when you meet someone IRL. Not a Zoom call. Not a LinkedIn DM. Real-life, eye-contact, “Oh wow, you're much more handsome IRL” moments. 😜

Hard stop.

Cool, cool… but you said this post was about AI. What gives?

Fresh off the sun-soaked sands of Miami Beach, a bit sunburned and somewhere between a keynote on AI ethics and an espresso-martini-fueled brainstorm about shoppable memes, I realized something at POSSIBLE 2025: Marketing is weirder, faster, and more wildly entertaining than ever. 

Gone are the days of long lead calendars and carefully crafted campaigns approved by twelve committees. Today, it’s all about brand vibes, algorithm whispers, and AI that will outkick your punt coverage. So, in true Jeff Mard fashion, I scribbled down the 10 trends that matter on my flight home last night. And couldn’t wait to write this up… so here we go, buckle up.

Rumors are swirling about a potential integration of Shopify directly into ChatGPT. 

From a user perspective, this sounds incredibly convenient. Imagine asking your AI assistant to find the perfect gift and being able to purchase it directly within the chat interface. This seamless experience hints at a future where conversational AI becomes a central hub for online shopping.

However, this development also sparks a familiar unease, echoing the era of America Online (AOL!). One where users were largely confined within a single, proprietary ecosystem. Similarly, the dominance of Internet Explorer leveraging the Windows install base. This raises serious concerns about powerful platforms potentially dictating user access and limiting choice.

The 2025 Global Pet Expo was a masterclass in how innovation often emerges not from the center, but from the edges.

In a space dominated by traditional players, it was a rising company named Veterinary Exam Assistant (VEA) that captured headlines and hearts. As the unanimous Grand Prize Winner of the 2025 Pet Care Innovation Prize, sponsored by Purina, VEA exemplifies a bold, often-overlooked thesis: the future of pet care will be shaped by ideas borrowed from outside of it. But they are not alone.

We live in an era of constant motion, and our eating habits reflect this shift. Snacks are no longer mere in-between treats; they now constitute 25% of all calories consumed on a daily basis. This simple fact has given rise to a movement more commonly referred to as Better For You (BFY) consumer packaged goods.

As consumers increasingly rely on snacks to fuel their busy lives, the snacking industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by evolving consumer demands, the rise of health consciousness, and the emerging influence of GLP-1 medications. This article delves into the shifting patterns of consumption within the snacking category, drawing insights from the 2025 Natural Products Expo West flagship conference.

Shhh, there is a dirty secret that is often not discussed. Pet ownership is DOWN for the 2nd consecutive year since its peak of 70% in 2020 during the COVID Pandemic to just under 66%.

Why? Consider these three facts:

🪴 | Plants are the new pets.

🐶 | Pets are the new kids.

👧🏼 | Kids are infallible.

Read that second statement again: Pets are the new kids.

As an advisor, mentor, and investor in the pet industry, I’ve learned a lot about preparing for a successful exit. I recently attended the 7th Annual Pet Connect USA Summit in LA, hosted by Kisaco Research.

Similar to the past five summits I’ve attended, this year’s event offered valuable insights, including a new startup-focused session before the main conference. Here’s what I learned…

The Boom in Pet Care → The pet industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with a 5% CAGR and 67% of American families owning pets. Private equity investments are surging, fueling innovation and disruption. The petcare market is at an inflection point, making now the perfect time to identify opportunities and take action.

Industry Shifts: What’s Changing?

In today’s rapidly evolving marketplace, understanding emerging consumer trends, pricing strategies, and behaviors is crucial for businesses aiming to stay ahead.

Wellness goes far beyond the # on a scale. Wicked far.

Today, consumer-driven industries are seeing the wellness space evolving alongside broader societal shifts. Companies that can (now) accurately assess who is consuming what, where, and at what price point are better positioned to deliver more value, enhance customer experiences, and capture market share.

Lessons learned from B2C Retail Executives at The Lead’s Summit.

I never tire of learning. After 12 industry conferences in 2024, I know a thing or two about trends impacting retail. TLDR = AI’s your friend, think non-linear, stay curious, open to change, willing to partner & focused on what matters most.

In an effort to make this article actionable, I included a link to view additional details on each iconic brand via my LinkedIn coverage.

Lessons learned from the “The Future of Healthcare: How Robots, Automation, and AI are Transforming Care Delivery” Keynote delivered at #HIMSS24.

Zipline epitomizes the fusion of crowd-sourced trends, cutting-edge technology, healthcare innovation, and globalaltruism towards those most in need.

At HIMSS’s flagship conference, amidst a crowd of thousands, I had the privilege of witnessing Keller Rinaudo Cliffton and his team unveil a groundbreaking initiative. Which I consider the transformation of global healthcare delivery through near-real-time drone transport of critical medications.

Lessons learned on the road. Simple & actionable strategies to maximize your conference time.

DYK there are 6,970 tradeshows in the United States? And the numbers continue to rise year over year. Why? The answer is simple: in-person meetings hold an unparalleled advantage over virtual interactions. With over 70% of communication being non-verbal, there’s a depth of connection that virtual meetings often miss.

Having traversed numerous conferences in the past 12 months, from intimate gatherings to massive events with tens of thousands in attendance, here are 4 Key Areas of Success.

A close friend — Matt Murphy, General Partner at Montage Ventures — asked me to speak with Create co-founders Dhruv Amin and Marcus Lowe about how they are planning to go to market.

“We’re on the precipice of a revolution in who can build software fast. And creating custom software experiences gives you leverage. We want to empower all companies to be as powerful as the most iconic dev-powered organizations on planet with the tools and community we’re building.” — Dhruv Amin

The average new business pitch costs $450,000. You can’t afford to lose a pitch or (even worse) win a pitch that’s not the right fit for your business.

So lets start with these six elements of a pitch response:

1. Values: Your team aligns with the Brand’s value system.

2. Interest: Your colleagues want to work with the brand.

3. Experience: The work requested is a core capability of what you do best.

4. Resources: The brand has worked with an business in this capacity and/or is embracing the level of resources required.

5. Authority: You are talking to the right people in the process and they have the authority to make binding decisions.

6. Realistic: The prospect ask / Request for Proposal (RFP) is realistic and you can be successful given what you know to be true.

If you can’t say YES to each question, do not proceed any further. If you have a “maybe,” go back to the prospect and ask for greater clarity.

You must be able to say YES to each question. Hard stop otherwise.