Hi {{first_name|there}}!
Welcome to Day 1 of CommerceNext 2025 — where retail reinvention takes center stage. Whether you’re chasing Gen Z loyalty, streamlining the checkout experience, or finally cracking the attribution puzzle, today’s agenda delivers big signals on where the industry is heading next.
We’ve pulled the sharpest threads and can’t-miss sessions to help you hit the ground running. Let’s get into it. 👇
🧠 Today’s Key Themes
We scanned the Day 1 agenda and surfaced the sharpest threads likely to define the buzz across the floor. Here’s where today’s momentum sits:
Customer experience is the battleground
Sam’s Club, IKEA and American Eagle are leading with one clear message: real growth comes from knowing your customer deeply—and showing it. Whether it’s frictionless checkout, human-first design, or cultural partnerships with Gen Z icons, the sessions today highlight that great experiences are the brand.
💡 Watch for:
Sam’s Club on personalization through Scan & Go™ and Just Go (9:10 AM | Main Stage)
American Eagle’s playbook for sports-infused brand identity (10:25 AM | Main Stage)
IKEA’s omnichannel blueprint for integrated CX (5:40 pm | Main Stage)
Gen Z (and Alpha) demand a rethink
They are rewriting the playbook. From where and how they shop to the values that matter, sessions today make it clear: if you're not adapting to these new rules of relevance, you're behind. SMS, social-first campaigns, and authentic voice are non-negotiable.
💡 Watch for:
Walmart, Reformation and COS on Gen Z buying signals (10:50 AM | Main Stage)
Gen Z professionals revealing what drives loyalty (11:25 AM | Track E)
📊 Emerging channels = measurement gaps
Gen Z are discovering brands on TikTok, researching through YouTube Shorts, and acting on influencer-led stories in real time. But what happens when sales don’t follow immediately? Traditional attribution struggles to capture the long game.
That’s why Fospha’s latest research, Glow, matters. It offers a new evidence base showing how brand spend links directly to business outcomes — even when conversions happen weeks or months later.
The study explores how leading brands like Sweaty Betty used early signals — such as branded search and engaged visits — to predict future revenue and defend brand investment when budgets came under pressure.
In a landscape where Gen Z attention starts high in the funnel, Glow helps marketers prove those impressions aren’t wasted — they’re future demand in motion.
AI is no longer an edge—it’s the expectation
From Rue Gilt Groupe’s operational uplift to 1-800 Contacts’ journey personalization, AI is powering precision at scale. And today’s AI tracks are packed with hard tactics. The focus is shifting fast from experimentation to execution, with an eye on incrementality, trust, and conversion lift.
💡 Watch for:
Bloomreach & UrbanStems on customer obsession in the age of AI (2:45 PM | Track A)
Minted & Session AI on behavioural targeting that actually works (2:45 PM | Track B)
💬 On the ground and want to connect?
The ClickZ team will be at CommmerceNext, speaking with brands about AI, measurement, and brand performance. We’re collecting insights for post-event coverage — and we’d like yours in it.
Ready, Set, Go!
🎒 What to Bring
Your badge (or registration QR code)
Chargers / power bank
📲 Download the App
Plan your schedule and connect with other attendees — all from your pocket.
↳ Download for iOS
↳ Download for Android
🍷 Join Us for Drinks — Tomorrow
ClickZ is hosting an exclusive drinks gathering tomorrow evening (Wednesday, June 25)—and we’d love to see you there.
We’re bringing together some of the smartest minds in commerce for one evening of sharp conversation and good wine in Midtown Manhattan.
⏱ 5 PM onwards
📍 Midtwon Manhattan (exact location shared after RSVP)
🍸 Drinks on us. You in?
If you're serious about what’s coming next in commerce, this is where you’ll want to be.
Spots are limited—grab yours below.
📲 Like what you’re seeing?
That’s your Day 1 cheat sheet. Stay sharp, stay curious — and don't forget: the real magic happens in the conversations you spark between sessions. See you out there!
The Unofficially CommerceNext Team
Make sure you don’t miss us.
To keep these insights in your main inbox, follow these quick steps:
Gmail:
Mobile: Tap the 3 dots top right → ‘Move to’ → ‘Primary’
Desktop: Drag this email to your ‘Primary’ tab
Apple Mail:
Tap our email at the top → ‘Add to VIPs’Other apps:
Add [email protected] to your address book
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
ClickZ is a ClickZ Media publication