Derek Slager

Retail has spent the past two years asking the same question: Which AI model should we use? It's an understandable place to start. New foundation models continue to arrive, each promising faster insights, better recommendations, and more efficient operations. Yet many retailers are discovering that deploying AI is much easier than generating consistent business value…

If the last few years were about experimenting with artificial intelligence, 2026 will be about making it actually work. Retailers have spent a huge amount of money on tools that promise sharper predictions and better personalization. Many teams have seen flashes of value, but most are still wrestling with the same underlying problem: their customer…

The holiday season has always been retail’s pressure test. Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just high-volume days. They expose the strengths and weaknesses of every system a retailer relies on. When traffic spikes and customer behavior shifts hour by hour, you see very quickly whether your data foundation is built to keep up or…

The digital advertising world is under pressure — and not just from changing consumer behavior or rising acquisition costs. The real shakeup is happening in courtrooms. Antitrust lawsuits against Google and Meta are challenging the core of how digital ads work. These aren’t abstract legal battles. They’re going after the mechanics of targeting, measurement and…

When consumers exchange their data with brands and retailers as currency, they want to know that their information is being used to deliver better customer experiences. Previously, customers may not have known that their personal information was being collected and stored by their favorite stores. But over the past few years, we've experienced major shifts…