20 Voices in 60 Seconds: What We Heard on the Ground at Shoptalk 2025

As AI rewires the retail stack and omnichannel becomes table stakes, the conversations at Shoptalk 2025 aren’t speculative—they’re tactical. On the eve of Shoptalk’s official kickoff, we spoke to 20 leaders shaping the next wave of commerce to understand what’s driving them: why they’re here, what they’re building, and where they see retail heading. This is what we heard—in their words.

Why We’re Here

From first-timers to seasoned Shoptalk veterans, most attendees came for one thing: real conversations with people shaping the future of retail.

"It's the biggest one that has all the big players in one room... I eliminated three or four other events just by being here." — Johny Russo, Co-CEO, High Voltage Digital

"I'm a retail geek. I love being around other retail geeks." — Mark Hostovsky, Founder & CEO, Minoan

"This is where the industry's best come together—we're here to connect, learn, and move the needle." — Kristin Kirchen, Sales Leader, Splitit

"We’re here with 10 team members across media, analytics, and creative. Our focus is helping marketers grow efficient, profitable revenue." — Aaron Horowitz & Marcus Lancaster, Quad

"For us it’s about learning what the future of marketing looks like and how we fit into that." — Matthew White, Strategic Marketer, OneText

"I’m looking forward to all things retail media, especially seeing how big players like Sam’s Club and PayPal are showing up on stage." — Cassey Lissau, Executive Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi X

What We’re Focused On

Themes emerged fast: AI-powered measurement, commerce media, omnichannel attribution, user experience, and unified tech stacks.

"Omnichannel isn't a trend—it's the new baseline." — Sam Carter, CEO, Fospha

"We're here to showcase text-to-buy—AI-driven SMS where customers can purchase with a simple 'yes'." — Matthew White, OneText

"Commerce media is scaling fast. We're here to make the checkout moment smarter and more profitable." — Matthew Conlin, Founder & Chief Customer Officer, Fluent

"It's all about real-time UX data. What’s breaking in the conversion funnel—and fixing it instantly." — Josh Hardman, Presales, Conviva

"We want to hear what retailers care about when it comes to analytics and user experience." — Josh Hardman, Conviva

"I’m here to meet brands and understand how they're using AI to evolve in a challenging market." — Holly Ryall, Senior Product Owner, Dorel Home

"AI and personalization are huge areas of interest. We want to understand how it can help tailor experiences for our customers." — Kristin Kirchen, Sales Leader, Splitit

What We’re Building

Whether optimizing for performance or creating more emotional brand connections, every company had a lens on solving something bigger.

"We help large retailers measure the true impact of their media across every touchpoint—Amazon, beyond." — Sam Carter, Fospha

"We’re building the only AI-powered SMS checkout engine in the market." — Matthew White, OneText

"Smart guitar amps. Plug into the app, shape your sound, no pedals needed. We're thinking TikTok, CRM, retail partners—all of it." — Travis Zucker, Director of CRM, Positive Grid

"It’s about bringing warmth back to retail. The focus on screens and shelves has stripped some of that away." — Mark Hostovsky, Minoan

"We help brands serve personalized offers right at checkout—surprise and delight, but profitable." — Matthew Conlin, Fluent

"Shopify’s checkout is the most performant in the world—we’re also a leader in unified commerce." — Luke Cassidy, Recruitment Lead, Shopify

"We’re an eCommerce platform powering retailers in telco, automotive, fashion, and B2B. This week is about visibility." — Mike Eastman, Senior Director, commercetools

"Splitit is built around creating custom experiences for retail customers. Personalization is the engine." — Kristin Kirchen, Splitit

What We’re Taking Home

From partnerships to inspiration, everyone had a reason for walking the floor—and staying out late.

"Nothing bad happens after a glass of wine. It’s where the best conversations start." — Johnny Russo, Co-CEO, High Voltage Digital

"We want people to walk away knowing Epsilon as the leader in identity and performance media." — David Salvay, Epsilon

"We're building connections that extend beyond the booth. Dinners, happy hours, hallways—that’s where real business happens." — Matthew Conlin, Fluent

"It’s 80 meetings over 3 days. We’re all-in on 1:1 conversations with retailers." — Josh Hardman, Conviva

"It’s about growing the brand and meeting customers. The conversations we’re having around sizing, virtual try-ons, and AI are essential." — Olivia Dicopoulos, Founder & CEO, Fytted

"We're using this week to meet new partners, new prospects, and showcase new capabilities." — Will Jones, Strategic Enterprise Executive, Kibo

"We’re here to meet retail marketers, help them understand how Quad supports their full marketing funnel—from creative to analytics." — Marcus Lancaster, Quad

"I’m focused on new tech and finding opportunities that can scale across the Publicis commerce network." — Cassey Lissau, Saatchi & Saatchi X

"We’re showing how a lean team with the right tech can do big things. It’s about smart integration and efficiency." — Craig Cockrum & Laura Mann, Kendo Brands

What It All Adds Up To

Retail is no longer a linear playbook. What we heard—from AI infrastructure to emotional experience design—is that the new frontier is layered, collaborative, and human. Brands aren’t just investing in tools; they’re investing in understanding.

Across 20 voices, one idea echoed: success in 2025 won’t come from louder marketing or shinier tech. It will come from deeper insight, faster execution, and better relationships.

We'll be sharing more reflections from Shoptalk as the week unfolds.

Independently Created. Not affiliated with Shoptalk.

ClickZ is a Contentive publication in the Events division