Retail Is Everywhere: Platform Commerce, Trust, and the Future of Immersive Shopping

Michael Zakkour, founder of Five New Digital and Managing Director at The Sell Side Group, explores transformations in global commerce. The discussion covers how “retail is no longer a place—it’s everywhere,” examining platform commerce across Netflix, Roblox, and TikTok. Key themes include the margin pressures from customer acquisition costs and logistics, lessons from Chinese retail strategies, and how trust replaces traditional loyalty programs. The conversation emphasizes the shift toward organic user-generated content and influencer marketing over paid media, explores video commerce beyond livestreaming, and connects the attention economy, creator economy, and automation economy to understand contemporary retail dynamics.