The Future of Commerce

AI may dominate the headlines, but the real opportunity lies beneath the surface—building the infrastructure, intelligence and consumer experiences that will power the next generation of commerce.

Recorded live from the Vudoo Podcast Van at Cannes Lions 2026, Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn are joined by Regina Ye, CEO and Co-Founder of Topsort, and Kunal Nagpal, Chief Business Officer at InMobi.

Together, they explore how AI is reshaping commerce from the ground up—moving beyond retail media towards connected commerce experiences, intelligent infrastructure and more personalised customer journeys. The conversation spans agentic commerce, retail media maturity, global innovation and why brands need to start thinking beyond campaigns towards continuous consumer relationships.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

Why AI is exposing the industry's foundations

AI may be dominating conversations at Cannes, but Regina and Kunal argue that its biggest impact isn't replacing marketers—it's exposing weak infrastructure. The businesses that have invested in strong technology foundations will be best positioned to take advantage of the next wave of innovation.

Why commerce is becoming bigger than commerce media

Retail media has become one of the industry's fastest-growing sectors, but both guests suggest the conversation is rapidly broadening. Commerce is evolving beyond advertising and into a connected ecosystem where discovery, engagement and transactions become part of a single consumer experience.

Why consumer experience is becoming the new competitive advantage

From hyper-personalisation to AI-assisted shopping, the future of commerce will be defined by brands that understand consumers better—not simply those that serve more ads. The discussion explores why relevance, trust and continuous learning will become increasingly valuable.

Why infrastructure matters more than hype

As agentic commerce gains momentum, the conversation turns to what actually needs to happen behind the scenes. Building AI experiences requires connected data, interoperable systems and technology capable of supporting real-time commerce—not simply adding AI on top of existing workflows.

Why the next generation of brands will think differently

Kunal shares why many emerging brands—particularly from China—are beginning to shift from competing on price to investing in long-term brand building. Regina reflects on how retailers are becoming more discerning buyers of technology as the industry matures.

Why Cannes still matters

Beyond the conference itself, both guests describe Cannes as a place where ideas become partnerships, strategies become products and conversations become long-term industry change. It's less about predicting the future—and more about building it.

About the guests 

Regina Ye is the Co-Founder and CEO of Topsort, an AI-powered retail media infrastructure platform helping retailers and marketplaces launch and scale advertising businesses. Prior to founding Topsort, Regina held product leadership roles at Hopin and launched her own ecommerce venture while studying computer science and data science. Passionate about democratising access to advanced advertising technology, she is helping retailers build privacy-first, auction-based media businesses that drive growth for both brands and merchants.

Kunal Nagpal is the Chief Business Officer at InMobi, where he oversees global business growth, strategic partnerships and commercial operations. Over the course of his career, Kunal has held leadership roles across advertising technology, digital media and mobile marketing, helping brands connect with consumers through innovative advertising solutions. At InMobi, he plays a key role in shaping the company’s vision for commerce, retail media and AI-driven advertising across international markets.

Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn

       Nick Morgan

     Paul Blackburn

Subscribe and leave a review! 

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!