Podcasts about ecommerce

What can eCommerce founders learn from lead generation, direct response marketing, and managing more than 1,000 people? In this episode, I sit down with Sean McGinnis, Co-Founder of The Manager Vault, to explore the very different worlds of outbound lead generation and direct response marketing. You'll hear why cold calling can work despite brutal rejection rates, how speed-to-lead can dramatically impact conversions, and how direct response funnels take customers from unaware to ready to buy. Listen in to learn about one of the biggest challenges facing growing businesses: hiring and managing great people. Sean breaks down his approach to defining a role before hiring, creating effective scorecards, focusing employees on outcomes rather than prescribed activities, and avoiding overly complicated "unicorn" job descriptions. He also shares his thoughts on giving talented people autonomy, aligning roles with the organization's needs, and building hiring systems that consistently produce better results. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/3tsweumv  Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.  

The 2026 holiday season is fast approaching, and here's the blunt truth: most operators are just guessing if they're ready. I was diving into a Practical Ecommerce article and found that U.S. online holiday sales are expected to grow about 8 percent this year, from November through December. But are you prepared to capture your share of that growth? Across our portfolio brands, a pattern emerges every Q4, and it's clear that those who audit their listings for AI discoverability now are the ones who thrive. If you're staring at multiple tabs, trying to align inventory, ad spend, and sales projections, you're not alone. On The High Voltage Business Builders Podcast, I'll walk you through three critical moves to make before Q4 hits. Don't let the holiday rush catch you off guard. Implement with us. Join the Voltage Business Builders cohort at voltagedm.com: https://voltagedm.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep-draft

Driven by a streetwear-inspired model of weekly drops and deliberate scarcity, Last Crumb built a viral $120-a-box cookie brand without spending a dollar on paid ads. By spending a year obsessing over every detail—from custom boxes to cookie angles—founder Derek Jaeger generated explosive organic clout, and celebrities took notice. The brand eventually moved away from the scarcity model in 2023 to expand into evergreen retail and long-term scaling.  For more on Last Crumb, in show notes, click here.   Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Alex McEachern is Head of Marketing at Intelligems, where he helps ecommerce brands unlock profitable growth through pricing and retention strategies. With a background spanning product marketing, product management, and brand development, Alex has led cross-functional teams and go-to-market efforts at high-growth companies.He is acclaimed for building strategic narratives, scaling brand visibility, and launching initiatives that align product experience with customer value. A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with a BBA in Marketing, Alex brings analytical depth and creative energy to the intersection of growth, user experience, and commerce. His work is informed by a passion for behavioral psychology, practical experimentation, and a belief that great brands earn trust over time, not just clicks.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Introduction[02:20] Disclosure on the Intelligems partnership[04:05] Mistranslating conversion rate optimization[07:50] Why CRO undersells what the work is[10:15] Different stakeholders, different trade-offs[12:00] CRO specialist vs Chief Revenue Officer mix-up[13:18] Callouts[13:28] Statistical significance and informed decisions[18:30] The truth about minor test tweaks[21:15] Where AI actually helps experimentation[25:50] Coining the term growth experimentation[28:10] AI in the wrong hands is dangerousResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeA/B Test Prices & Offers for Ecommerce intelligems.io/ Follow Alex McEachern linkedin.com/in/alexmceachern If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

AI platforms increasingly reward customer-focused product content over technical specifications. Lucas Tieleman, co-founder and CEO of Optiversal and former Chief Product Officer at Bazaarvoice, has helped enterprise retailers convert static product catalogs into machine-readable content that performs across traditional search and AI-driven discovery. The conversation covers why answer engine optimization depends on strong underlying SEO fundamentals, how AI is reshaping the way brands approach search visibility, and why translating product specifications into customer benefits matters more than increasing content volume.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So many women's clothing companies are all about fast fashion: trendy products that are made to sell, but not to last. Today, we're talking to the founder of an apparel company that's focused on making quality clothes that feel good to wear, and live in your closet long-term. Ramy Brook Sharp is the Founder, Co-CEO and Creative Director of the women's clothing brand, Ramy Brook. In 2010, Ramy set out to create the perfect timeless top to complement her jeans and jewelry. Unable to find what she wanted, she designed it herself, and within six months, her pieces were picked up by Bergdorf Goodman. Ramy Brook is now available in over 250 boutiques, at major retailers like Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's, and the company has a flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City. Today, Ramy walks us through the incredible origins of the brand, how she's had to adapt the business to meet the demands of major retailers and social media platforms, and what we can expect to see from Ramy Brook in the coming years. Highlights:From Advertising to Fashion (2:25)The $1,000 Top That Started It All (4:00)Getting Into Bergdorf and Learning Fast (6:50)Sexy, Sophisticated, Timeless (11:00)Building a Multi-Generational Brand (12:55)From Tops to Head-to-Toe (14:10)Marketing in a Crowded Space (16:10)E-Commerce and the Omnichannel Mix (18:00)Leading People Through Change (21:10)What's Next for Ramy Brook (25:25)Links:Ramy Brook Sharp LinkedInRamy Brook LinkedInRamy Brook WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co

Phillip sits solo to unpack conflicting economic signals: Shopify's monster quarter against a Census report showing eCommerce eating share while retail overall slows. What does this mean for brick-and-mortar? Although stores still make up most retail sales, their mission and value have shifted. The good has become secondary to the experience of acquiring it. Plus, he breaks down why the monoculture returned in a summer of shared events, and what's on the FC docket through November 3rd. The Monoculture Isn't Dead, It's On Substack Key takeaways: Commerce is growing (online sales grew at nearly twice retail's pace in 2025), but it's growing by disappearing into everything else. The product itself is secondary to the experience of purchasing it. The monoculture isn't dead; it's been revived by sport, tours, and global events. "There is a monoculture now of people writing about the summer of the monoculture on their Substack." "You're not just communicating your vision anymore to the human capital within your business; you now have to communicate vision to machines and put it into machine language. Because increasingly, we are automating more and more of our vision, and it's going on autopilot." In-Show Mentions: See our Celebrity Brands Hub before the Signal Report launches Spotify Summer Trends Report Get your early bird ticket for VISIONS Summit: NYC Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pro skater Paul “P-Rod” Rodriguez built Primitive Skateboarding from a Nike-exclusive sneaker shop into a $20 million skate and apparel empire, and almost none of it went according to plan. Here he breaks down the mindset he learned on a board and applied to building a brand designed to outlast his career. For more on Primitive Skateboarding and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

The holidays are comin' in hot... and if you're not planning your content to cut through the noise, you're gonna get drowned out by every other biz on the block (including Aunt Sally's soap shop). In last week's episode, we talked all about why product curation is the real MVP of your holiday sales strategy. This week? We're tackling part two of the equation: your content marketing plan. Because the truth is, even the best product curation won't sell if nobody knows it exists. In this episode, I'm walking you through the Q4 content principles you need to follow if you want your marketing to actually convert this season.   Here's what you'll learn: The reason clever content is killing your Q4 sales (and what to do instead) One shift that turns your product from “meh” to must-gift What your overwhelmed customer actually needs from your content (hint: it's not more emojis) The invisible copy mistake that's secretly costing you conversions How to shut down buyer hesitation before it ever bubbles up What most brands get totally wrong about email frequency (and how to fix it without annoying your list) Why sounding like a broken record might be your best Q4 strategy _______ Links Mentioned Full Show Notes https://ecommercebadassery.com/391   Gift Guide Glow-Up https://ecommercebadassery.com/glowup   Holiday Content Bundle https://ecommercebadassery.com/holiday-content   More Holiday Podcast Episodes https://ecommercebadassery.com/holidaypodcast   _______ Learn With Me Work with Me 1:1 https://ecommercebadassery.com/ecommerce-help/ https://ecommercebadassery.com/email-marketing/   Courses & Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/programs   _______   Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______   Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I'd be forever grateful if you'd rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it's also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you want to hear.    Review Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-badassery/id1507457683  

AI is already rewriting how consumers find products, and brands that aren't paying attention are going to feel it. Ideen Rahvar, Manager of Ecommerce Data and Analytics at Beiersdorf, saw it happen in real time: a live conference demo of ChatGPT recommending sunscreen skipped right over Coppertone. That moment became his wake-up call, and he's spent the time since decoding how AI evaluates brands and teaching the rest of his organization to do the same. Ideen joins the podcast to unpack why search is the golden metric of e-commerce, how AI is upending it, and what brands need to do now to stay visible.

Giulia Miotti is Senior Ecommerce Experience and Performance Manager at Bang & Olufsen, the Danish luxury audio brand where Scandinavian design meets high-fidelity sound.With over a decade of international experience across Adidas, Escada, and B&O, she's built her career at the intersection of digital innovation and brand storytelling; leading content, SEO and AI search, and ecommerce growth strategies that bring a legacy brand confidently into a digital-first, omnichannel future.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Introduction[02:20] A century of maintaining brand craftsmanship[05:02] Kicking off the brand's digital transformation[09:46] Sponsor: IntelliGems[11:47] Building omnichannel Ecommerce roadmaps[15:03] Sponsor: Klaviyo[17:24] Legacy systems and internal friction[18:17] Piloting in-store appointment bookings[23:40] Sponsor: eFulfillment Service[25:59] Winning over franchisees with customer data[27:19] Callouts[27:29] Optimizing for AI search and AEO[36:48] Why strong SEO fuels AI search success[39:02] Final thoughts and where to find GiuliaResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeHigh-end Headphones, Speakers, and Televisions bang-olufsen.com/en/int Follow Giulia Miotti linkedin.com/in/giulia-miotti-digital/ Book a demo today at intelligems.io/ Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honest Lower scale costs today eFulfillmentService.com/honest If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Thanks Pressable for supporting the show! Get your special hosting deal at https://pressable.com/wpminuteBecome a WP Minute Supporter & Slack member at https://thewpminute.com/supportOur July 2026 WP Minute Member Meetup was dedicated to all things WooCommerce. Developer Advocate Brian Coords joined us to demonstrate a variety of new and experimental features. He also shared Woo's plan to address the existing backlog of bugs and other issues. The goal is to produce a stable eCommerce platform that also meets modern demands.We also looked at AI's role in Woo and WordPress. Brian provided insight on the future of agentic commerce, store management features, and customer interactions.Takeaways:WooCommerce is focusing on cleaning up backlog issues to improve user experience.AI submissions in open source can be both beneficial and challenging.The goal is to reduce the number of open issues significantly.User experience is crucial for retaining customers in WooCommerce.WooCommerce aims to improve UI consistency across its extensions.Block themes are being developed to enhance the WooCommerce experience.AI integration is being explored for better store management and analytics.The future of e-commerce may involve AI-driven purchasing experiences.Important Links:Woo Developer BlogWooCommerce is the foundation of our entire ecosystemWooCommerce 11.0: What's coming for developersUnifying extension settings in WooCommerceThe WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★

Plus qu'une simple plateforme ou agence, Fever se positionne comme un producteur d'expériences et un acteur culturel à part entière, mêlant digital et présentiel pour générer émotion, engagement et impact. Ensemble, on explore les recettes du succès de formats comme Candlelight, la force du modèle glocal pour activer les marchés à l'international, et le rôle du sensoriel pour créer des souvenirs forts. Pourquoi l'événementiel est-il un levier stratégique pour les marques ? Comment en mesurer le ROI ? Et en quoi l'expérience phygitale répond-elle à la saturation du digital ? Dans cet épisode, Fanny Lebizay, directrice associée du pôle Brand Partnerships pour les marchés francophones chez Fever, nous dévoile les coulisses d'une stratégie où l'expérience est reine. Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

What happens when an eCommerce owner stops asking, "How can I get more people to do this work?" and starts asking, "How can I redesign the work entirely?" In this episode, I'm joined by Eli Zauner, co-founder of Universal Yums, who is using AI, software, and automation to tackle the complexity of an eight-figure consumer business. Whether you're an eCommerce founder looking to automate repetitive work, a business owner trying to scale without constantly adding headcount, or simply curious about what AI can actually do inside a real operating business, this conversation offers a highly tactical look at what comes next. Listen in as Eli shares how he evolved from a bootstrapped subscription snack box startup into building sophisticated systems for supply planning, product development, advertising, and operations—and why AI has fundamentally changed the way he thinks about scaling. You'll hear how he structures his AI and software stack, why he believes the terminal can be a more powerful interface for business owners, and how shared skills, structured data, and software can create the foundation for AI agents. Eli also talks about his thinking around AI-driven job displacement, the future of "outcome ownership," and why businesses should identify processes where more output directly creates more revenue.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/537srzjh  Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.  

John is joined by Daniel C. Posner, a partner in Quinn Emanuel's Los Angeles office, and Renita N. Sharma, a partner in Quinn Emanuel's New York office. Together, they discuss the recent victory secured by a team led by John, Dan, and Renita in the Amazon v. Perplexity case before the Ninth Circuit. The case addressed how the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) applies to agentic AI.Perplexity's Comet browser includes an AI assistant that performs multi-step tasks for users, including shopping on Amazon. Amazon objected because purchases made through the assistant may bypass Amazon's advertising and upselling opportunities. Amazon sued under the CFAA and the California Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA).The CFAA is the primary federal anti-hacking statute. To establish a violation, a plaintiff must prove that a person intentionally accessed a computer without authorization, obtained information through that access, and caused the plaintiff to suffer losses of at least $5,000. The CFAA is also a criminal statute, so case law has emphasized that it must be construed narrowly. The CDAFA is substantially similar to the CFAA, except it does not require proof of $5,000 in losses. CDAFA and CFAA claims typically rise and fall together.Amazon moved for a preliminary injunction almost immediately after filing its complaint. Amazon argued that Perplexity intentionally accessed its computers without authorization after Amazon expressly told Perplexity not to send its agents to Amazon's website. Perplexity responded that its servers never directly accessed Amazon's servers. Instead, the Comet browser resides on the user's computer and acts only when the user instructs it to perform a task. The user's computer communicates separately with Amazon and Perplexity, much as a conventional browser, such as Apple's Safari, facilitates access without Apple itself accessing the website. Perplexity also argued that it did not obtain any information from Amazon or cause any cognizable damages.Although the district court granted Amazon a preliminary injunction, the Ninth Circuit initially stayed and then reversed that decision, holding that Perplexity had not “accessed” Amazon's computers within the meaning of the CFAA. The court examined the technical architecture of the Comet browser and the broader principle that agentic AI, however sophisticated, remains a tool operated by a person. Because the user directs the assistant, the user—not Perplexity or the AI itself—is the relevant actor. In light of its ruling on access, the Ninth Circuit did not need to decide whether any access was unauthorized, whether Perplexity obtained information from Amazon, or whether Amazon suffered cognizable damages.The decision is likely to become an important early precedent governing agentic AI. Future cases could raise additional issues as AI agents become more autonomous, circumvent safeguards, enter into contracts on unfavorable terms, cause tortious harm, or are jointly controlled by users and developers. The ruling could also have implications for journalists and researchers who use automated tools to gather publicly available information online.Podcast Link: Law-disrupted.fmHost: John B. QuinnProducer: Alexis HydeMusic and Editing by: Alexander Rossi

Stripe schreibt seinen Investoren, die Singularität habe am 1. Januar begonnen, und bestätigt im selben Brief den Kauf von OpenRouter. Danach geht es eine Stufe tiefer in die Nahrungskette der Absatzfinanzierung: Broadcom nimmt bis zu hundert Milliarden Dollar Schulden auf, um Anthropic den Kauf von Chips zu ermöglichen, die Broadcom selbst entworfen hat. In Ohio warnt das Wahlkampfkomitee der Republikaner die KI-Konzerne, dass Rechenzentren die Partei einen Senatssitz kosten. Ab Montag läuft ChatGPT-Werbung auch in Deutschland, und es geht um die Frage, ob eine Suchmaschine mit Werbung überhaupt glaubwürdig bleiben kann. Bei den Quartalszahlen liegt Anthropic vor OpenAI, in den ersten Wochen des laufenden Quartals dreht sich das Momentum aber wieder. Anthropic könnte in den nächsten Tagen den Börsenprospekt vorlegen. Dazu Drohnen von Amazon in bis zu fünfhundert Städten, ein Cybercab ohne Lenkrad, eine Kamera im AirPod und eigene Chips von Waymo. Bei den Zahlen bremst Klarna wegen Deutschland, und die Doping-Olympiade macht achtzehn Millionen Umsatz bei sechsundneunzig Millionen Kosten. Am Ende eine längere Rechnung darüber, warum Zara mit Innenstadtläden mehr verdient als Shein online. Unterstütze unseren Podcast und entdecke die Angebote unserer Werbepartner auf ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠doppelgaenger.io/werbung⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Vielen Dank!  Philipp Glöckler und Philipp Klöckner sprechen heute über: (00:00:00) Stripe und die Singularität (00:08:21) VC-Konzentration (00:11:16) Broadcom bürgt für Anthropic (00:13:24) Rechenzentren im Wahlkampf (00:20:19) Die Kelce-Kampagne (00:23:18) ChatGPT-Werbung in Europa (00:38:05) OpenAI gegen Anthropic (00:51:45) Amazon-Drohnen (00:57:05) Tesla Cybercab (00:58:51) AirPods mit Kamera (01:03:35) Waymo baut Chips (01:06:17) Der günstige Waymo (01:08:42) SpaceX wollte Cognition (01:12:45) Klarna (01:15:52) Enhanced Games (01:19:28) Ramp Router (01:22:08) Personio (01:23:09) LinkedIn-Slop (01:25:04) Unitree (01:26:51) Shein gegen Inditex (01:37:52) Apotheken und E-Commerce (01:42:50) Neom (01:43:32) LandSpace landet (01:45:09) Spirit-Flugbegleiter (01:46:12) Metas Suchtprozess Shownotes Stripe schreibt Investoren, die Singularität habe begonnen - axios.com Venture Capital war noch nie so konzentriert - profgmedia.com Broadcom sucht mehr als 60 Mrd. für den nächsten KI-Schuldendeal - bloomberg.com Das GOP-Memo zum Rechenzentrums-Risiko in Ohio - axios.com Die Kelce-Brüder sammeln Kühlmittel für Rechenzentren - thoughtcatalog.com ChatGPT Ads kommt in 31 europäische Märkte - openai.com OpenAI baut Vertriebsteams für Werbung in Europa auf - digiday.com OpenAIs Q2-Umsatz wächst langsamer als der von Anthropic - wsj.com Friar: OpenAI wird 2027 eine Public Company - cnbc.com Anthropic will die Größe des SpaceX-IPO erreichen oder übertreffen - bloomberg.com Amazon weitet die Drohnenlieferung aus - bloomberg.com Teslas Cybercab startet mit Mitarbeitern als Fahrgästen - thenextweb.com Hinweise auf AirPods mit Kamera in macOS 26.7 - macrumors.com Waymo hat einen eigenen Chip für seine Robotaxis gebaut - bloomberg.com Das günstigere Waymo-Robotaxi ist in drei Städten für alle offen - techcrunch.com SpaceX wollte Cognition kaufen - bloomberg.com Klarna senkt die Prognose und sucht einen neuen CFO - wsj.com Enhanced Games mit 62 Mio. Verlust im zweiten Quartal - themirror.com Ramp startet einen eigenen KI-Modell-Router - techcrunch.com Personio zeigt KI-Ausgaben neben den Vergütungsdaten - linkedin.com Unitree legt im Shanghaier Debüt um mehrere Hundert Prozent zu - cnbc.com Shein peilt den Handelsstart am 28. August an - reuters.com Neom: The Line wird zum KI-Rechenzentrum - golem.de China landet erstmals eine Trägerrakete auf dem Boden - qz.com Flugbegleiter wehren sich gegen Googles Datenkauf - wsj.com Der erste Zeuge im Meta-Prozess in Oakland - thenextweb.com

NEOM founder Nicola Elliott built a global wellness brand organized entirely around four core wellbeing needs: Sleep, De-stress, Energy and Mood Boost. Starting with a single candle and a £15,000 bet, the company used essential oils to create a global business. Nicola shares how centering customer emotions shaped NEOM's product line, retail strategy, and expansion into the US. For more on NEOM, in show notes, click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley shares nine vital lessons from over a decade of e-commerce experience, having scaled his own brand from zero to eight figures. He covers key topics including the difference between opportunistic selling and true brand-building, the importance of hiring top talent, Amazon's continued dominance, the challenges of omnichannel selling, cash conversion cycles, and return on invested capital. Josh also warns against comparing yourself to other brands. He closes with a bonus lesson reminding entrepreneurs that family and relationships ultimately matter more than business success.Bullet Points:Key differences between building a brand and opportunistic selling in e-commerce.Importance of hiring talented individuals for business growth and success.The dominance of Amazon in the e-commerce landscape and strategies for leveraging it.Challenges associated with building an omnichannel brand across various platforms.Significance of having a sustainable business money model, including customer retention strategies.Necessity of active management and adaptability in the fast-paced e-commerce environment.Understanding and optimizing return on invested capital (ROIC) for financial health.Dangers of comparing one's business to others and focusing on personal growth instead.Importance of cash conversion cycle in scaling an e-commerce business effectively.Emphasis on prioritizing family and relationships over business achievements for personal fulfillment.Timestamps:00:00:54 Lesson 1: Brand Building vs. Opportunistic SellingDefining the difference between building a true brand with a customer journey versus being an opportunistic arbitrage seller on Amazon.00:06:43 Lesson 2: The Best ROI is PeopleHiring talented people who are smarter than you provides the greatest return on investment and leverage in your business.00:09:21 Lesson 3: Amazon is Still KingAmazon will continue to dominate e-commerce, so entrepreneurs should lean into its strengths rather than trying to diversify away completely.00:11:42 Lesson 4: The Difficulty of Building an Omnichannel BrandBuilding a successful omnichannel brand is extremely difficult because each platform (Amazon, Shopify, TikTok) requires a completely different skillset.00:14:49 Lesson 5: The Importance of the Money ModelA business model with compounding customers, like subscriptions, is ten times easier to scale than one focused on front-end acquisition.00:18:17 Lesson 6: Active Management and Adaptability are RequiredE-commerce is not a "set it and forget it" business; it requires constant learning, adaptation, and active management to succeed.00:21:13 Lesson 7: Understanding Return on Invested CapitalKnowing your return on invested capital is a critical, yet often overlooked, metric for making smart inventory and business decisions.00:25:02 Lesson 8: Avoid Harmful ComparisonsComparing your brand to others is damaging because you don't know the financial reality or unique circumstances behind their success.00:29:39 Lesson 9: Cash Conversion Cycle is EverythingThe time it takes to get your capital back after investing in inventory is the key constraint to scaling an e-commerce business.00:35:57 Bonus Lesson: Family and Relationships Matter MostThe greatest fulfillment in life comes from family and relationships, not from the money or success achieved in business.Links and Mentions:Tools and Websites"Amazon": "00:00:00""Shopify": "00:00:00""TikTok Shop": "00:00:00""FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)": "00:10:48""AWS (Amazon Web Services)": "00:10:48""Meta (Facebook/Instagram)": "00:12:49"Podcasts and Videos"Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast": "00:00:00""Podcast on Building a Brand": "00:04:48""Podcast on Cash Conversion Cycle": "00:34:39"Summary of Lessons"Opportunistic Selling vs. Building a Brand": "00:00:54""People Over Everything": "00:07:51""Amazon's Dominance": "00:09:49""Omnichannel Challenges": "00:11:42""Compounding Customer Base": "00:15:55""Active Management": "00:19:04""Return on Invested Capital": "00:22:14""Avoiding Comparisons": "00:25:02""Cash Conversion Cycle": "00:29:39"Bonus Lesson"Family and Relationships": "00:36:32"Transcript:Josh Hadley 00:00:00 Today, I'm going to share with you the top nine vital lessons that I have learned while selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade. Welcome to the Econ Breakthrough Podcast! I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own ecommerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I'm a man of faith. I'm a husband to a beautiful wife and the father of four children. I've been selling in the e-commerce space for over a decade, doing over $20 million in annual revenue and selling multi-millionaire on channels such as Amazon, Shopify and TikTok. Shop. And last but not least, I am also the host to the number one business strategy podcast for eCommerce entrepreneurs, which is E-com breakthrough. As we dive in today, I'm going to be sharing with you the top nine lessons that I have learned that I wish I would have known and had.Josh Hadley 00:00:54  These lessons kind of taught to me prior to starting in the e-commerce space over a decade ago. These are going to go in ascending order. And so when we get to number nine, this is what I believe is one of the biggest lessons that I learned and the biggest lesson that I wish I would have understood. And the biggest thing that I'm trying to communicate to anyone that is starting in the e-commerce space here, brand new today. So here's lesson number one. Lesson number one is defining the difference between an opportunistic e-commerce opportunity versus actually building a brand. Those are two very, very different things. And honestly, in the number of conferences that I go t...

Kroger has named Nate Faust, a former Walmart and Jet.com executive, as its first chief e-commerce officer, creating a new leadership role focused exclusively on its digital business. Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn debate whether the move signals a smart investment in Kroger's e-commerce growth or an organizational step backward from the industry's broader push toward omnichannel retail. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

a16z General Partner David George is joined by Grant LaFontaine, co-founder of Whatnot, to unpack how a marketplace that started with collectibles evolved into one of the world's leading live shopping platforms. Grant traces the company's origins from selling Pokémon cards online as a kid to discovering live commerce by watching Whatnot's earliest customers hack together sales on social media. They discuss why Whatnot thinks less like a traditional e-commerce marketplace and more like a digital shopping mall, where discovery, entertainment, community, and commerce all happen at once. Today, users spend roughly 95 minutes a day on the platform, and most aren't even buying something on a given day. They also explore how Whatnot is enabling small businesses to reach global audiences, expanding from collectibles into categories like fashion, food, and golf, and using AI to make sellers more efficient without replacing the human connection at the center of the experience.   Resources: Follow Grant LaFontaine on X: https://x.com/GrantLaFontaine Follow David George on X: https://x.com/DavidGeorge83 Follow Whatnot on X: https://x.com/whatnot Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Phillip and Alicia open the back-to-school season with a modern dichotomy: NRF data shows shoppers playing chicken, while Shopify posts a quarter where agentic traffic tripled. PLUS: After a summer abroad in London, Phillip reflects on behaviors unique to U.S. shoppers. Get ‘Em While They're Young Key takeaways: Retailers are manufacturing visible human effort as a hedge against frictionless AI commerce. Play is a form of consumption. Browsing kids are already converting. Back-to-school splits into two camps: early movers and deal holdouts. Shopify's agentic traffic tripled as answer engines are becoming a back-to-school search surface. U.S. share of wallet favors experience, forcing a fusion of retail and hospitality. [00:17:11] Alicia: "When you create these spaces that are conducive to young people, you're kind of creating this magnet moment that ultimately motivates them to shop." [00:28:18] Phillip: "What's really wild about the mini brands thing is…we all complain about shrinkflation, then also buy the mini of something, which is a premiumization of a per-unit cost…We are irrational by nature, and brands would do well to play at both ends of the spectrum." [00:40:17] Alicia: "[Søstrene Grene] almost feels like it's more high-touch because it's kind of imperfect." Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, host Josh interviews Eric Kooymans, an online marketing expert with 18 years of experience. Eric shares actionable strategies for e-commerce growth, including in-depth keyword research, competitor and paid ad analysis, and cost per acquisition estimation. He emphasizes the importance of product bundling, expanding sales channels, and leveraging tools like SEMrush and Facebook Ad Library. Eric offers practical tips on using Google and Facebook Shopping integrations and provides advice for building sustainable, scalable e-commerce brands that attract long-term investment.Chapters:Introduction to Eric Kooymans and His Expertise (00:00:00)Eric's background, experience, and notable clients in e-commerce and online marketing.Starting a Growth Strategy: Self-Audit & Audience Analysis (00:01:34)Initial steps for developing a growth plan: self-audit, understanding target audience, and identifying customer problems.Keyword Research and Demand Analysis (00:02:05)Using tools like Keyword Keg, SEMrush, and Google Keyword Planner to analyze search volume, demand, and seasonal trends.Building a Demand Growth Strategy (00:02:56)Translating keyword research into a demand-driven business strategy, considering seasonality and cost per acquisition.Evaluating Cost per Acquisition and Product Bundling (00:03:52)Assessing average order value, cost per acquisition, and the importance of bundling products for profitability.Keyword Research Tools and Competitor Analysis (00:04:41)Comparing keyword research tools and introducing competitor analysis using SEMrush for deeper market insights.Deep Dive into Competitor Analysis (00:05:36)How to audit competitors, analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and identify cost-effective keyword opportunities.Paid Advertising and Ad Analysis (00:06:52)Conducting paid ad research using SEMrush, SpyFu, and Facebook Ad Library to understand competitors' ad strategies.Estimating Cost per Acquisition with Industry Data (00:08:50)Using WordStream and industry benchmarks to estimate cost per acquisition and conversion rates before launching campaigns.Optimizing Product Assortment and Bundling (00:11:24)Developing product bundles and assortments that increase average order value and align with customer passion.Actionable Takeaway 1: Activate Shopping Channels (00:12:37)Quick win: Turn on Google Shopping, Facebook Shopping, and use plugins to expand product reach.Actionable Takeaway 2: Focus on Product Bundles (00:13:49)Group winning products into bundles or seasonal packages to improve ad ROI and scale growth.Actionable Takeaway 3: Expand to New Marketplaces (00:14:44)Leverage platforms like Faire and other marketplaces to increase exposure and test new channels with bestsellers.Closing Remarks and Resources (00:15:58)Eric thanks the host, offers to answer questions, and mentions show notes with additional resources.Links and Mentions:Keyword Keg: "00:02:05"  SEMrush: "00:02:05"  Google Keyword Planner: "00:02:05"  SpyFu: "00:07:14"  Facebook Ads Library: "00:07:14"  WordStream: "00:09:48"  Sales and Orders: "00:13:19"  Transcript:Josh 00:00:00  Today I am super excited to introduce you to Eric Kooymans. Eric is an online marketing expert with over 18 years of experience in e-commerce development, search engine optimization, Facebook ads, influencer marketing and much more. With a portfolio boasting over 180 different companies including the American Cancer Society, passion, passion, City Church and Chris Tomlin. Eric's specialties include WordPress, Shopify and Magento e-commerce, as well as various marketing automation tools like Activecampaign and HubSpot. Get ready to learn from the best of in this business on today's podcast. So with that introduction, welcome to the show, Eric.Eric 00:00:42  Thank you for having me. I appreciate your time.Josh 00:00:44  Every single listener is going to want to hear, like, what are those growth strategies that you implement? Right? What are those the tactical things that you do that help diversify, provide comfort. But I think it's not even just the aspect of diversification. I think it is building a comprehensive brand that private equity truly would be hungry to acquire, right? Because they don't just see you as a fly by night Amazon seller.Josh 00:01:14  You had success on that, but you can't repeat that success anywhere else. so Eric, let's let's dive into those strategies. Somebody comes to you, you know, how do you work them or how do you start to develop that 6 to 24 month, you know, growth strategy? I guess ramp up for them.Eric 00:01:34  Sounds good. Yeah. So the first off, before we do it, we basically have we want to ask the basic questions and we kind of we normally have a little questionnaire that we have that we'll provide in the show notes. But the big question that you always want to kind of do a kind of little self audit. And we need to be able to understand, you know, who you are, who is the target audience? You know, what specifically is their problem or what are they looking for? Like what's their big, you know, when they're looking for your products? Kind of. What is that? What are we think of that is kind of what's the keywords, what's the what's the the symptom or the problem that they're having.Eric 00:02:05  And then with that, also, when it comes to the types of gifts or ways that this product could be used in, if it were to be a, a type of a gift or a, you know, holiday type thing. We put together all the different audiences and we do what we call the keyword research around that. And that's basically using cool tools like, keyword keg. there's also, SEMrush. There's also Google, Keyword Planner, but these are tools that we put it in there. And that basically tells us over the last 12 months what is the search volume and not just what we think we want to offer, but what are all the other things that we never thought of. And from there, we're then able to kind of have a lay of the land of what's the demand? Then we put together what we call the demand growth strategy, which basically is a how do we build our business around where the opportunity is. We don't want to just go buy a whole bunch of products and hope it works.Eric 00:02:56  We actually have to plan for it. And so the way that we do that is, is we understand what's the demand and what how many people are searching for what. And then and that's not just only at what times of the year as well, because you want to know what our seasonal business is. And if you have something that's big and and at Christmas time, well, how do you get busy in the summertime? You know, how do you not have the slow months? And how do you build products in a company around a sustainable growth strategy with that? And so we really kind of look at the seasonal trends. and then lastly, when you look at the keyword research, we're then able to understand what's the average cost per click and, and what the key thing to note is that is that if we were to go say, let's go do this, let's go and put together, a strategy, what is the average cost per acquisition? And those are the things that really allow us to say, hey,...

In this week's OmniTalk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton was joined by Jenn Hahn of J Recruiting Services to discuss: • Kroger's appointment of Nate Faust as its first-ever Chief E-Commerce Officer, and whether creating a dedicated e-commerce leadership role signals Kroger is doubling down on digital or falling behind the industry's move toward omnichannel: https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-names-executive-vice-president-chief-ecommerce-officer-csuite-appointment/827610/ • Best Buy's plan to grow through smaller-format stores, and whether shrinking the footprint can actually create meaningful growth or simply spread the retailer too thin. Plus, Chris and Jenn debate the strategy head-on: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/01/best-buy-ceo-jason-bonfig-smaller-stores.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202026-08-03%20Retail%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:87701%5D&utm_term=Retail%20Dive • Ahold Delhaize's expansion of its Saving Station discount kiosks to Giant Food, and whether physical kiosks can still bridge the gap between traditional grocery shoppers and the industry's increasingly digital loyalty experience: https://chainstoreage.com/news-briefs/2026-08-13?article=ahold-delhaize-usa-expands-discount-kiosks-giant-food • Amazon customers' growing use of Alexa for shopping, and whether Amazon is finally positioned to move agentic AI shopping beyond discovery and recommendations into actual purchasing and transactions: https://www.retaildive.com/news/amazon-alexa-for-shopping-agentic-ai-adoption/826806/ • TikTok's reported testing of a paid Shop Plus membership, and whether TikTok is quietly building its own version of Amazon Prime to keep shoppers from leaving the platform to complete their purchases: https://www.ecomcrew.com/tiktok-is-testing-a-paid-membership-called-shop-plus-to-rival-amazon-prime/ Plus, Jenn also announces this month's OmniStar Award winner, Ralph Woodward. We're also joined by Arber Sejdiji of Zenline AI for five insightful minutes to hear his perspective on how AI is reshaping the retail experience. P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/ P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Feedspot: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/ Music by hooksounds.com

What happens when your e-commerce platform treats your most valuable professional clients like everyday consumers?Agility means looking past a platform's out-of-the-box features and building an experience that reflects how your different customer segments actually do business.This episode is brought to you by The Office of Experience, a design-driven, digital-first, vertically integrated and collaborative agency that believes in the power of ideas and the strength of people. Learn more at www.officeofexperience.comToday, we're talking about the complexity of building a single e-commerce experience for two very different audiences. Specifically, we'll explore:- Balancing the distinct needs of B2B and B2C audiences on a single digital storefront.- Knowing when to lean on an e-commerce platform's native capabilities versus when to invest in custom development to close critical experience gaps.- Integrating physical retail and showroom data, like real-time local inventory, into a seamless digital experience.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jenna Kennedy, Senior Director, Client Strategy & PMO at Office of Experience and William Webster, General Manager, Guy Gunter Home.Jenna Kennedy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennabkennedy/---------- Resources ----------: https://www.officeofexperience.comThis episode is brought to you by The Office of Experience, a design-driven, digital-first, vertically integrated and collaborative agency that believes in the power of ideas and the strength of people.We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fChaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/93531742a7625a20Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716baCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.comThe Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tessa Cohen and Sara Sebastjanska built Benjie—a clean, chemical-free bandage brand—with no outside money and no product development experience. They launched by crashing Coachella with handmade posters and pitching strangers in festival bathrooms, selling out their entire inventory within a week, without spending a dollar on ads. For more on Benjie and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Send us Fan MailMany growing eCommerce businesses reach a point where their existing software can no longer keep pace with increasing operational complexity. Lightweight applications often lack the capabilities needed to support higher order volumes, expanding sales channels, and more sophisticated inventory and fulfillment requirements, while traditional ERP systems can be overly complex, costly, and difficult to implement. As the business scales, disconnected systems, manual processes, and fragmented data become increasingly common, reducing visibility across operations and making it harder to respond quickly to customer demand. The result is slower decision-making, operational inefficiencies, and shrinking margins at a stage when agility and scalability are essential for continued growth.In this episode, Sam Gupta and Shrestha Dash from ElevatIQ, Andy Pratico from Essential Software Solutions, and Phil Coerper from Ringling Business Solutions conduct an in-depth independent review of a leading FP&A platform Fulfil.IO.Video: https://www.elevatiq.com/events-and-webinars/fulfil-io-ai-powered-ecommerce-operations-platform-review-independent-in-depth/Questions for Panelists?

If Q4 feels like a chaotic sales circus, you're not imagining it. Every brand is screaming for attention, offering discounts, and flooding inboxes like it's a competition. So how do you break through the noise and actually get customers to care? Here's a hint: it's not about slashing prices. In this episode, I'm revealing the real secret to holiday sales success... and it's probably not what you think. It's not about having the flashiest promo or the biggest ad budget. It's about how you show up for your customers and what you do to make their lives easier this season. We're talking about a subtle but powerful shift in your Q4 strategy that will change how customers experience your brand... and why it could be the key to more conversions, better engagement, and long-term loyalty. Want to become your customer's holiday hero? Click play and let's talk. Here's what you'll learn: The Q4 mindset shift that separates the meh from the memorable The simple strategy that elevates your brand without extra inventory How to turn product overwhelm into curated ease One thing you can add today to create instant "wow" moments The overlooked marketing assets that make you unforgettable _______ Links Mentioned Full Show Notes https://ecommercebadassery.com/390   Holiday Strategy Resources https://ecommercebadassery.com/holiday _______ Learn With Me Work with Me 1:1 https://ecommercebadassery.com/ecommerce-help/ https://ecommercebadassery.com/email-marketing/   Courses & Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/programs   _______   Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______   Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I'd be forever grateful if you'd rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it's also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you want to hear.    Review Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-badassery/id1507457683  

Steven Song is the founder and CEO of Diald, an AI-powered decision intelligence platform for commercial real estate. Before founding Diald, Steven worked on both the investing and development sides of real estate, and built his career across architecture and urban planning, training at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pennsylvania. He was a founding principal at SCAAA, a global strategy, planning, and design firm, and is a partner at Axle Companies, a family office focused on real estate investment and social impact ventures. Steven is based in Los Angeles.(02:26) Why CRE Decisions Are Still Judgment-Driven (04:41) The Signal That Killed an Atlantic City Deal (07:44) Contextual Drift: The Risk Nobody Models(10:20) Diald's approach (11:59) AI Token Costs and Asking Better Questions (14:27) Tools vs. Workflows (15:52) Diald's Underwriting (17:58) Killing Bad Deals Earlier (19:18) How AI Upgrades the Analyst Role (20:44) Where General Purpose AI Fails at Underwriting (24:23) Does AI Make CRE More Efficient or More Competitive (26:02) What Underwriting Looks Like in 5 Years (27:14) Where Human Judgment Still Matters (29:06) The Local Signals Investors Miss (31:15) Collaboration Superpower: Denise Scott Brown and Reyner Banham

Our analysts Andrew Ruben and Nathan Feather discuss how AI shopping agents could transform how consumers discover, compare and buy products and the implications for eCommerce.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Andrew Ruben: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Andrew Ruben, Latin America Retail and E-commerce Analyst at Morgan Stanley.Nathan Feather: And I'm Nathan Feather, U.S. Small and Mid-Cap Internet Analyst at Morgan Stanley.Andrew Ruben: Today, what happens when the shopping cart starts thinking for itself and maybe even for you?It's Monday, August 17th at 10am in New York.As we think about trends that are driving e-commerce, which remains a share gainer within the overall retail landscape, it seems that there's a transformation that's quickly building around agentic e-commerce.So, Nathan, I think it's timely for us to talk today as agentic seems like it could be the next catalyzer of growth and innovation within the e-commerce landscape.Nathan Feather: How much bigger do we think agentic commerce could make the global e-commerce market?Andrew Ruben: Global e-commerce as we see it is a nearly [$]5 trillion market today. That implies 22 percent of retail sales. The way we see over the next five years is a $7 trillion opportunity, with growth accelerating to a 9 percent compounded rate, up from about 7 percent over the past four years. And this is partly on the tailwinds from agentic.What we see here is this broad arc of reducing friction with e-commerce over time.Think about how easy it is now to pick up your phone, search for some inventory, click, and the goods can be here within one, two days, if not same day. That's reduction of friction that we think physical retail can't match, and the improvements of agentic commerce. Having this agent that can help you search, help you discover – that should further the e-commerce opportunity.We think agentic alone could add about 6 percent to the five-year e-commerce addressable market, with about 20 percent of industry volumes having some material agent influence.So, within this opportunity, Nathan, agentic isn't one size. How should investors distinguish between AI influence shopping and fully autonomous purchasing?Nathan Feather: To your point, there's a wide different flavors that we're calling agentic commerce. And it starts really at the top of the funnel with, you know, you could go to your chatbot of choice and say, ‘I want a hiking backpack with a water bottle slot and a place to hold my keys,' right? ‘Show me the best options in a certain price range.'And there you're capturing the top of the funnel, but as you click in, you may bounce out to a retailer and purchase on there. Or it could go even further, and maybe you complete your entire checkout within that specific chatbot.Now, right now what we're seeing is about half of consumers are starting the top of the funnel at least sometimes with a chatbot, but a very small portion are actually completing purchases. And so, as time evolves, we expect that funnel to widen and start to see a little bit more of this fully autonomous purchasing; although for the most part, we think it's really going to remain top of funnel and mid-funnel.Now, adoption does look very different across regions, partially because of different consumer behaviors. Why has AI shopping gained more traction in some markets than in others?Andrew Ruben: I think that's right, and what we see is so far to date, agentic shopping has been led by the U.S. and China. These are the two largest e-commerce markets globally, also among the highest penetration. Some data to support it: We have proprietary Morgan Stanley AlphaWise survey that show about 30 percent of China consumers shopping using AI tools over the past month. And that compares to about 12 percent in Brazil.Now, we do see some barriers in terms of the pace of companies' innovation, but I think this is more a matter of time. The example you give of that shopping journey, that does seem like it should be applicable globally.There is also a second barrier, and that would be trust. We do see that consumers are using AI search, using AI discovery, and as they get more comfortable with agentic, we think the use cases can increase over time. But as we see consumers today, they're comfortable with search, but not many are willing to let AI do the full end-to-end checkout.Ultimately, as we see it, the companies will drive the innovation, but it's consumers who determine uptake.And that raises the question of who owns the customer journey. Do retailers keep control, or do the general AI agents take the lead?Nathan Feather: To be frank, this is one of the major unanswered questions within this market. And, you know, we can speculate, but we're not going to know for a few years. So, let's go through the potential paths here.I think the first goes within the customer journey. Where does the customer want to check out? Who has the best experience as you go through that journey? And early on, it's retailers. They have your purchase history. They have your payment information. They have your shipping.To your point, they're trusted. You know if you're going to shop at one of these large retailers, you're going to get what you want. And if you don't, you're going to be able to get that refunded.And so, we think at least early on, retailers will likely keep control of that purchase journey and actually be able to innovate a lot on site. Launch on-site agents that are able to get you to the inventory they have even faster.But retailers could gain control over time. They can shop across multiple websites. They can price match. And so, it is going to be a question over time which of these ends up taking the lead. And the economics will change as a result of that.And Andrew, what determines whether agentic commerce ends up generating purchases that wouldn't have happened otherwise rather than simply shifting existing sales to a new channel?Andrew Ruben: It's a good point on the economics because let's say an agentic transaction happens on a company's site. You do still have costs, and that relates to the large language model. The conversation query going back and forth, that's going to be more expensive than a traditional keyword search.So, here's where incrementality comes in. If you're a consumer that's having this transaction on the site, we think that gives better targeting, better information, and should ultimately put the product in front of you that you want to buy. And what this translates to is incremental sales, a sale that wouldn't have happened if you only had traditional search or an experience that you couldn't match in the physical channel.So, we do think that if the sale is incremental and those model costs eventually come down, then that's the setup for an agentic sale to be profitable. I'd also mention the advertising business. It's important for e-commerce having suppliers that will pay to be one of the product listings up front.Our view is that if you're searching better, then you should get better discovery, and the value of that top real estate should hold. That should be more important for the supplier with better targeting, and they can pay up for that.But there is the risk on the other side. How real do you think the risk is that external agents divert traffic and advertising dollars away from e-commerce platforms?Nathan Feather: Well, the risk is real, and it's really dependent on the customer journey. You know, if you go to a chatbot today, you're expecting when you type in your query, you're going to get the most accurate result that they can offer. The issue with advertising is people are paying for that top slot. It's not inherently maybe the best product. It's the person who wanted to pay the most to get that top slot.When you go to, you know, a search website, it's not necessarily the expectation, right? You know that the first few results are going to be paid, and then there's going to be organic after that. And so, from a customer side of things, there's going to be a question of whether there's the permission to see advertising within that flow.If there's not, you could see advertising dollars get diverted, and that is a risk. If you look at large e-commerce retailers, especially marketplaces today, a majority or sometimes all of their profits actually come from the on-site advertising that exists. And so, it's something worth watching. Although we note early on, this ended up being less of a risk than people initially expected.Now, zooming out here, we've covered a lot of ground. So, as we think about it broadly, what are the likely factors that separate the winners here? In other words, what are the capabilities that matter most as we move into an agentic world?Andrew Ruben: Right. And to get to those capabilities, I think agentic commerce is going to improve e-commerce as a digital service. But this still surrounds the movement, the sourcing, the pricing of physical goods.So, I believe that the rules of retail and e-commerce should still hold. That's the fundamentals of do you have the broad selection, the right inventory at the right location that can get to the right consumer? Second, the ability and willingness to innovate. That's companies that have their own agents, that have partnerships, that are developing these tools we think will be better positioned.And then third, thinking about some complementary assets. If you're a marketplace platform with logistics, with loyalty, with financial services, this should support the positioning depending on how the customer journey evolves. Each of these factors we think will matter in an agentic world.And then finally, what evidence should investors watch to see whether agentic commerce has moved from experimentation to a durable growth driver?Nathan Feather: There's a couple of different factors we're looking for here, and it's important to note we're looking for leading indicators. Given agentic is still a relatively small portion of purchases, we're trying to find those things that could identify where you're going to hit inflection points. So, a few things I'd call out.The first are company disclosures. What are the actual retailers in this industry saying about experimentation? And are the products that they're testing actually moved into production?Second, looking at consumer surveys and whether people are starting to use these AI tools more at the top of the funnel, we think will filter down more to the bottom of the funnel over time as additional things are launched.And last, how is your own search behavior changing? Are you starting to see you gravitate more towards an AI chatbot as you're going through your shopping journey? Oftentimes, you'll start to see the behavior start to shift, and then the dollars flow over time.Andrew Ruben: That's it. The shopping cart may become smarter and ultimately grow faster. But for investors, the defining question remains the same: Who owns the customer journey? Nathan, thanks for speaking with me today.Nathan Feather: Great to be here with you, Andrew.Andrew Ruben: And thanks for listening. If you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today

Mario Badescu began in 1967 when Romanian-born chemist and aesthetician Mario Badescu opened a small facial studio in his New York City apartment, creating simple, effective skincare formulas tailored to individual skin types. What started as a personal approach to skincare grew into a cult New York beauty brand, built around the belief that good skincare should be accessible, uncomplicated, and effective. In 1984, the Cabasso family acquired the business and has kept it privately owned and family-run ever since, preserving the brand's original philosophy while expanding it into a global skincare name. Today, Mario Badescu products are sold around the world, while the brand continues to operate its iconic New York salon and formulate products in-house. Joseph Cabasso, the company's president and a member of the family that has owned the brand for more than 40 years, has helped lead its evolution into a modern, globally recognized skincare business. Under Joseph's leadership, the brand has focused on reaching new generations of consumers without losing the accessibility, straightforward formulas, and New York heritage that made Mario Badescu famous. His approach has been to grow the business while staying true to what has always made the brand different: effective skincare, approachable prices, and a strong sense of authenticity. In this episode, Joseph also discusses: The brand still being family owned almost 60 years later How a 1960s New York facial studio became a global business in 74+ countries Growing from a tiny apartment operation to a huge physical operation  Martha Stewart has been a customer for more than 40 years The Drying Lotion became a cult product long before TikTok existed Why they're obsessed with keeping the products affordable, even during inflation We hope you enjoy this episode and gain valuable insights into Joseph's journey and the growth of Mario Badescu. Don't forget to subscribe to the Glam & Grow podcast for more in-depth conversations with the most incredible brands, founders, and more. Be sure to check out Mario Badescu at www.mariobadescu.com and on Instagram at @mariobadescu Rated #1 Best Beauty Business Podcast on FeedPost This episode is brought to you by Wavebreak Leading direct-to-consumer brands hire Wavebreak to turn email marketing into a top revenue driver. Most eCommerce brands don't email right... and it costs them. At Wavebreak, our eCommerce email marketing agency helps qualified brands recapture 7+ figures of lost revenue each year. From abandoned cart emails to Black Friday campaigns, our best-in-class team manage the entire process: strategy, design, copywriting, coding, and testing. All aimed at driving growth, profit, brand recognition, and most importantly, ROI. Curious if Wavebreak is right for you? Reach out at Wavebreak.co

How did an Amazon seller help scale a brand from $1M to over $10M a month? Learn the Shopify, Meta, Amazon PPC, creative, and product launch strategies behind the explosive growth worldwide.   ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Helium10SeriousSellersPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft   What does it take to go from building a steady Amazon business to helping scale a brand past $10 million in a single month? In this episode, Bradley Sutton travels to Tallinn, Estonia to catch up with Ranno Tasane, the entrepreneur behind Jungle Powders and a partner in Spot Minders. Ranno shares how his journey started with print-on-demand before moving into Amazon FBA, where Jungle Powders eventually grew into a multimillion-dollar brand despite expensive sourcing and increasing competition. But the biggest story is Spot Minders. The Apple Find My-certified tracking brand began on Shopify before Ranno joined the team to lead the Amazon side of the business. One of the biggest factors behind its explosive growth has been speed and creative volume. The team produces around 150 unique creatives every week, then tests multiple hooks and angles for each one—resulting in roughly 600 to 700 ad uploads per week. That relentless testing helped the company go from its first $1 million month to its first $10+ million month roughly a year later. Ranno also breaks down how Shopify, Meta, and Amazon work together instead of competing against each other. Globally, Shopify accounts for the majority of Spot Minders' sales, while the demand generated through Meta advertising creates spillover traffic and branded searches on Amazon. Their Amazon strategy includes aggressively defending branded keywords, bidding heavily on major terms such as wallet trackers, and sometimes accepting break-even or even unprofitable PPC when winning the placement benefits the larger business. New products are also launched on Shopify first and typically tested for two to three months before inventory is sent to Amazon. Perhaps the biggest lesson from Ranno's journey isn't a specific PPC tactic or advertising hack—it's the mindset behind the growth. He credits much of Spot Minders' success to working with partners who think just as big, or bigger, than he does. After reaching $1 million a month, the team's response wasn't to celebrate the finish line; it was to start talking about $10 million, then $30 million or $40 million. For Amazon sellers who have spent years mastering the marketplace, this episode is a reminder that the next level of growth may come from looking beyond Amazon, testing faster, surrounding yourself with ambitious people, and refusing to put an artificial ceiling on what's possible. In episode 761 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Ranno discuss: 00:00 - Introduction 02:05 - Ranno's E-Commerce Journey Begins 05:10 - Growing Jungle Powders On Amazon 07:17 - Competing With Unique Local Products 11:20 - How Spot Minders Got Started 13:50 - Reaching A $10M Revenue Month 16:12 - Producing Hundreds Of Weekly Ad Creatives 17:45 - Shopify Versus Amazon Sales Breakdown 18:32 - Balancing Amazon And Shopify Profitability 22:46 - Aggressively Dominating Amazon PPC Keywords 25:18 - Launching On Shopify Before Amazon 30:01 - Why Your Business Partners Matter 31:45 - Thinking Beyond The Amazon Ecosystem

In this special mashup episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, host Jeremy Goldman sits down with leaders from New York & Company, Elizée, Ross-Simons, and Paradise Naturals USA live from eTail Boston We dig into the exact tactics driving retail performance today: turning product returns into upsells, replacing point systems with paid VIP perks, and adapting product lines for GLP-1 users. INSIDE THE EPISODE: AI That Makes Money vs. AI That Replaces People Guests: Laura Cantor (VP of Marketing & Ecommerce, New York & Company) & Avani Oswal (Head of Digital, Elizée) - How New York & Company uses AI to read natural-language return reasons and automatically prompt customers with tailored exchange options. - How luxury footwear brand Elizée uses AI for lifestyle image background extensions and stock prediction without losing brand aesthetics. - Why small brands are running fast A/B tests with AI tools while legacy competitors get stuck in legal and corporate red tape. Ditching Point Systems for a $95 Paid VIP Club Guest: Diana Stuparu (VP of Ecommerce & Marketing, Ross-Simons) - Why 74-year-old jeweler Ross-Simons abandoned traditional discount points in favor of immediate, tangible value. - The breakdown of Ross-Simons' paid loyalty program (including three $50 order coupons, free 2-day shipping, and free returns). - How dedicated, real-person shopping assistants based in Rhode Island guide high-intent customers through complex gemstone and estate collections. - Using simple inputs like birth months to deploy automated, story-driven campaigns around monthly birthstones. Amazon Launchpads, CPG Mergers, & GLP-1 Demand Guest: Katya Vass (Founder, Paradise Naturals USA) - Why Paradise Naturals built an "Amazon-first" strategy to capture high-intent buyers searching for gut health tools without spending heavily on DTC ad acquisition. - How agile founders innovate faster than newly consolidated CPG mega-brands (like P&G acquiring Thorne). - Building advocate networks out of real customers who saw visceral health improvements rather than paying traditional influencers. - How appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medications are driving customers toward easy, nutrient-dense protein sources like bone broth powders to meet daily nutritional baselines. Listen above for an inside look at the strategies and operational playbooks shaping the future of retail execution.

Joe Putnam is the founder of Conversion Engine, Conversion Engine is an eCommerce performance marketing agency that has helped Shopify stores scale from six figures to eight figures in as little as 12 months. With a background in direct-response copywriting and growth strategy, Joe specializes in crafting Meta ads, Google campaigns, and retention strategies that actually convert. He's helped brands like Bogey Bros, No Rivals, Salt Mafia, and Back Down South Clothing Co unlock rapid growth, including scaling one store from $650k to $10M in a single year.Joe is passionate about demystifying marketing for entrepreneurs, sharing frameworks and real case studies that help brands build sustainable growth instead of chasing quick wins. When he's not helping brands scale, you'll find him training for triathlons, exploring the outdoors, or investing in the next wave of business growth opportunities.Highlight Bullets> Here's a glimpse of what you would learn…. Strategies for scaling e-commerce businesses from six to eight figures.The importance of bold branding that takes risks and appeals to ideal customers.Insights on the evolving landscape of Meta (Facebook) advertising and its impact on ad performance.The significance of creative diversity in ad campaigns, especially after Meta's Andromeda update.The necessity of understanding financial metrics, such as breakeven ROAS and contribution margins, for informed scaling decisions.The role of emotional storytelling in advertising and its effect on consumer purchasing behavior.The integration of AI tools in marketing processes and the importance of human oversight in utilizing AI-generated content.The need for brands to establish a clear growth strategy and a strong brand identity.The value of retention marketing and creating cohesive customer experiences for long-term loyalty.Case studies illustrating successful scaling strategies and the importance of data-driven insights in marketing.In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Joe Putnam, founder of Conversion Engine, about scaling Shopify brands from six to eight figures. Joe shares advanced strategies for e-commerce growth, including bold branding, creative diversity in Meta ads, and leveraging AI for customer insights. He emphasizes the importance of emotional storytelling, data-driven decision-making, and retention marketing. The discussion features actionable advice, real-world case studies, and tools for understanding customer psychology, offering listeners a practical roadmap to achieve rapid and sustainable e-commerce growth.Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:Choose Your Growth Strategy EarlyDecide whether you'll prioritize aggressive growth (even at lower margins) or profitable customer acquisition from day one. You can't do both—pick one strategy and track your numbers closely.Take a Clear, Polarizing Brand StandDefine the “hill you're willing to die on.” Stand firmly for a specific belief or value so your brand resonates emotionally and your ad creative doesn't try to appeal to everyone.Focus on Retention, Not Just AcquisitionBuild a real brand by creating repeat customer experiences across multiple products. The goal is to deepen trust and increase lifetime value—not just drive one-time sales.Timestamps:00:00:00 Branding That Stands OutJoe discusses the importance of bold branding, taking risks, and not trying to please everyone.00:00:18 Podcast Introduction & Guest BackgroundIntroduction to the Ecom Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley, and guest Joe Putnam's credentials.00:00:32 Scaling Shopify Brands: The MissionJosh shares his journey and introduces Joe's expertise in scaling Shopify stores from six to eight figures.00:01:57 Welcome & Episode FocusJoe is welcomed; the episode's focus on strategies for seven-figure e-commerce sellers is introduced.00:02:25 Meta Ad Creative & 2026 TrendsJoe highlights the importance of ad creative for Meta campaigns and adapting to recent changes.00:03:07 Meta's Andromeda Update & Creative DiversityDiscussion of Meta's Andromeda update and the need for diverse ad creatives and angles.00:04:41 Implementing Creative DiversityJoe explains how his agency researches and implements diverse ad angles to target different buyer personas.00:05:35 Stitch Fix Example: Ad Angles in PracticeJoe uses Stitch Fix to illustrate the power of multiple creative angles in ad campaigns.00:08:34 Case Study: Scaling a Six-Figure BrandJosh asks about rapid growth case studies; Joe details how a six-figure brand scaled to eight figures in 12 months.00:11:58 Profitability & Retention StrategiesDiscussion on front-end profitability, launching email/SMS, and the impact of retention marketing.00:12:46 Scaling Ad Spend & Knowing Your NumbersChallenges of scaling ad spend, understanding total addressable market, and the importance of knowing financial metrics.00:16:13 Creative Strategy for ScalingJoe explains the importance of strategic, research-driven creative rather than just increasing ad volume.00:17:09 Lightning Rod Strategy & Viral ProductsJoe describes using controversial products to drive engagement and lower ad costs.00:19:17 Consumer Psychology & Emotional StorytellingThe importance of understanding customer psychographics and emotional storytelling in ad strategy.00:21:30 Brand DNA & Emotional MessagingJoe discusses brand DNA research and customer sentiment analysis to create emotionally resonant ads.00:22:20 Case Study: Country Lifestyle BrandA case study on using emotional storytelling to scale a country lifestyle brand rapidly.00:24:29 Branding, Trust, and Competing on AmazonJosh and Joe discuss building brand trust to compete against overseas knockoffs, especially on Amazon.00:27:56 Emotional Connection & Customer InsightsThe role of emotional connection in branding and tools for understanding customer psychographics.00:28:24 Customer Sentiment Analysis ProcessJoe outlines his process for analyzing customer reviews and Reddit posts to inform ad angles and messaging.00:29:38 Selling Through Ads & CopywritingThe importance of ads that sell, matching copy length to product complexity, and leveraging emotional triggers.00:31:49 AI in Marketing & CopywritingDiscussion on how Joe's agency uses AI (ChatGPT, Claude) for sentiment analysis, copywriting, and process optimization.00:35:30 AI Best Practices & Data IntegrationJosh and Joe discuss the importance of feeding AI accurate data and integrating it with business metrics.00:36:25 Three Actionable TakeawaysJosh summarizes three key takeaways: strategy selection, having a brand “hill to die on,” and building retention-focused brands.00:39:33 Bonus Takeaway: Customer-Driven CreativeJoe adds the importance of basing creative decisions on real customer insights and research.00:40:06 Rapid-Fire Questions: Book, AI Tool, InfluencersJoe shares his most influential book, favorite AI tool, and under-the-radar e-commerce experts to follow.00:43:22 Where to Connect with Joe PutnamJoe shares where listeners can find him online and learn more about Conversion Engine.00:43:48 Podcast ClosingPodcast outro and call to subscribe and leave a revi...

Matt Raminick spent nearly two decades of his career on the brand side (Quiksilver, Volcom, Pacsun, Mophie) hiring and managing agencies before founding Sunnyside.Working with dozens of agencies big and small led him to realize that in most cases they repeatedly optimized for vanity channel metrics instead of outcomes that impacted the bottom line, often having no line of sight beyond a siloed view of the channels they managed.So in 2020, after getting laid off from a high-profile exec role and with no prior agency experience, he founded Sunnyside and built a framework called Profit360™.This system connects finance, brand moments, products, creative strategy, and paid media to reliably produce sustainable, predictable, and profitable growth at the business level, not isolated channel wins.Sunnyside's unfair advantage is that every client gets a team of former brand-side marketers who've sat in the client's seat and know what's actually at stake because they've been in their shoes.To date, Sunnyside has successfully helped brands in the surf, action sports, outdoor, fashion apparel, and DTC space — including Brixton, Municipal, Goodr, Xcel Wetsuits, Beek, Nixon, Salt Optics, and Jetty — profitably increase new customers, e-commerce revenue, and overall business growth.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Introduction[05:04] Red flags to watch for early in an agency pitch[09:44] Sponsor: Klaviyo[11:55] Matching case studies to your actual business[13:55] Building traction for a brand with nothing yet[17:43] Sponsor: Intelligems[20:02] Why RFPs fail to find the right partner[22:00] Sponsor: eFulfillment Service[26:27] Green flags that signal a strong agency fit[28:40] Callouts[28:50] What a good first 90 days looks like[30:34] When a brand shouldn't hire an agency yet[34:22] What to disclose before signing with an agency[35:42] Profit360 and how the brand operatesResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeA Better Way to Grow sunnysidecalifornia.com/ Follow Matt Raminick linkedin.com/in/mattraminick Get your free demo klaviyo.com/honestBook a demo today at intelligems.io/ Lower scale costs today eFulfillmentService.com/honest If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Catherine Hayden, Chief Marketing Officer of Kate Farms, on why health nutrition is not a niche category. Six in ten Americans live with a chronic health condition. Catherine explains what that means for how Kate Farms markets, and what changes as the brand expands into 6,800 doors across Walmart and CVS. In this conversation: The "Here for the Champions" brand campaign and the insight behind it Why a new high protein shake flavor took 800 variations to get right Staying authentic while scaling into mass retail Where AI helps, and why the origin and the idea stay with the brand Using an AI chatbot for faster issue resolution, and aggregating reviews, social, and post purchase surveys to surface friction points weekly Chapters00:00Introduction and What Is New at Kate Farms01:03The Here for the Champions Campaign01:54Fireside Chat Preview02:36How Kate Farms Uses AI04:15Building Awareness and Closing Thoughts Catherine Hayden: LinkedIn Kate Farms: katefarms.com Recorded live at eTail Boston, August 10 through 12, 2026. To learn more about our at-event interviews, go to talk-commerce.com/events

Der neue Grill ist kaputt – und die Kaufberatung startet nicht mehr bei Google oder Amazon, sondern in ChatGPT. Für Händler und Marken heißt das: Die entscheidende Phase der Customer Journey passiert, bevor der Kunde überhaupt auf der eigenen Seite landet. Wer dort mit den falschen Daten antritt, taucht in den KI-Empfehlungen gar nicht erst auf. Burkhard Richter, Director Digital Consulting bei Diconium, beschäftigt sich seit über 25 Jahren mit E-Commerce. In dieser Money-Monday-Folge nimmt er sich fünf Hypothesen zu Agentic Commerce vor und zeigt, was KI im Handel wirklich verändert – und was Händler jetzt konkret tun sollten. Wir sprechen darüber, warum aus SEO jetzt GEO wird, wieso Datensilos das größte Hindernis sind, warum KI eher Profitabilität als Wachstum bringt, wie sich die Rolle des Online-Shops verändert – und warum sich Kunden trotz aller Automatisierung wieder nach menschlichem Kontakt sehnen. Du erfährst... ...wie KI Kaufentscheidungen beeinflusst und Unternehmen darauf reagieren können. ...welche Rolle der Online-Shop in einer KI-geprägten Zukunft spielt. ...wie menschliche Interaktion trotz KI im Handel relevant bleibt. __________________________ ||||| PERSONEN |||||

Four years ago Elysia Krstevski didn't know what ecommerce was. She'd spent 15 years in musical theatre, working her way from receptionist to co-CEO. Today she runs Mekė Baby, the brand behind Australia's first portable milk warmer, she's in the 2026 Top 50 People in eCommerce, and she's the face of Australia Post's national "Big Boss Energy" campaign.It started with a bad moment. Stuck in a supermarket during Covid, dealing with mastitis and unable to warm expressed milk for her screaming baby, Elysia went looking for a product that didn't exist and decided to build it herself.In this episode, Elysia sits down with Nathan Bush to break down how she created a feeding category from scratch. We get into why she built the brand before she had a product, why she handed prototypes to high-profile mums instead of waiting for perfection, and the wild story of answering a copycat competitor by borrowing Adrian Portelli's jet for a Black Friday film. Elysia is refreshingly direct about the numbers, why she stopped chasing top-line revenue on Meta and moved into Baby Bunting, why she runs her own ad account, and why she'll never hand customer service to AI. Plus building a brand while raising three kids, and launching the Go-Box while she was in labour.Brands and tools mentioned: Mekė Baby, Baby Bunting, The Memo, Australia Post, Shopify, Meta, TikTok, ClaudeThis episode is brought to you with thanks to our partners: 

YouTube dropped its affiliate threshold to 500 subs and lets creators tag physical products under videos. One under-10K-sub channel drove $20K in product sales last year. Here's the playbook. The post 651: How YouTube Is Quietly Becoming An E-Commerce Platform appeared first on MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.

After selling $75 million in services, products and coaching over 24+ years and growing a robust, healthy, globally dispersed leadership team, I'm ready to start teaching others what I've learned about effective online leadership and influence.   If you've ever wanted to lead, influence, coach or grow a community of your own then this episode is for you. It's a peek behind the curtain and an invitation to come work closely with my son and I on a new adventure.   Trey Cockrum interviews his dad (me) on this episode and we talk about online leadership, coaching and the principles that have shaped our 24 years of success in this online arena. We discuss the biggest lessons learned after two decades of successfully teaching others how to lead online!   Special guest at the conclusion of today's show, Jeff Schick of JeffSchick.com answers the question: "What is a Section 3 Amazon seller audit, and is Amazon actually punishing sellers?" Use coupon code "MISTAKE" to get your first month of services for only $1 with Jeff and his team!   Show note LINKS: SilentJim.com/leader   TheProvenConference.com - Learn more about our upcoming August 2026 event! The longest running annual event for Amazon sellers in the world!   TheProvenConference.com/scholarship - Apply to attend the event in Las Vegas for a nominal registration fee, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors!   SilentJim.com/bookacall - Schedule a call with us to talk over coaching options!   ProvenAmazonCourse.com - The comprehensive course that contains ALL our Amazon training modules, recorded events and a steady stream of latest cutting edge training, including of course the most popular starting point, the REPLENS selling model. The PAC is updated free for life!   SilentJim.com/kickstart  - If you want a shortcut to learning all you need to get started, then get the Proven Amazon Course and go through Kickstart.   SilentSalesMachine.com - Text the word "free" to 507-800-0090 to get a free copy of Jim's latest book in audio about building multiple income streams online (US only) or visit SilentJim.com/free11   My Silent Team Facebook group. 100% FREE! Facebook.com/groups/mysilentteam - Join 83,000 + Facebook members from around the world who are using the internet creatively every day to launch and grow multiple income streams through our exciting PROVEN strategies! There's no support community like this one anywhere else              

Ethan Glenn never set out to launch a clothing label. Every Other Thursday began as an Instagram archive of vintage aesthetics until a single self-made hat sparked massive demand. By skipping wholesale margins and keeping operations lean, Glenn scaled the company drop by drop into a thriving apparel business with a New York retail footprint. For more on Every Other Thursday, in show notes, click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Welcome back to Fraudology.Today's a solo episode built around a study that puts a real number on something fraud leaders have been debating for years: does organizational convergence for fraud actually move the needle on performance, or is it just an org chart trend?For years, we've all benchmarked ourselves the same way. Approval rate here, chargeback rate there, maybe a manual review rate if we're being thorough. But the problem I've seen play out in company after company is this: optimize your approval rate, and your chargeback rate quietly creeps up. Optimize your chargeback rate by blocking more, and your approval rate takes the hit. You're never seeing the whole picture, just one lever moving at the expense of the other.The Precise Yes metric is the headline finding from a new Liminal and Accertify study, but the study itself is much bigger than one metric. It surveyed 250 senior fraud, security, and risk leaders across five industry verticals specifically to test the thesis of organizational convergence for fraud and cybersecurity. I walk through what the data says, what forms of convergence actually improve fraud performance, and which ones don't move the needle at all.This is a data-heavy episode, and I mean that as a compliment to the study. If you've ever needed a fraud KPI for CFO reporting that actually captures the full tradeoff between approvals and fraud loss, this is the one to bring back to your team. What you'll hear in this episode:How the Precise Yes metric is calculated, and why approval rate vs chargeback rate alone can hide the real story of your fraud programWhy organizational convergence for fraud and cybersecurity is being driven by operational necessity, not executive mandates, and what that means for how teams are actually changingWhy login has become the new fraud control point, with account takeover, credential stuffing, and bot attacks all converging at that stageWhy 63.6% of organizations still cannot distinguish a cyber attack from a fraud attack in real time, and what that costs them operationallyHow CISO fraud ownership is showing up earlier in the vendor decision process, and why board level fraud reporting is becoming a real governance topicWhy partial integration is the highest-performing model for organizational convergence for fraud, and why pushing to full structural integration can actually erode the domain expertise that makes teams effectiveWhy sharing just two or more use cases between fraud and cyber teams is the real performance tipping point, delivering a 1.5x improvement in fraud performance scoresWhy separate budgets between fraud and cyber teams actually outperform unified ones, contradicting one of the most common assumptions about convergenceHow fraud metrics by industry vertical vary, including why ecommerce and retail lead the pack while marketplaces lag significantly behindWhat the study found on agentic commerce fraud controls and synthetic identity fraud in ecommerce specificallyWho should listen:Fraud leaders looking for a fraud KPI for CFO reporting that captures the real tradeoff between approvals and fraud loss.Anyone building a business case for fraud and cybersecurity convergence and needing real data to support it.CISOs and security leaders increasingly involved in fraud tool evaluation and vendor decisions.Fraud teams trying to figure out where to start with shared fraud and cyber use cases without a full reorg.Ecommerce and marketplace fraud professionals wanting an ecommerce fraud benchmarking study to compare their own performance against.Anyone responsible for board level fraud reporting or making the case for fraud visibility at the executive level.

MoMA welcomes three million people to its Midtown campus in a good year. But the beloved cultural institution now has the power to reach multiples of that through a hoodie, a Lego set, and a chicken-shaped cutting board. General Manager of Retail, Jesse Goldstine, joins the show to explain how MoMA inverted the museum retail model, how every product in the store thoughtfully ties back to MoMA's art, and where the design institution draws the line between rolling out AI partnerships while protecting human craft.  Until the AI Overlords Say Otherwise Key takeaways: Museums historically have defaulted to funneling visitors through the gift shop last. MoMA inverted the formula, shifting the museum's point-of-entry to retail channels.  Cutting SKUs in SoHo raised productivity per SKU and clarified brand identity. Licensing starts and ends with one question: why MoMA? Discovery and gifting resist automation in ways basic replenishment does not. [00:24:04] Jesse: "The DNA of our business is rooted in decisions made by humans in our curatorial department…I will continue to defer to them and put my faith in them until our AI overlords tell me that I need to behave differently." [00:26:43] Jesse: "There's something really special about our brand that... will sort of inoculate it against some sort of automated sock repurchase every six months." In-Show Mentions: Join us at VISIONS: NYC at MoMa on November 3! MoMA Design Stores MoMA licensing partners: LEGO, Mattel Creations, Uniqlo, Champion Associated Links: More on the intersection of art, culture, and commerce: Insiders #186 Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Running a physical products brand over the last few years has meant navigating supply chain hurdles that no operational playbook could have predicted.   In this episode of Retail War Games, Bobby Djavaheri, President of Yedi Houseware Appliances, breaks down how his family built a 40-year housewares brand from the ground up. Bobby shares the inside story of transitioning from traditional B2B distribution to Amazon marketplace domination, landing on Oprah's Favorite Things list over a dozen times, and fighting through the massive ocean freight crisis that sent container prices skyrocketing to $35,000.  

Serial returners might think they are environmentally conscious, but new research shows they contribute a disproportionately high amount of emissions compared to other online shoppers. Assistant Professor Heleen Buldeo Rai from VUB Mobilise discusses: Increasing purchases and increasing returns The very high return rates for fashion Higher returns online compared to in-store purchases How to define "serial returners", including minimum threshold of purchases Environmental awareness of serial returners What causes serial returners to return goods bought online? Does the e-commerce sector have to take responsibility for encouraging this behaviour? Returns policies and consumer behaviour What tools could e-commerce retailers use to reduce returns? Retailer practices for resellable returned items Resale potential of returned items Sustainability implications of returns, and of serial return behaviour The distances returned items have to travel Serial returners are responsible for a disproportionate amount of emissions The research "Consumer heterogeneity behind e-commerce returns and emissions" can be downloaded via a link on the Postal Hub Podcast website - thepostalhub.com

George Heaton is the co-founder of Represent, the British fashion brand that has grown from a bedroom operation into a global business generating roughly $140 million in annual revenue. In this episode, George shares how he and his brother built the company from the ground up, navigated a multimillion-dollar trademark dispute, and scaled from approximately $8M to more than $100M in revenue. He also breaks down product strategy, international expansion, hiring, retail, pricing discipline and the importance of delayed gratification. A practical conversation about building a brand designed to outlive its founders.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

"This traffic is nothing. It is a rounding error." Kurt and Paul pulled 24 months of raw order data from 10 established Shopify stores: 94 million sessions, 2.2 million orders, $274 million in revenue. They went looking for the AI shopping revolution and found 0.1% of revenue. The catch: those referrals convert better than any other channel, and getting ready for them takes one afternoon of free work. Then the discount data. Across $285 million in gross sales, nearly every store hands the same 20% code to new and returning customers alike, all year long, while the promo type that wins on every metric gets 7% of the budget. Also covered: the channel quietly outselling all AI sources combined 35 to 1, and the leaked evergreen code that cost one store $349,000. SPONSORS Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more getswym.com/kurt Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify cleverific.com Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels zipify.com/KURT LINKS State of Ecommerce 2026 (AI traffic report): https://ethercycle.com/pages/state-of-ecommerce-2026 State of Discounts 2026: https://ethercycle.com/pages/state-of-discounts-2026 Promo Party (free gift with purchase app): [PROMO PARTY URL] Shopify Agentic dashboard: Shopify admin, under Sales channels WORK WITH KURT Apply for Shopify Help ethercycle.com/apply See Our Results ethercycle.com/work Free Newsletter kurtelster.com The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.

One accidental slip of the tongue on QVC turned into a viral moment, a Jimmy Fallon appearance, and apparently, a whole lot of sold-out wigs. But beyond being freaking hilarious, Toni Brattin's now-infamous live TV moment is also a pretty great reminder for every business owner who's ever been afraid to put themselves out there. In this episode, we're talking about the fear of looking stupid, why even people with decades of experience still screw up, and what staying safely behind the scenes could be costing your business... especially when standing out and getting visible matters more than ever.   In this episode: What Toni's viral QVC moment can teach us about showing up imperfectly Why experience doesn't mean you'll never screw up The difference between getting comfortable and waiting until you feel ready Why your mistakes probably feel much bigger to you than they do to your audience The hidden cost of letting embarrassment keep you invisible If you've been avoiding video, live shopping, collaborations, interviews, or anything else that puts you front and center, this episode might be the little kick in the butt you need. _______ Links Mentioned Full Show Notes https://ecommercebadassery.com/389   The Lounge Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______ Learn With Me Work with Me 1:1 https://ecommercebadassery.com/ecommerce-help/ https://ecommercebadassery.com/email-marketing/   Courses & Membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/membership https://ecommercebadassery.com/programs   _______   Let's Connect Website: http://ecommercebadassery.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecommercebadassery Membership: http://ecommercebadassery.com/membership   _______   Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? I'd be forever grateful if you'd rate, review and subscribe to the show! Not only does it help your fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs find the eCommerce Badassery podcast; but it's also valuable feedback for me to continue bringing you the content you want to hear.    Review Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-badassery/id1507457683  

What makes a marketing campaign so unforgettable that you'll go out of your way to visit the business behind it? In this episode, you'll hear the story of an unexpected roadside advertising campaign that transformed a long drive through rural Colorado into a masterclass in customer psychology. What began as a series of mysterious vintage-looking signs became a powerful lesson in how great marketing creates curiosity, builds anticipation, and earns attention rather than demanding it. Listen in to learn why repetition works when it's done well, how subtle messaging can outperform aggressive sales tactics, and why the strongest brands play the long game instead of chasing quick wins. You'll hear about the power of context, brand association, offline marketing, and planting seeds today that continue generating results for decades. Whether you run an eCommerce business or any customer-focused brand, these timeless marketing lessons can help you create campaigns people actually remember. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/35fj3upz  Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here.  

P.M. Edition for Aug. 5. Seven-year-old Whatnot is gaining popularity among people drawn to its high-energy live auction sales on everything from fashion to trading cards. But as WSJ retail reporter Hanna Krueger discusses, some users say they're hooked even when they feel like they should walk away. Plus, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed clinched the Democratic senate nomination in a closely-watched race in Michigan. We hear from Journal reporter Terell Wright about what this means for the Democratic party's future. And Google shakes up the leadership of its AI operations as it struggles to keep pace with competitors' top models. Alex Ossola hosts. Whatnot, the Live Shopping App Where Some People Bid Until They're Broke  Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Uber issues weak guidance amid robotaxi investments. And Shopify says AI-search is fueling e-commerce growth. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.