Podcasts about WooCommerce

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 ★

Thanks Pressable for supporting the podcast! What hosting should feel like...nothing! https://pressable.com/wpminute Today's episode features a segment from our July 2026 member meetup. WooCommerce developer advocate Brian Coords joined us to discuss what's new with the e-commerce platform. Brian demonstrated upcoming features and explained why Woo is focusing on fixing longstanding bugs.You can catch the entire discussion over on our WP Minute+ channel. Visit thewpminute.com for all the details: https://thewpminute.com/whats-new-with-woo-july-2026-member-meetup/  Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/supportGet the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★

Willkommen bei Back 2 Basics – der Reihe für aufstrebende E-Commerce Händler und ihren ersten Kontakt mit Affiliate Marketing - vom Next Level Affiliate Marketing Podcast. Bist du engagierter Merchant und hast bereits deinen Online-Shop bei Shopify, Woocommerce, Magento oder Shopware, und suchst nun nach einer Erweiterung zum typischen Google, Amazon, Facebook und Apple Marketing-Mix? Dein Host Nawid Company erklärt in dieser Serie klar strukturiert die Grundsteine des Affiliate-Marketingbereichs damit du bestens vorbereitet für die ersten Schritte bist. So wirst mit Back 2 Basics und der Interview-Reihe Time for Learning schnell zum Profi. Die heutige Folge behandelt folgende Themen: - Event-Typen (Neukunde/Bestandskunde) - Margenkalkulation / Mischkalkulation - Netzwerk-Limitierung - Order-Übergabe / Sales Clearing - Publisher-Kommunikation - Sales-Validierung - Storno / Stornoquote

In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts geht es um einen Margenkiller, den die meisten Shopbetreiber komplett übersehen: Rabatte und Discounts. Die Marge im E-Commerce ist ohnehin schmal. 10 bis 20 Prozent Profit sind für einen soliden, wachsenden Shop schon gut, viele liegen dauerhaft bei 5 Prozent. Das heißt, jeder einzelne Prozentpunkt, den du irgendwo rausholst, hat einen riesigen Impact auf den Profit. Und genau da versteckt sich das Problem: die Discountquote. Die meisten Shops wissen gar nicht, wie viel Prozent ihres Umsatzes durch Rabatte verloren geht. 15 bis 20 Prozent sind keine Seltenheit, und das geht direkt von der Top Line runter. Wer stattdessen auf 5 bis 10 Prozent kommt, holt am Ende zweistellige Profitmarge raus. Ich hab genug Shops gesehen, die auf plusminus null liefen und nach dem Rabatt-Stopp plötzlich 10 bis 15 Prozent profitabel waren, ohne dass die Kunden deswegen weniger gekauft haben. Auch nicht, obwohl die Konkurrenz weiter Rabatte gab und die Kunden jahrelang darauf trainiert waren. Du erfährst, warum du deine Discountquote überhaupt erst mal kennen musst, bevor du irgendwas optimierst, warum ein paar Prozentpunkte Rabatt am Ende die Hälfte deines Profits kosten können, und warum die typischen Ausreden (unsere Kunden sind daran gewöhnt, die anderen machen das doch auch) in der Praxis oft nicht stimmen. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts spreche ich mit Alexandra von Sinchens, einem Atelier für Wolle und Strickanleitungen aus Fürth, über den Satz, an dem die meisten Shops scheitern: das beste Produkt bleibt ohne Marketing unsichtbar. Alexandra hat jahrelang nur organisch gepostet. Einmal hatte sie vorher einen Instagram Beitrag beworben, ohne Ergebnis und ohne zu verstehen, was da eigentlich passiert. Ihre Haltung damals war, Marketing ist ganz nett, wenn man ein bisschen was macht. Heute macht sie fast nur noch Marketing und ihre Designs. Wir haben gemeinsam den Onlineshop neu aufgebaut, das Marketing über Meta und Newsletter hochgezogen und die Basis sauber aufgesetzt, und damit die 100.000 Euro Monatsumsatz geknackt. Sie spricht offen darüber, dass Meta kontrollieren nicht ihr Lieblingsteil ist, dass der innere Schweinehund real ist und dass man genau die Aufgaben abarbeiten muss, die unangenehm sind, statt sie auf morgen zu schieben. Und sie sagt selbst, dass ihr das nur gelingt, weil sie für ihr Produkt brennt. Wer kein Produkt hat, für das er brennt, dem hilft auch das beste Marketing nicht. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

Willkommen bei Back 2 Basics – der Reihe für aufstrebende E-Commerce Händler und ihren ersten Kontakt mit Affiliate Marketing - vom Next Level Affiliate Marketing Podcast. Bist du engagierter Merchant und hast bereits deinen Online-Shop bei Shopify, Woocommerce, Magento oder Shopware, und suchst nun nach einer Erweiterung zum typischen Google, Amazon, Facebook und Apple Marketing-Mix? Dein Host Nawid Company erklärt in dieser Serie klar strukturiert die Grundsteine des Affiliate-Marketingbereichs damit du bestens vorbereitet für die ersten Schritte bist. So wirst mit Back 2 Basics und der Interview-Reihe Time for Learning schnell zum Profi. Die heutige Folge behandelt folgende Themen: - CPA (Cost per Action) vs. CPL (Cost per Lead) vs. CPO (Cost per Order) - Kohorten-Analyse - Lead-Validierung - RevShare / Revenue Share - Subsource-Level-Tracking - Tier 1 / Tier 2 Affiliates - Touchpoints im Funnel

In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts geht es darum, wie weit die meisten Onlineshops beim Thema KI tatsächlich hinterherhängen. Und ja, das Gefühl trügt in den wenigsten Fällen. Was die meisten machen, ist ein paar Chats offen zu haben, vielleicht mal einen Custom GPT oder ein Projekt in Claude aufgesetzt und irgendein Tool für Bilder. Das ist nicht mal die Spitze des Eisbergs. Der zweite Fehler ist das genaue Gegenteil: die euphorische Nummer, bei der direkt eigene Tools und Dashboards gebaut werden. Nach einer halben Stunde steht etwas Brauchbares, nach Stunden ist es immer noch nicht gut genug, und es gibt längst ein fertiges Tool für 30 bis 100 Euro im Monat, das sich ständig weiterentwickelt. Der Weg dazwischen ist die Prozessdenke. Welche Kernprozesse bringen Geld aufs Konto, und wie machst du die mit KI schneller oder besser? Produktanlage zum Beispiel, wo Mitarbeiter fast nichts anderes tun als Titel und Beschreibungen zu schreiben, obwohl das per Knopfdruck bis in Shopify laufen kann. Und welche Aufgaben kosten viel Zeit, ohne Wertschöpfung zu bringen? Kundensupport, den Gründer viel zu lange selbst machen. Fotoshootings für 2.000 Euro, die in 95 Prozent der Fälle ein Tool für 50 Euro im Monat ersetzt. Freelancer für Shop-Änderungen, die du inzwischen selbst umsetzen kannst. Es fängt nicht mit den spektakulären Sachen an, sondern mit den langweiligen, die du jede Woche ein Stück weiterschiebst. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts geht es um einen Satz, den ich seit dem Andromeda Update ständig höre: Meine Ads performen nicht mehr wie vorher. Andromeda war ein großes Algorithmus-Update von Meta. Deutlich leistungsfähigere Chips, besseres Targeting, und im Gegenzug verlangt Meta eines: größtmögliche Vielfalt. Nicht eine Ad mit zehn Mini-Varianten, bei denen ein Wort in der Headline oder eine Farbe im Bild anders ist. So hat das vor Jahren funktioniert, heute nicht mehr. Bei neuen Accounts starten wir deshalb meistens mit einer Kampagne, einer Anzeigengruppe und 20 bis 30 Tests, die so unterschiedlich wie möglich sind. Video, Bild, Katalog, Karussell, verschiedene Angles auf dasselbe Produkt. Wenn ich mir bei den Shops, die sich beschweren, anschaue was sie tatsächlich jede Woche umgesetzt haben, dann ist es fast immer zu wenig. Zu wenig Creatives, zu schlechte Tests, zu wenig Plan. Andromeda ist in dem Fall nicht das Problem, sondern nur der Auslöser. Es gibt genug Advertiser, die von dem Update überhaupt nichts gemerkt haben, weil die Foundations stimmen: Conversion Rate, durchschnittlicher Bestellwert, Zahlen im Blick und genug Volumen an guten Tests. Wer das nicht hat, wird auch beim nächsten Update wieder den Algorithmus verantwortlich machen. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts spreche ich mit Tech-Experte Florian Kaiser über ein EU Gesetz, das gerade durch alle Newsletter und Feeds geistert und für die meisten Shopbetreiber real etwas ändert: den EU AI Act. Ab diesem Wochenende müssen KI generierte Bilder gekennzeichnet werden, und zwar nicht mit einem kleinen Hinweis im Footer, sondern direkt am Bild selbst. Florian erklärt den Unterschied zwischen KI generiert und KI modifiziert, warum auch ein echtes Produkt, das per KI auf einen echten Tisch gesetzt wird, schon darunter fällt, warum das digitale Wasserzeichen selbst einen bearbeiteten Screenshot überlebt und sich nicht entfernen lässt, und warum die Strafen mit bis zu 15 Millionen Euro oder 3 Prozent vom Jahresumsatz drastisch ausfallen. Für kleine Brands schätzen wir die akute Abmahngefahr gering ein, kennzeichnen ist trotzdem der pragmatische Weg. Im zweiten Teil geht es um die Verschiebung im KI Markt. Chinesische Open Weight Modelle haben zum Stand der amerikanischen Modelle aufgeschlossen, kosten einen Bruchteil und laufen mittlerweile in europäischen Rechenzentren, sodass keine Daten mehr in die USA gehen. Florians Rat an alle, die gerade tief in ein einzelnes Tool investieren: schieß dich nicht zu sehr darauf ein. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

Unsere freien Stellen: https://join.com/companies/broes-media In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts geht es um die Meta-Lernphase, ein Thema, zu dem ich ständig gefragt werde und das aus meiner Sicht komplett überbewertet wird. Die Lernphase ist der Zeitraum, in dem Meta nach dem Start einer neuen Anzeigengruppe eine Richtung sucht, die funktioniert. Meta hätte dafür gerne 50 Conversion Events pro Anzeigengruppe und Woche. Rechne das mal durch: bei 40 Euro pro Kauf sind das 2.000 Euro Budget pro Woche für eine einzige Anzeigengruppe, fast 300 Euro am Tag. Wer jede Woche mehrere neue Anzeigengruppen startet, kann diese Vorgabe unmöglich erfüllen, und genau deshalb ist sie in der Praxis egal. Ich schaue mir den Status der Lernphase nicht mal an. Meta bezieht ohnehin alle Datenpunkte mit ein, also gestartete Kaufvorgänge, Warenkorb-Handlungen, Klickraten und die komplette Pixel-Historie deiner bisherigen Käufer. Selbst mit fünf oder zehn Käufen pro Woche kann Meta die richtige Zielgruppe liefern. Deswegen optimierst du immer auf Käufe, nie auf Warenkorb und schon gar nicht auf Traffic. Traffic-Kampagnen bringen dir nur Nutzer, die überall draufklicken und nirgendwo kaufen. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

Penúltimo episodio de Un Billete a Chattanooga y nos hemos propuesto irnos por todo lo alto pisando unos cuantos charcos más. Nuestro equipo de investigación ha descubierto que WP Engine ha encontrado una forma curiosa de resolver los problemas de escalabilidad de WooCommerce: dejar de usar WooCommerce. Su nueva propuesta, Commerce Connect for BigCommerce, mantiene […] El episodio Episodio 359: Una más y nos vamos es un podcast de Un billete a Chattanooga.

Per info: iusondemand.com/siti o sitieassistenza.itRichieste di Sviluppo WebAssicurazione: Consigli per sito semplice e professionale, ricerca sviluppatori o piattaforme.E-commerce (10-15 prodotti): Soluzioni custom o Shopify, SEO, mobile-friendly, gestione ordini.Mock test educativi: Login, dashboard studenti, pagamenti, admin panel, 50+ test per materia.Sito personale per proposta: Aiuto per creazione sito esteticamente gradevole senza competenze tecniche.Offerte di ServiziSviluppo web professionale: Siti business, e-commerce, portfolio, SEO-friendly, da $100.Design & sviluppo SaaS: Esperienza in fintech, banking, SaaS, supporto multilingue (AR/EN/FR).Studio di design custom: Siti su misura per startup, healthcare, consulenti, focus su UX e conversioni.WordPress specialist: Siti business, e-commerce (WooCommerce), landing page, SEO, WhatsApp integration.Manutenzione gestita: Sviluppo + hosting + aggiornamenti mensili, senza costi iniziali alti.Idee e DomandeWebsite inesistenti: Idee per siti che risolvono problemi reali (es. negoziazione abbonamenti, pianificazione viaggi).Feature mancanti: Funzionalità utili non ancora standard (es. miglioramenti per shopping, travel, forum).Automazione SEO: Uso di MERN Stack + n8n per ricerca keywords, content planning, social media.Rebuild vs miglioramento: Quando conviene rifare un sito da zero invece di aggiornarlo.Problemi TecniciLentezza caricamento: Ottimizzazione asset, hosting (Netlify), parallax vs performance.Gestione clienti: Difficoltà a trovare clienti per freelance, strategie di outreach.Vendite e CollaborazioniSito in vendita: "Jeeplanner" (SaaS per esami, 26k visite, 5k utenti in 12 giorni).Feedback gratuiti: Analisi siti esistenti (design, velocità, SEO, UX) per small business.Progetti urgenti: Sviluppo lead page, funnel, automazioni (GHL, Systemeio, WordPress).Strumenti e PiattaformeCostruttori vs custom: Confronto tra Wix, Squarespace, Shopify e soluzioni codificate.Migrazioni: Passaggio da piattaforme chiuse a soluzioni custom più flessibili.CMS: Aggiunta di CMS a siti statici per gestione contenuti senza sviluppatori.AltroTendenze design: Siti "dinamici" con animazioni vs usabilità (es. burger che si assemblano).Risorse per sviluppatori: Idee per portfolio, progetti open-source, nicchie di mercato.Localizzazione: Siti bilingual (AR/EN/FR) o RTL per mercati specifici. Note:Raggruppamento: Categorie basate su intenti (richieste, offerte, idee, problemi tecnici). Chiave-valore: Sintesi diretta delle informazioni, evitando ridondanze. Esclusioni: Omesse discussioni generiche (es. "grazie") e dettagli ripetuti (es. "DM per info").Per info: iusondemand.com/siti o sitieassistenza.it

Zu unseren freien Stellen: https://join.com/companies/broes-media In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts spreche ich mit Alexandra, der Gründerin von Sinchens. Ex-Juristin, ausgestiegen aus dem Referendariat, dann ein Wollladen in Fürth aus reiner Leidenschaft, knapp vor Corona eröffnet. Neun Monate später kam der Lockdown, und einen Onlineshop gab es noch nicht. Über 35.000 Euro im Monat sind Laden und Shop zusammen nie hinausgekommen, egal was sie probiert hat. Gelebt hat sie davon nicht, ihr Mann hat sie durchgefüttert. Der Wendepunkt war eine Entscheidung gegen das Bauchgefühl: Geld nicht in mehr Ware stecken, sondern ins eigene Wissen und in bezahlte Werbung. Vorher lief alles rein organisch über Instagram. Zwei Dinge haben den Sprung gebracht: Meta Ads, die von Anfang an liefen, und der Launch eines eigenen Strickmagazins zusammen mit einem großen Hersteller. Ein Produkt für rund zwölf Euro, also ein extrem niedriger Warenkorb, mit dem Performance Marketing normalerweise nicht funktioniert. Bei Sinchens schon: über 13.000 verkaufte Magazine allein über den eigenen Shop, getragen von Nische, Community und dem Momentum des Launches. Du erfährst, warum jahrelanges organisches Wachstum bei ihr an eine harte Decke gestoßen ist und was sich mit bezahlter Werbung verändert hat, warum ein Warenkorb unter 25 Euro fast immer zum Scheitern verurteilt ist und wann er trotzdem trägt, und was der Weg in sechsstellige Monate mental gekostet hat, bis hin zur kleinen Ehekrise. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

Cathy Sykora welcomes longtime team member Amanda Velderman to discuss the technology, systems, and administrative support health coaches need to build successful online businesses. Amanda shares how trying to manage every technical task alone can lead to overwhelm, lost time, and stalled business growth. Together, Cathy and Amanda explore the essential tools practitioners need, including websites, email marketing platforms, scheduling systems, payment processors, social media, and client management software. They also explain how delegating website customization, program delivery, automation, and technical troubleshooting allows coaches to spend more time serving and attracting clients. Amanda introduces Luova Online Solutions and shares how she helps health coaches, wellness professionals, and other entrepreneurs simplify technology and create efficient, sustainable businesses. In this episode, you'll discover: Why trying to manage every technical and administrative task yourself can prevent your coaching business from moving forward The essential technology health coaches and wellness practitioners need to establish a professional online presence How a domain, professional website, branded email address, and email marketing platform build business credibility When to use all-in-one platforms and when separate, specialized business tools may be a better choice How scheduling tools, intake forms, automations, and payment processors save time and improve the client experience Why health coaches should choose social media platforms based on where their ideal clients spend their time How outsourcing website management, program customization, course delivery, and technical support can reduce stress and support business growth Memorable Quotes: "I just love when there's something that is truly frustrating a coach and I can get it done for them so quickly." "I think they try to do it all themselves and it just leads to overwhelm and then they shut down and they don't move forward at all." "It makes sense not to do the things you don't enjoy and to hand them off to somebody who does." Bios: Cathy Sykora is the host of Health Coach Conversations and the founder of The Health Coach Group. With 14 years of experience helping health coaches and wellness professionals build online businesses, Cathy teaches practical strategies for creating scalable programs, marketing systems, memberships, and client experiences that support lasting success. Her work helps doctors, health coaches, life coaches, nurses, nutritionists, dietitians, and other wellness practitioners grow sustainable businesses while making a meaningful difference in their clients' lives. Amanda Velderman is the founder of Luova Online Solutions, where she helps entrepreneurs and small businesses simplify the technology behind their businesses so they can focus on growth. With more than 14 years of experience in website development, e-commerce, CRM systems, automation, and technical support, Amanda specializes in creating practical, reliable solutions that keep businesses running efficiently. Her expertise includes WordPress and Divi development, WooCommerce, email marketing, business automation, digital product delivery, website maintenance, and technical troubleshooting. Known for her problem-solving skills and attention to detail, Amanda has partnered with businesses across a variety of industries to build websites, streamline operations, and implement technology that supports long-term success. Her goal is to remove the stress of managing technology by providing dependable support and solutions that are both effective and easy to maintain. Through Luova Online Solutions, Amanda is committed to helping businesses operate more efficiently with the right technology, expert guidance, and a trusted partner they can rely on. You can reach out to her at info@luovaonlinesolutions.com or submit a form at luovaonlinesolutions.com/contact. Mentioned in This Episode: Luova Online Solutions: https://luovaonlinesolutions.com Links to Resources: Health Coach Group Website: thehealthcoachgroup.com Special Offer: Use code HCC50 to save $50 on the Health Coach Group website Leave a Review: If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a five-star rating or review on Apple Podcasts.  

In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore the top five most popular ecommerce platforms in the market today. We review Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and BigCommerce, taking a look at: 

The Swift–Kelce wedding turned into a marketing free-for-all, and Rick and Jessica sort the brands that pulled it off from the ones that face-planted. The Knot circled Madison Square Garden with billboard trucks. A fake antique-shop ad about furniture rolling into the arena still racked up 11,000 likes. From there they get into Target finally waking up to the marketplace it's ignored for years, and Shopify's promise to clean up fake app-store reviews, which will probably sweep out a pile of legit ones too. Retail news with opinions attached.The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. It works with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with confidence. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.

Every big commerce name put up growth in the first half of 2026. Rick's question is what it cost them.Shopify had its best quarter in years and passed $100 billion in GMV, though loan losses at Shopify Capital crept up over the same stretch. Amazon beat estimates and then turned around and spent $44.2 billion in three months on AI infrastructure. UPS is doing something stranger. It's shrinking revenue on purpose, walking away from Amazon volume and booking about $1.2 billion in separation costs to chase higher-margin work. Walmart's real growth engine now looks like advertising. FedEx spun off its freight business and is trying to pull a billion dollars of cost out of the network. And PayPal keeps moving more money while the profitable part of the business sits nearly flat.The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. It works with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with confidence. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.None of that shows up in a headline growth number. Rick's case is that the cash flow does, and that it separates the companies actually getting healthier from the ones renting the look of it.#watsonweekly #shopify #amazon #ups #walmart #fedex #paypal

Half of 2026 is behind us. We went back through the first six months and split the big commerce and AI stories into two groups, the bold moves and the cold ones.Start with Anthropic. While the attention stayed on OpenAI, it kept its head down and aimed at one customer, the enterprise buyer. The Snowflake deal landed. Opus shipped over the holidays and picked up real developer momentum. Claude Code gave those developers somewhere to work that wasn't a browser tab. That's a company that knew what it was ignoring.The Watson Weekly Weekend episode is sponsored by Avalara. Its Agentic Tax and Compliance automates behind-the-scenes work for ecommerce brands, enabling accurate checkout tax calculation, clearer tariff and duty visibility, and fewer customer surprises. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.comThen Ryan Cohen. He aimed GameStop at eBay, took the board's rejection on the chin, raised his stake to 7.8%, and told anyone listening he wants to own it. Gutsy. The follow-through has been weaker than the opening move.The cold list is shorter and sadder. eBay's roughly $1.2 billion deal to buy Depop from Etsy is still sitting in regulatory review, and Depop sellers are already watching boost fees jump to 12% and wondering what the integration does to the rest. eBay does not have a great record of making acquisitions work. OpenAI, for its part, backed away from checkout. Commerce has a way of humbling anyone who thinks returns, fraud, and merchant-of-record rules are somebody else's problem.

Send us Fan Mail See how Amazon sellers calculate customer acquisition cost using reports, ads, and repeat orders.Amazon does not show customer acquisition cost as clearly as Shopify or WooCommerce. This video walks through the Business Reports, Brand Analytics, repeat purchase data, ad spend, ad orders, TACoS, CPC, conversion rate, and new-to-brand reporting needed to estimate CAC on Amazon.Get help from My Amazon Guy to grow your Amazon sales: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxu#AmazonPPC #AmazonSeller #AmazonFBA #AmazonAdvertising #AmazonBusinessReportsWant free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Amazon Receiving Delay Guide: https://hubs.ly/Q04cdD4c0Amazon Catalog Spring Cleaning: https://hubs.ly/Q046BVfp0Amazon Proft Margin Defense 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q042trRH0Amazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTAmazon Seller Strategy Report 2026: https://bit.ly/3YN1RME2026 Ecommerce Website & SEO Readiness Checklist: https://hubs.ly/Q04btghf0Amazon 2026 PPC guide: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXTimestamps0:00 - How to Calculate CAC on Amazon 0:42 - Navigating Amazon Business Reports 1:10 - Units Ordered vs. Total Order Items 2:18 - Why Amazon Repeat Purchase Data is Tricky 3:25 Using Brand Analytics for Repeat Behavior 4:27 Analyzing Ad Spend and Orders 5:09 The CAC Calculation Formula 7:48 Calculating CAC for New Customers 8:32 Advertised CAC vs. Organic Discovery 10:12 Using CPC and Conversion Rates for Fast Metrics 11:50 Advanced Profit Analysis with My Amazon Guy-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVw Support the show

This week on the Watson Weekly, four stories about who controls what you see and what you buy.Papa John's wanted to reach you the moment your fridge runs empty, so it bought the data to know when that happens. Instacart supplied it. The company confirms this is the first time it has handed first-party purchase data to a brand outside packaged goods, served on NBCU streaming inventory. The targeting is clever. The results do not exist yet.Amazon moved Prime Day to June for the first time since 2021. The stated reason is a crowded July. The real reason is a holiday Amazon never has to share. Adobe projected $26.3 billion in spending across the window, but CPI rose 4.2% in May and average order values fell 17%, with more shoppers reaching for buy now, pay later. Read that headline slowly.The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. It works with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with confidence. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.FedEx grew revenue 13%. Strip out the fuel surcharge and adjusted operating income grew 3%, with margins down 70 basis points. The company spun off freight on June 1st at the bottom of its cycle and switched its fiscal calendar. The December report covers a seven-month stub year.Cannes sold agentic commerce for five days on the Riviera. Amazon launched agentic ads on Alexa. Retail media hit a number near $150 billion, according to the people selling it. Capability and intent were everywhere. Proof was not.Plus the Investor Minute: Redo, Orderful, Walmart's $1.4 billion move on Vibe, Tiger Finance and Glossier, and Bed Bath & Beyond buying a real estate platform.#watsonweekly #papajohnspizza #instacart #fedex #amazon #cannes

Thanks Pressable for supporting the podcast! What hosting should feel like...nothing! https://pressable.com/wpminute Today's episode features a segment from Matt's discussion with Metodi Drenovski, the founder and CEO of JetHost, a pillar sponsor of The WP Minute.Metodi stopped by to talk about JetHost's role in the hosting landscape, the challenges of using AI in customer support, and what agencies need from their web host. You'll also find helpful tidbits on WooCommerce vs. Shopify and AI site builders.You can catch the entire interview over on our WP Minute+ channel. Visit thewpminute.com for all the details: https://thewpminute.com/hosting-providers-have-become-strategic-partners/ Support our work at https://thewpminute.com/supportGet the newsletter at https://thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★

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/supportJetHost's Metodi Drenovski joins Matt on this episode of The WP Minute+ podcast to discuss all things hosting. Metodi shares the importance of understanding customer needs and AI's role in providing support. He also offers insight into educating users and the opportunities for agencies within the WordPress hosting ecosystem.In addition, Metodi tackles the competition between WooCommerce and Shopify, AI's fitness for site building, and the role hosting companies play in the landscape. It's an episode packed with valuable perspective!Note: JetHost is a Pillar Sponsor of The WP Minute.Takeaways:JetHost is a key player in the WordPress hosting market.Understanding customer needs is crucial for hosting companies.AI can assist but should not replace human support.Educating customers about hosting limitations is challenging.Agencies can thrive by adapting to new technologies.WooCommerce needs better integration with WordPress.Shopify's ease of use is a significant advantage.Users often realize the limitations of their AI-built solutions.WordPress may become more appealing after a site owner experiments with AI.Agencies need reliable hosting support to avoid crises.AI tools can lead to unexpected costs and complexities.Trust and communication are key in the hosting industry.Important Links:JetHostConnect with Metodi: LinkedInThe WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★

Tourists flew in for the World Cup and went viral filming trips to Buc-ee's and Waffle House. Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky unpack what that attention is actually worth, then move to two bigger bets.The Watson Weekly Weekend episode is sponsored by Avalara. Its Agentic Tax and Compliance automates behind-the-scenes work for ecommerce brands, enabling accurate checkout tax calculation, clearer tariff and duty visibility, and fewer customer surprises. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.comOpenAI is selling ChatGPT as an ad platform, with claims of 900 million weekly users and a target of a $100 billion ad business by 2030. The pitch is conversational intent. The problem is everything the older platforms already learned the hard way about guardrails, minors, and regulated categories.Then Shopify Editions Spring 2026, where the catalog is suddenly the whole strategy. Shopify wants to be the feed AI shopping agents read from, and Shop Pay is now available on any platform, anywhere. Rick makes the case that this is Shopify finally aiming at Amazon#watsonweekly #bucees #wafflehouse #worldcup #openai #shopify #ShopifyEditionsSpring2026

On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway covers a week dominated by new tools for authors and readers alike. He reports on BookFunnel's new WooCommerce plugin for self-hosted WordPress sites, Substack's rollout of paid sponsorships for writers with 100 or more paid subscribers, and the launch of the Book Carbon Calculator, which lets print-focused authors generate a certified carbon footprint for their titles. He closes with the long-awaited launch of Kindle's Story So Far feature, an AI-generated recap tool that raises familiar questions about training data and copyright. Show Notes Book Carbon Calculator Sponsor Self-Publishing News is proudly sponsored by PublishMe—helping indie authors succeed globally with expert translation, tailored marketing, and publishing support. From first draft to international launch, PublishMe ensures your book reaches readers everywhere. Visit publishme.me. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. About the Host Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is  available on Kindle.

Shopify wants to be the checkout layer under every AI agent, and its Spring 2026 edition shipped 150-plus updates to prove it. Meanwhile air freight spot rates climbed 41% year over year while demand grew 4%. Somebody is paying for that gap.Shopify Spring 2026: building the plumbing for agents Checkout now runs inside Microsoft Copilot, paid with Shop Pay. There's a universal commerce protocol built with Google. A new agentic commerce plan lets brands sell across ChatGPT and the Shop app without ever being on Shopify. Native B2B is getting pushed down to every plan, aimed at a $36 trillion market. The bet is clear: own the merchant-of-record layer before the agents do.Kimberly-Clark: $3 billion to fix the supply chain Two years into a five-year productivity program. CFO Nelson Urdaneta points to simpler manufacturing, a redrawn distribution network, and more automation. A $1 billion automated DC is going into Beech Island, South Carolina, plus an advanced plant in Ohio. The Kenvue merger closes in the back half and lets them pack trucks tighter by mixing heavy and high-volume goods.Amazon's Peter DeSantis at VivaTech: AI is nowhere near done DeSantis says models need to get 100 to 1,000 times more efficient before they're genuinely useful. The next leap comes from speed: a 40-millisecond reaction time to match human conversation. His fix is a flywheel where chips and models get designed together to drop cost and lift performance.Air freight: 41% up on 4% demand Spot rates hit $3.40 per kilo in May. Surcharges, fuel swings, and Middle East instability are doing the work, not volume. Northeast Asia is up 39%, Southeast Asia up 33%, and Europe to North America has softened. Most of that cargo is data center hardware and semiconductors.The Investor Minute contains 5 stories this week.The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. It works with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with confidence. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.

TikTok Shop moved $4.4 billion in beauty and wellness. Saks wants $9 billion by 2030. Castle claimed $1.4 billion and was worth $16 million. This week is about which numbers actually hold up.Three companies put big figures on the table. Only one of them earned it, and even that one comes with an asterisk. Rick Watson and Nick Kaplan have a thought provoking conversation on these 3 stories. TikTok Shop: reach without trustRoughly $4.4 billion in wellness and beauty sold since the 2023 launchBrand executives call it a "mafia" because of the traffic it forces through them. The honest scorecard is the halo it throws onto Amazon and Ulta, not the checkouts happening inside the appAwareness is the strength. The weakness is trust: missing shipping confirmations, sellers you can't place, a buying experience that still feels provisionalThe Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara. Its Agentic Tax and Compliance automates behind-the-scenes work for ecommerce brands, enabling accurate checkout tax calculation, clearer tariff and duty visibility, and fewer customer surprises. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.comSaks Global: out of bankruptcy, into a targetA Texas court approved the Chapter 11 exit plan. Debt cut 75% to about $1.2 billion$500 million in fresh financing, paired with a mandate to reach $9 billion in GMV by 2030The model that got Saks here is still intact: leveraged, low-margin, carrying expensive real estate. And the vendors who went unpaid earlier this year are not feeling generousCaaStle (Gwynnie Bee): a $1.4 billion fictionThe rental subscription business once known as Gwynnie Bee was sold as a $1.4 billion company. The real number was around $16 millionFounder Christine Hunsicker admitted to securities fraud in MarchThe part that should worry everyone: professional investors and auditors missed invented financials. One investor was reportedly paid off to stay quiet, and audit documents from a recognizable firm were falsifiedWhat ties these together is how cheap a number is to produce and how hard the thing underneath it is to fake. TikTok has the reach but hasn't built the trust. Saks has the target but not yet the model to hit it. CaaStle had neither and sold the story anyway. The question worth sitting with: how many of the valuations you read this week are closer to Saks, and how many are closer to CaaStle?

The conversation focused on the integration between WooCommerce and YouTube, enabling merchants to showcase and sell products directly through their YouTube channels. We discussed how the Google for WooCommerce plugin simplifies syncing WooCommerce inventory with YouTube, allowing product overlays within videos and store tabs on channels. The discussion explored the importance of authenticity and trust in influencer marketing, YouTube's role as a powerful search and shopping platform, and practical requirements for using these features. A key theme that emerged was making social commerce accessible and streamlined for merchants. Go listen...

Most SaaS founders in the messy middle are making the same expensive mistake — building first and validating never. In this episode, Jeff Mains sits down with Corinne Kavanagh, founder of CAC Media & Publishing and former Microsoft Azure Data team contributor (part of a team that drove $500M+ in revenue with 76% YoY growth), to unpack what it actually takes to scale past the growth plateau.Corinne shares why your top-of-funnel obsession may be quietly killing your growth, how to validate demand before writing a single line of code, and why a fractional CMO may be the smartest hire you're not making. She also introduces her CARE re-engagement method, her SaaS Marketing Playbook, and the SCALE framework for building an AI-first marketing department without homogenizing your brand.If your business is growing and suffocating at the same time, this episode is for you.Key Takeaways0:24 — Welcome & episode framing: Why the messy middle is where most SaaS companies stall out3:22 — Guest intro: Corinne Kavanagh, founder of CAC Media, fractional CMO firm for SaaS & tech companies4:10 — Startups vs. enterprise: What big companies do differently — and what smaller companies can learn from retail validation models5:12 — Feature prioritization trap: Why founders rush to build before validating demand, and how to use micro-testing ($5–$10 ad spend) to validate before committing resources15:30 — Pre-development checklist: ICP study → messaging tests → distribution partner conversations → pricing research → competitive analysis17:09 — Competitor vs. customer time allocation: Why founders should be "in all channels" — and how AI tools can automate competitive monitoring23:04 — AI modernization in marketing: Efficiency gains without sacrificing brand authenticity — plus the importance of an AI use policy23:49 — Early churn warning systems: The retention play most SaaS teams ignore — and how to re-engage customers before they leave24:24 — The CARE Method: Corinne's re-engagement framework for growing lifetime value and sealing the leaky bucket25:08 — Account-based marketing (ABM): Why a focused list of 100 ideal accounts beats a massive TAM for execution27:01 — Growth plateaus: How to read your revenue chart — what "bubbles" mean vs. a flat line, and what each signals about your acquisition and retention engines29:48 — Aligning marketing, product & sales: Breaking down the wall between sales and marketing through co-invention, shared messaging, and CMO-level integration40:38 — The SCALE Framework: How to build an AI-first marketing department without producing brand slop45:24 — #1 marketing shift for 2026: Stop running your company — start building systems that run it for youTweetable Quotes"You can beat everyone else to market — but if your customer is not ready and chomping at the bit to buy it, it doesn't matter." — Corinne Kavanagh"Stop thinking about top of funnel only. Retention is half the story, and most SaaS companies are ignoring it." — Corinne Kavanagh"A consultant does a drive-by. They drop strategy and leave. That's not how you actually scale." — Corinne Kavanagh"If you're in the feature rat race, step back. Ask yourself: am I creating a category, or just chasing competitors?" — Corinne Kavanagh"Your marketing team should feel responsible for the P&L — not just the pipeline." — Corinne Kavanagh"Don't give sales a playbook and say 'go sell it.' Alignment has to be co-invention, or no one buys in." — Corinne Kavanagh"The most dangerous thing you can do with your runway right now might be shipping the next great feature." — Jeff Mains"Pretend you have a $200M company. What would you stop doing that you're doing right now?" — Corinne KavanaghSaaS Leadership Lessons1. Validate demand before you build — always. Retail companies won't spin up a new product line without marketplace testing. SaaS founders should apply the same discipline. Run micro-ads ($5–$10), talk to a pre-engagement cohort, and confirm that desire is "fiery enough to click the buy button" before writing a line of code.2. Your leaky bucket is as dangerous as an empty funnel. Pouring money into top-of-funnel while ignoring churn is a losing strategy. Build early churn warning systems using platform data (login frequency, monthly active users) and re-engage customers proactively before they silently leave out the back door.3. Bring marketing into R&D — not just into launch. Marketing shouldn't receive a finished product and be told to "figure out how to message it." A CMO-level voice in early R&D conversations means better competitive analysis, more relevant feature decisions, and messaging that actually lands in the marketplace.4. Break down the wall between sales and marketing. The old grudge match — "sales can't close our leads" vs. "marketing gives us garbage" — is a systems failure. Solve it through collaborative co-invention: shared meetings, shared messaging, and shared accountability for what's working.5. Category creation beats feature competition. If you're in a feature rat race with competitors, you've already lost the game. Step back and ask: how do we position ourselves so far apart from the competition that comparison becomes irrelevant? Companies like WooCommerce and GoDaddy didn't win by having more features — they won by creating new categories.6. Systems are your most important 2026 marketing investment. The #1 shift every SaaS founder needs to make: stop running the machine manually. Build systems around what's consuming your time, project forward to what a 100X customer base would require, and install those systems now. That's what gets you out of the messy middle for good.Guest Resourcescc@cac-media.comhttps://cac-media.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/corinnefss/https://www.instagram.com/corinnecava/https://twitter.com/Corinne_C_WAEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

This week on the Watson Weekly weekend edition, Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky discuss: Shopify pushes its buyback to $5 billion while every other tech giant pours cash into AI. We ask the obvious question: built for the AI era, or built for the next earnings call? Then Apple's new Siri arrives at WWDC running on Google Gemini, a roughly $1 billion-a-year arrangement that sits next to the $20 billion Google already pays to be Apple's default search. And Anthropic drops a memo on three possible AI futures on its way to an IPO, with Rick putting the whole thing on an 18-month-to-two-year clock. The Watson Weekly Weekend episode is sponsored by Avalara. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com

It's June 8th, 2026, and Rick Watson breaks down the week's e-commerce news with his usual habit: put the press release down and look at the calendar.This week: Amazon yanks Prime Day forward to June 23rd–26th and blames the World Cup and America's 250th birthday. Rick isn't buying it. With Q2 closing June 30th and a nervous consumer pulling back, this looks like a P&L decision aimed squarely at Walmart's grocery turf.Then FedEx Freight starts trading on its own as FDXF and the new CEO promises to "leapfrog" the competition. The stock closed down 7% on day one. Rick stress-tests that word against the actual target: 15% operating margin by 2029, up from roughly 12 today. That's catching up, not leaping.This week's episode is sponsored by Avalara. It works with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with confidence. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.Plus Anthropic's confidential IPO filing and why "confidentially" is the word everyone's skipping. The growth is real and genuinely insane, but most of the eye-popping numbers are run rate, the real annual figure is $10 billion, and the gross-margin question under 5 gigawatts of Amazon-funded compute is the one nobody can answer yet.And the ShipStation Global merger: WEX and Auctane combine into a 3-billion-shipment Thoma Bravo roll-up. Rick's read on whether welding a freight desk to label-printing software actually holds together.

Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky sit down to unpack a busy stretch across tech, shipping, and commerce. They open with Anthropic's confidential IPO filing, submitted to the SEC on June 1st, and what it signals about the AI lab's trajectory. After a $65 billion Series H that pushed its valuation to $965 billion, Anthropic now sits ahead of OpenAI on that measure, and Rick and Jessica dig into how it got there: a revenue run rate that climbed from roughly $10 billion a year ago to about $47 billion by May 2026, helped by a developer-first bet through Claude Code that has made it a serious contender for enterprise spend.The Watson Weekly Weekend episode is sponsored by Avalara. Its Agentic Tax and Compliance automates behind-the-scenes work for ecommerce brands, enabling accurate checkout tax calculation, clearer tariff and duty visibility, and fewer customer surprises. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.comFrom there the conversation turns physical. USPS and DHL have signed a multi-year contract valued at well over $10 billion, with DHL handling pickup, sorting, and transport while USPS covers final-mile delivery. It lands at an awkward moment for the Postal Service, which posted a $9.5 billion loss in fiscal 2025 and whose Postmaster General has warned of a possible cash crisis within a year absent action from Congress.The last segment covers Salesforce's push to wake up a commerce cloud that had been growing under 2%. The reported Contentful acquisition (somewhere in the $1 to $1.5 billion range) fits a long pattern that runs through MuleSoft, Tableau, Slack, and PredictSpring. Rick and Jessica close on whether the integrated Agentforce suite can hold up against focused players like Shopify.

Rick Watson runs through a busy week in retail. Walmart posted a $177.8 billion quarter, with revenue up 7.3%, U.S. comps up 4.1%, and global e-commerce up 26%, yet free cash flow landed at negative $1.9B as automation capex climbed. Advertising grew 37%, marketplace sales jumped close to 50%, and new shoppers skewed upper-income. At Sam's Club, more trips but smaller baskets.Authentic Brands Group named a new CEO: founder Jamie Salter moved to executive chairman, and former MGM Resorts chief Matt Maddox took over. ABG holds 50-plus brands, $38B in system-wide sales, and 77% of the company behind Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. Salter floated an IPO within the year.At Google I/O 2026, the Universal Cart follows shoppers across Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail, AI Mode crossed a billion monthly users, and native checkout opened to UCP merchants. Kroger hit $16B in e-commerce with a first profit in sight, wages past $20, two senior exits, and 70 to 80 stores planned. Plus an Investor Minute on Global-e, Insider, and Brown-Forman.This week's episode is sponsored by Avalara. For e-commerce brands, tax compliance grows more complex with every new channel, state, product, and market. Avalara Agentic Tax and Compliance automates the behind-the-scenes work so merchants can offer a smoother checkout, with accurate tax calculations, clearer visibility into tariffs and duties, and fewer surprises when orders arrive. It works with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with confidence. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.

What does it take to build a highly profitable software company without venture capital, a massive team, or endless scaling pressure? In this episode, Bryce Adams, founder of Metorik, unpacks how he built a successful business serving thousands of Shopify and WooCommerce stores… with a team of just four people. Listen in as Bryce shares his philosophy around building lean, sustainable businesses that prioritize profitability, customer experience, and long-term thinking over rapid growth at all costs. You'll learn how Metorik approaches customer support, AI adoption, documentation, product quality, pricing, and paid acquisition, along with Bryce's views on the future of WooCommerce, Shopify, and eCommerce software. This episode is packed with practical insights for founders looking to build better businesses with more focus, intentionality, and freedom. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/5xtsdurp Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.  

Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky break down Walmart's Q1 numbers and what they say about where retail is heading. Revenue was up 7.3%, U.S. comps rose 4.1%, and global e-commerce grew 26%, but the more telling figures sit elsewhere: advertising up 37% globally and the U.S. marketplace up nearly 50%. Rick and Jessica make the case that Walmart is quietly becoming a digital services business, pulling in wealthier shoppers with celebrity lines and faster delivery, and backing it all with a $1.7 billion-a-year bet on fulfillment automation that Kroger and others will struggle to match.The Watson Weekly Weekend episode is sponsored by Avalara. Its Agentic Tax and Compliance automates behind-the-scenes work for ecommerce brands, enabling accurate checkout tax calculation, clearer tariff and duty visibility, and fewer customer surprises. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.comFrom there the conversation moves to Google I/O and the "agentic" pitch, including a universal cart meant to follow you across Search, YouTube, and Gemini through Google Wallet. Then the happiness index returns for a look at a K-shaped economy, where affluent buyers keep spending (Amex reported 10% growth in card member spending) while a lot of people are cutting back on basics like gas. Rick closes with advice for brands: shrink the gap between deciding and doing. Take out the friction, lean on convenience and automation, and you win the customer.#WatsonWeekly #Walmart #Retail #Ecommerce #GoogleIO

Unlock the secrets to making your e-commerce business accessible, profitable, and future-proof in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or digital marketer seeking practical insights on platform selection, accessibility compliance, and AI-powered shopping, this episode is your essential guide.Adam Bell, a veteran web designer with 30 years of experience—who's worked with brands from Melinda's hot sauces to LA-based grocers—shares how the platform landscape has shifted from clunky long URLs to seamless Shopify and WooCommerce sites. He reveals the pivotal moments that transformed online commerce, illustrating how platforms like Shopify have simplified site management, reduced maintenance costs, and boosted sales through AI-driven tools. Meanwhile, he emphasizes that choosing the right foundation is crucial; whether an open-source solution like WordPress for customization or Shopify for ease of use can make or break your growth.You'll discover:When and why to pick Shopify versus WooCommerce or WordPress based on your product scope and team capabilitiesConcrete steps to ensure your site meets accessibility standards, avoiding costly lawsuits and unlocking a broader customer baseThe real costs and benefits of third-party apps, plus how to avoid subscription overload and hidden expensesWhy AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Shopify integrations are game changers for discoverability, SEO, and personalized shopping experiencesHow future trends, from social commerce to conversational search, will shape the way your customers find and buy your productsFailing to prioritize accessibility risks legal trouble and losing loyal customers; missing out on AI-powered discoverability limits your growth potential. As Adam highlights, the opportunity lies in building websites that are not only compliant but also optimized for the emerging AI-driven shopping era—giving you a definitive edge.Perfect for founders, marketers, and e-commerce newcomers, this episode equips you with actionable frameworks, insider tips, and strategic foresight to thrive today—and adapt for tomorrow. Whether you're launching your first online store or refining an existing one, these insights will keep you ahead of the curve.For expert guidance, visit Adam's site at datatv.com—your go-to resource for accessible, scalable web solutions.Why this works:This compelling episode pulls listeners in with a bold promise—master accessibility and AI for e-commerce success—while teasing valuable, specific insights. It speaks directly to entrepreneurs feeling overwhelmed by platform choices and compliance fears, offering them clarity and confidence in adopting future-facing strategies.

Two big retail earnings reports, two very different stories. Home Depot grew total sales 4.8% to $41.77 billion, but comparable sales barely moved (up 0.6%) and net income slipped to $3.29 billion from $3.43 billion a year ago, a sign of margin pressure. Target posted the louder top line, with net sales up 6.7% to about $25.15 billion and comps up 5.6%. The catch: net income fell 24% to $781 million, and the stock dropped nearly 5% after management guided comps down to roughly 1% for the rest of the year.On the tech side, Google and Blackstone are launching an AI cloud company with as much as $25 billion behind it, built on Google's own TPU chips to take on Nvidia and CoreWeave. France's Publicis Group bought the data platform LiveRamp for $2.2 billion in cash, a wager on "data co-creation" for AI agents.And 5 Investor minute stories from the world of venture capital, IPOs, and mergers and acquisitions. The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. For ecommerce brands, tax compliance gets more complicated with every new channel, state, product, and market. Avalara Agentic Tax and Compliance helps automate the work behind the scenes, so merchants can deliver a smoother customer experience — with accurate tax calculation at checkout, clearer visibility into tariffs and duties, and fewer surprises for customers when their order arrives.Avalara works with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with more confidence. To learn more about Avalara's ecommerce compliance solutions, and explore resources built for growing ecommerce brands go to avalara.watsonweekly.com for more details.

Home Depot just told the market it's treading water, and Rick Watson and Jessica Lesesky dig into why the remodeling boom never showed up. People are tapping their home equity to consolidate debt, not rip out the bathroom. Paint and outdoor are fine. Lumber, flooring, mill work? Not so much. So Home Depot is quietly walking away from the consumer and betting the house on pros, HVAC, and a $700 billion market.The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. Its Agentic Tax and Compliance automates behind-the-scenes work for ecommerce brands, enabling accurate checkout tax calculation, clearer tariff and duty visibility, and fewer customer surprises. Avalara integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Learn more at avalara.watsonweekly.com.Then: TikTok is now the fourth largest health and beauty retailer in the country at $4.4 billion, and the action isn't even in the videos. It's in the comments. We break down why brands should build the conversation first and let the comment section do the selling.And the one that broke the internet: Everlane sold to Shein for $100 million, down from a $550 to $600 million peak. Common stockholders get nothing. We get into whether Shein actually paid cash for brand equity or just bought itself a respectable-looking front for a not-so-respectable supply chain. Jessica says the quiet part out loud. Rick's head hurts.Plus a quick read on AI maturity from The Lead conference floor, and why the people who are most "AI-pilled" somehow ended up busier than ever.#watsonweekend #homedepot #remodel #tiktok #comments #everlane #shein

The Watson Weekly for May 18, 2026. Amazon launched a 30-minute delivery to take on DoorDash. eBay shuts down GameStop's bid. OpenAI puts $14 billion behind an enterprise AI play. The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. For ecommerce brands, tax compliance gets more complicated with every new channel, state, product, and market. Avalara Agentic Tax and Compliance helps automate the work behind the scenes, so merchants can deliver a smoother customer experience — with accurate tax calculation at checkout, clearer visibility into tariffs and duties, and fewer surprises for customers when their order arrives.Avalara works with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more, helping teams manage compliance faster and scale with more confidence. To learn more about Avalara's ecommerce compliance solutions, and explore resources built for growing ecommerce brands go to avalara.watsonweekly.com for more details.Amazon Now is live. Thirty-minute delivery for groceries and household essentials, starting in Atlanta, Dallas, Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle, with seven more cities queued up. Prime members pay $3.99 an order. Non-Prime pays $13.99. The strategy is direct. Smaller fulfillment centers in residential zones, aimed straight at DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart.eBay's board said no to GameStop. Chairman Paul Pressler called the unsolicited bid "neither credible nor attractive." The rejection wasn't really about price. OpenAI launched the OpenAI Deployment Company, valued at $14 billion, with $4 billion freshly raised under TPG's lead. The investor list reads like a consulting roster: McKinsey, Bain, Capgemini. The mission is forward-deployed engineers embedded inside enterprises to rebuild workflows. We also break down the Watson Weekly's Shopify three-part June webinar series, The Big Green Bag of Promise, with operators from Stanley 1913, Reitmans, and Marine Layer talking honest numbers on enterprise migration. The webinars are not sponsored by Shopify but by Avalara, Domaine, and Pattern, Register here: https://streamyard.com/watch/ibqNx46Z88BfAnd the Investor Minute: Co-pilot Kit ($27M for an AGUI protocol), Cognizant's roughly $600M Australian acquisition, District's $14.7M seed for community marketplaces, Recharge buying Skio for $105M, and PayPal splitting into three new business units.