👋 Happy Tuesday! If we were having coffee today, these are the ecommerce stories I’d bring up first — because they could change what you do next.
Inside this issue:
📰 The Ecommerce Stories That Matter This Week
🎧 On The Pod: What 500 Ecommerce Conversations Taught Me About Business
☕ Claus's Take: Should You Actually Be Selling on Whatnot?
Coffee ready? Let’s get you up to speed.
⭐ TOGETHER WITH ACIS Data Science*
Your Customers Are Asking AI What to Buy
Product discovery is moving from search engines to AI assistants. Search optimization is moving with it, from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
The rules have changed. Ranking well on Google does not mean AI tools can find, accurately describe, or recommend your store.
Most brands are optimizing for a game that is being replaced. AI will recommend those who adapt early.
We built a free tool that reads your website the way AI reads it. As an ECB reader, you can see where you stand in seconds. Enter your URL and get your free AI Visibility Score below.
📰 THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
📈 General Ecommerce News
🛒 Platforms & Marketplaces
📱Social Media, Search & Advertising
⭐ TOGETHER WITH Ship.com*
What if shipping took 10 minutes a day instead of 2 hours?
Ship.com is shipping software built for online sellers. It syncs with your store and gets you up to 89% off UPS and USPS rates. Labels take a few clicks, a carrier picks up at your door, and tracking updates go out automatically. Try it free with no credit card needed. Get $25 in shipping credits with code ECB25 and your first packages ship on us.
🎙️ ECOMMERCE COFFEE BREAK PODCAST
I Recorded 500 Ecommerce Conversations. Here’s What I Learned.
500 episodes. Hundreds of founders, operators, and experts. A lot of patterns started to emerge.
In this episode, I share the ecommerce mistakes I see founders make again and again, why knowing your exact buyer matters more than ever, and where AI could give you an unfair advantage — or become your biggest risk.
I also share what I’d do differently if I were starting an ecommerce business today.
🎧 Listen free: [Browser] • [Apple Podcasts] • [Spotify] • [YouTube] • [iHeart]
📲 Want to listen on the go? Download our free podcast app here.
If you’d like to be a guest, or make a guest recommendation, please let us know!
☕ CLAUS'S TAKE
Should You Actually Be Selling on Whatnot?
20 items sold every second. That’s the Whatnot number that got my attention.
But here’s my contrarian take: Whatnot isn’t another marketplace you should blindly jump onto. It’s a test of whether your brand can actually sell.
Whatnot has now passed 1 billion orders, with fashion becoming its biggest category by order volume. It has moved far beyond its collectibles roots.
Why it matters: Live shopping turns selling into entertainment. Buyers watch, interact, ask questions and buy — often in minutes.
For DTC brands, that creates something most online stores struggle to create: urgency, trust, and human connection.
But there’s a catch.
Whatnot rewards sellers who show up. If your product needs a 20-second product page to explain itself, livestream selling may expose that weakness fast.
My take? Test it before you dismiss it. Pick 5–10 products. Run a few live sessions. Track viewers, conversion rate, average order value and repeat buyers.
Don’t build a new business around it. Prove the channel first.
Your move: Run a small Whatnot test and let the numbers decide.
Question: Would you test Whatnot as a new sales channel for your store?
Hit reply with YES or NO. I read every response.
Don’t forget to grab our free online seller resources.
Until Thursday,
~ Claus
If you want to revisit any past editions, you can find the full newsletter archive here.
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