Commerce Over Craic: Ep. 1 -5
Featuring: Joe Fox, Roddy Smith, Dylan Whitman, Rupert Cross, and Jason Nyhus
Tariffs, tech stacks, and tools that actually work—welcome to the new era of ecommerce. In the first five episodes of Commerce over Craic, Darin hits the floor with leaders from Growave, Clearer.io, Inveterate, 5874 Commerce, and Shopware to get real about what’s shaping the ecommerce landscape. From global concerns like tariffs and economic volatility to smarter use of AI and data cleanup, one theme rises above the rest: brands are trading in the hype for high-impact execution. Whether it’s consolidating tech stacks, maximizing partner relationships, or tackling “blue collar problems” with AI, the focus is clear—work smarter, move faster, and optimize everything.
Before we dive headfirst into the fun, give Darin’s opening remarks a look-see. He’s got the green light and the gift of the gab to set this whole thing in motion.
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/xtQXUwptDcw
Ep. 1: Joe Fox - Growave
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/eT_xTfeOR9I
In Episode 1, Joe Fox from Growave shares his perspective on the current ecommerce landscape, highlighting three major themes emerging from Shoptalk conversations. First, international attendees are closely watching U.S. tariffs, with larger merchants adjusting inventory planning, tax strategies, and supplier relationships in response. Second, there's an ongoing trend of tech stack consolidation and increased scrutiny on the marketing landscape—who’s acquiring who and how platforms are evolving. Third, Joe notes a strong emphasis on the importance of partner relationships, especially for larger merchants navigating complex industry shifts. System integrators and agencies like Irish Titan are becoming even more critical as strategic partners. When it comes to tariffs, Joe observes a divide: larger brands are taking calculated steps to shift suppliers and delay inventory placements, while smaller businesses—recognizing what’s out of their control—are focusing purely on driving sales in the short term. Watch the full video here!
Ep. 2: Roddy Smith - Clearer.io
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/wJg8_OCVmNE
In Episode 2 of the Commerce over Craic series, Roddy Smith from Clearer.io joins Darin to unpack key ecommerce trends. The post-Covid boom has merchants tightening their belts, focusing on operational efficiency, cutting down tech bloat, and consolidating their tech stacks amid economic uncertainty and rising shipping challenges. Both Roddy and Darin note a shift in ecommerce strategy—from costly replatforming to optimizing existing platforms with smarter acquisition, conversion, retention, and LTV/AOV strategies. Agencies are stepping in earlier, not just to lift and shift but to act as strategic architects guiding omnichannel efforts and ensuring all pieces of the ecommerce puzzle work together seamlessly. Roddy emphasizes that ROI is non-negotiable—if you’re not seeing returns, what’s the point? On the AI front, both highlight how buzz often outweighs clarity. While many still see AI as a black box, real value is emerging in areas like intelligent product recommendations and data interpretation—letting AI tools like ChatGPT sift through insights so teams don’t have to stare at spreadsheets all day. Watch the full video here!
Ep. 3: Dylan Whitman - Inveterate
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/ARcII9bDImU
In Episode 3, Dylan Whitman of Inveterate dives into the evolving priorities of ecommerce merchants, noting a sharp focus on incrementality and profit contribution across everything from media buying and loyalty programs to design and dev costs. Merchants are moving beyond vanity metrics, instead asking, “What’s the real impact on the bottom line?” Darin adds that advancements in ecommerce platforms and partner ecosystems have made it easier to build solid sites and focus efforts on optimization rather than massive replatforming projects. Dylan echoes that sentiment, explaining that the tech stack—once a merchant’s competitive moat—is now democratized, raising the bar for differentiation. As ecommerce becomes more accessible and competitive, the opportunity to stand out lies not just in flashy design, but in unique customer touchpoints—where and how shoppers interact. He encourages brands to explore things like live shopping, personalized video content, and even layered experiences like “dork mode” for the most engaged prosumers. Watch the full video here!
Ep. 4: Rupert Cross - 5874 Commerce
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/1qcE5-2mUuk
In Episode 4, Rupert Cross from 5874 Commerce shares insights from Shoptalk, highlighting growing concerns around the global economy and tariffs, especially among international attendees. While some merchants are using tariffs as a reason to pause decision-making, others see them as just another business hurdle to navigate. Rupert emphasizes that politics aside, it's simply another factor to manage. A major theme he’s hearing is around data quality—as plug-and-play integrations become more common, merchants are realizing how messy their data really is. Cleaning it up offers huge opportunities but requires serious effort. On the AI front, Rupert agrees it's a buzzword-heavy space, but the most practical applications he's seeing are in managing and enhancing product data. He gives a nod to recent advances like rolling out multi-language DTC channels on BigCommerce—something that would’ve been a major lift a decade ago. For Rupert, the real value in AI lies in using it to solve actual business problems, not just jumping on the hype. Watch the full video here!
Ep. 5: Jason Nyhus - Shopware
Embedded content: https://youtu.be/MZFDM1T_Q04
In Episode 5, Jason Nyhus from Shopware declares that ecommerce is back in a big way, describing Shoptalk as a full-blown renaissance for the industry, with merchants, tech partners, and agencies all engaging in meaningful, bidirectional conversations. The biggest theme? Unsurprisingly, it’s AI—but the conversation is evolving beyond buzz into real, tangible use cases. Jason notes the industry's shift through major eras: from monolithic Ecommerce 1.0, to SaaS-driven 2.0, and now into a composable and soon “agentic” commerce future, where AI agents will drive personalized and adaptive experiences. He emphasizes that AI is most impactful when it solves what he calls “blue collar problems”—mundane, repetitive ecommerce tasks often handled by white collar workers. When AI is seamlessly integrated into familiar tools, it frees up time for merchants to focus on high-value, strategic work. In short, AI shouldn’t just sound smart—it should help you work smarter. Watch the full video here!
To close things out, Darin’s got a few final thoughts to leave you with. Insightful, energizing, and just the right amount of punch..
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