We had a big milestone in our house this week. My son turned 11. Months ago, I told him, “If you save $500, I’ll chip in the rest for the Nintendo Switch 2.” Challenge accepted. And for six months, he went into full savings mode. Birthday money from generous rellies, a few dodgy car washes… he got there.

So on the big day, we headed to EB Games. He burst through the layers of plastic sales banners and into the gaming grotto. We waited in line, just behind a dad buying his kid a new PlayStation (show-off), and then it was our turn.

I think the staff member behind the counter sensed the excitement. She greeted us with a disarming and sing-songy “How can I help you today?” and when she found out it was for the new Switch, she jumped into full celebration mode. Went out the back, came back with the box like it was precious gold, and started chatting with Mr 11 about which characters he’d unlock in Mario Kart. She gave us 10 minutes of solid hype while prepping everything. Great energy, awesome experience.

In-store, I used my EB loyalty membership to register the product. She tried to upsell us a screen protector, but they were out of stock. No worries, it was still a brilliant experience. You could feel the excitement from both sides of the counter.

But then… we got home. The Switch worked great. He was stoked. But you know what didn’t happen?

Nothing.

No email saying “Congrats on your new console!”
No recommendations for games or accessories.
No invite to join a Switch community or tips on getting started.
Nothing personal. Just a generic “support Starlight Children’s Foundation” email (great cause, wrong timing), and a store survey asking for feedback.

And it hit me: this is one of those customer moments. High emotion, high intent, high opportunity. It should have taken our EB relationship to the next level. EB Games had all the info - loyalty data, product purchase, contact opt-in. And didn’t use it.

Compare that to one of our recent podcast guests, Beforeyouspeak Coffee. I teased Val (our producer) to do some research on them. She messaged me: “I think I’m going to buy some.” I beat her to it. Got her some. Mainly to keep her awake while editing my voice.

Five days later? I get an email. “Want to upgrade to a subscription?” 15% off. Perfect timing. They knew the buzz was still real, the caffeine was kicking in, and I’d had enough time to test the product. Useful, personal, and right in the moment.

It’s easy to get caught up in complex communications strategies. Predictive modelling, churn analysis, ultra-personalisation. But if we’re not even capturing the most obvious, emotional, impactful customer milestones like buying a new console or a new caffeine habit we’re missing the simplest wins.

Cheers
Bushy

PS. Tomorrow we have a very special ATC Community Masterclass with Justin Irvine to share what the hell those De Minimus changes actually mean for retailers. If you’re not a member yet, here’s a link to express your way through for free.

TOP ECOMMERCE STORIES THIS WEEK

💥 Yotpo’s breakup with email & SMS
Wasn’t LinkedIn a shitshow this week? There’s been enough said but in case you missed it - Yotpo is officially sunsetting its email and SMS product by the end of the year. Strangely, no press coverage. Atrocious timing for 5,000+ who have to replatform during peak. And never good to hear about teams impacted. That said, I’m also watching closely… with $230M invested, there must be another play rolling out soon. Surely something bigger than just doubling down on reviews and loyalty.

🛒 Shopify’s back in bed with AI agents
Shopify’s relationship with agentic commerce has been on-again, off-again… but it’s back on in a big way. They’ve just dropped three agentic tools: Checkout Kit to let you shop in chats, Shopify Catalog for global product search, and Universal Cart to let you check out from any store, anywhere. That cart advantage stays with Shopify and brands keep control, even when customers are buying from a chatbot. Big vision. Big stock jump. Shares were up 20% after Q2 results and this announcement.

📹 YouTube’s the new aisle
The 2025 State of Retail on YouTube report is solid. It shows that 63% of Australian viewers say YouTube ads directly influence their purchases, and shopping content is booming, up 54% year-on-year. Shopping vlogs, product reviews and fashion hauls are the fastest growing retail content with significant trends around resale (thrift hauls, challenges), affordable luxuries, and AI-powered styling. Shorts is in organic boom mode too. If you’re playing in YouTube land, this one’s worth the registration for the download exchange.

✨ Big Commerce is now a little brand under a bigger Commerce
Big news out of Big Commerce land… or, as we should now know it as Commerce. Commerce will be the umbrella company over BigCommerce (ecom platform), Feedonomics (data feeds), and Makeswift (visual editor). All designed to take on the next era of AI commerce. Naturally. Stay tuned for our big name change… CART.

💋 Neutrogena goes full romance-core
Neutrogena just dropped two sultry short stories to help promote its skincare range. Apparently… “It gives you that instant glow on your face, much like our vitamin C serum.” I have nothing to add here that won’t get me cancelled. So let’s move right along to Lynx, who’s also leaning into the romance game. They’ve launched a dating show called Scented Love, livestreaming on YouTube Shorts and Instagram. Lynx Africa never worked for me but good luck to them.

Retail media is all the buzz, and we’re finally diving in. Join me for a live webinar with Gai Le Roy (CEO of IAB and one of our most popular podcast guests ever) plus Melissa Polgase (David Jones) and Lachlan Brahe (Epsilon) as we unpack the big opportunities in retail media. Register here.

Co-creation isn’t clickbait: it’s how brands like Disney are turning superfans into designers and driving 11-minute engagement sessions.

Learn from Michelle how to:
🧠 Use AI co-creation tools to drive 11+ minutes of on-site engagement
🌍 Land global brands like Disney and Gucci as your first beta clients
🎨 Turn passive shoppers into brand advocates through interactive product design

🎧 Listen Here

I'd love to hear from you! Got an opinion on today’s topics? Have a suggestion for future newsletters? I’d love to hear from you. Hit reply and I’ll get back to you.

🧠 Book a Pick Your Brain session with Nathan

Need help making a big decision? Want guidance on a strategy, a read on what others in the market are doing, or fresh ideas to move faster? You can book a Pick Your Brain session with me directly here. It’s a chance to work through challenges, test assumptions, or connect with the right people in ecommerce.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for something more in-depth, I also work directly with retailers and partners across team coaching and upskilling, transformation strategy, and board or advisory roles. Get in touch and we’ll go from there.

🌟 Partner with Add To Cart

We can tell your story and share your expertise with Exclusive Episodes, newsletter features and Community webinars. View Partnership Options