Commerce Outsights
August 11, 2025
Yotpo’s big retreat, Shopify’s strategy for agentic shopping, and what Gen Zers look for in their loyalty program
Hello, and welcome to Commerce Outsights—Nebulab’s bi-weekly roundup of the top reads, listens, and tools from the retail, e-commerce, and DTC space.
Today’s issue covers Yotpo’s decision to shut down its email and SMS business, Shopify’s strategy around agentic AI, and how brands are using tariff customer communications as an opportunity to build trust.
We’re also talking about what makes for an engaging loyalty programs, how Fabletics’ is leveraging its members to inform product strategy, and the rise of marketing partnerships with niche cultural accounts.
Happy reading!
Does your brand need help with strategy, design or development?
For over a decade, we’ve been shaping, launching, and scaling shopping experiences for category disruptors such as Cometeer, Framework, and Huckberry. No matter where you’re going, we can help you get there.
Goings on
E-commerce shifts to AI: Yotpo lays off about 200 employees (4 mins). Yotpo is winding down its email and SMS business, with customers being referred to Attentive. Running email, SMS, reviews, UGC, loyalty, and referrals under one roof has always been every retention platform's dream, but execution is hard. Likely, traction wasn’t there, and Yotpo is doubling down on its core USP.
Marketplace Briefing: How Shopify is positioning itself as essential infrastructure in the agentic AI era (6 mins). After making merchants more efficient with Sidekick, Shopify is now investing heavily in enabling its platform for agentic commerce. We first heard about Global Cart and Global Catalog at Editions.dev in Toronto. Though the details are still up in the air, we can't wait to see what the initial iterations look like.
‘Let’s skip the corporate-speak’: How brands are perfecting the art of the ‘tariff email’ (5 mins). Tariff-driven price changes risk alienating customers, but some brands are taking a direct, plainspoken approach. When executed correctly, the tariff email can turn a potential churn point into an opportunity to build community and reinforce trust.
Thought provokers
From Transaction to Connection: The Future of Loyalty Programs (9 mins). GALE’s survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers finds that community feature inside loyalty programs drive sign-ups, retention, and purchasing behavior. The shift is from transactional perks to relationship-building: exclusive content, peer recommendations, and co-creation. If you want to dive deeper into how to design engaging programs, check out our article on the topic.
As Fabletics aims to double its business, here’s how it’s keeping tabs on what customers want (6 mins). Speaking of loyalty, Fabletics is using a blend of member feedback loops, first-party data, and localized assortment to refine offer-market fit. The brand’s scale-up plan depends on keeping product development tightly coupled to member signals rather than trend-chasing.
Brands are embracing partnerships with accounts like SubwayTakes as they move away from traditional influencer spots (5 mins). Instead of the classic influencer deal, brands are working with niche meme and commentary accounts that already have cultural capital in their category, trading polished, ephemeral reach for embedded credibility.
Does your brand need help with strategy, design or development?
For over a decade, we’ve been shaping, launching, and scaling shopping experiences for category disruptors such as Cometeer, Framework, and Huckberry. No matter where you’re going, we can help you get there.
In other news...
🛍 Check out LAKE’s new storefront! Our latest project for LAKE pairs sleek UX, crisp performance, and visuals that lean into the brand's roots. If you’re into comfy PJs and thoughtful design, it’s worth a peek!
🎤 Turning CX into a growth engine. On September 23 in Milan, our very own Alessandro will open our upcoming event, Experience-Led Commerce, with a keynote on how CX can generate sustainable growth. Come say hi!
🤖 AI-built Shopify themes are... okay? One client recently used Shopify’s AI to spin up a theme section—80% decent to the eye, chaotic under the hood. It sparked an internal discussion on how to guide clients in their AI shenanigans.
That’s it for today!
If you’ve come across any interesting articles, podcasts, or products we should check out, you can email us at [email protected].
See you in two weeks! 👋