Hey Cowboys,
Happy Wednesday! Two more days until the weekend. We’re live now chatting everything DTC and ecomm.
Today’s lineup 👇 and stories.
Today’s Squad: Turn Traffic Into Revenue
Today we’re chatting with three operators obsessed with the same thing: pulling more revenue out of the traffic you're already paying for.
Nate Lagos - Founder, Shootin’ Doubles
Max Sturtevant - Founder, Well Copy
Adam Pearce - Co-Founder & CEO, Blend Commerce
Shopify is Ripping - Q2 Merchant Sales Up 32%
Shopify delivered its fifth consecutive quarter of GMV growth above 30%, cementing one of the strongest runs in the company's history. The headline numbers:
$116 billion in merchant sales, up 32% year-over-year
$3.6 billion in revenue, up 34% year-over-year
$654 million in free cash flow at an 18% margin
Every major shift AI is creating in commerce plays directly to Shopify's strengths:
Traffic and orders from AI channels both tripled over the past year, with ChatGPT, Google, and others turning into genuine discovery engines
75% of AI-attributed orders came from outside the top 100 categories, proof that specialized products are winning on fit rather than ad budget
Merchants using Shopify's AI assistant Sidekick are up 3.6x year-over-year, reaching their first sale faster and operating smarter as they scale
The quarter also saw some of the biggest names in fashion, beauty, and retail move onto the platform, adding enterprise weight to a growth story increasingly powered by AI-driven discovery.
Top Stories: Thorne $3.8B, Rx Gummies, and Myspace Returns
P&G Acquires Thorne for $3.8B - Procter & Gamble has agreed to acquire supplement brand Thorne for $3.8 billion, expanding its presence in the premium wellness market. The deal comes less than three years after L Catterton took Thorne private and values the company at approximately 5.8x projected sales.
Hims & Hers Bets on Prescription Gummies - Hims & Hers says its Biotin + Minoxidil Gummy, launched in June 2025 as the company's first prescription gummy, is driving strong patient adherence. The company is expanding its prescription offerings with consumer-style product formats and packaging.
Myspace Plans a Comeback - Myspace's owners have announced plans to relaunch the social media platform, though no timeline has been shared. The once-dominant network, acquired by Chris and Tim Vanderhook and Justin Timberlake in 2011, reached its peak in 2006 as the most-visited website in the U.S.
Clear Your Ticket Queue with Richpanel
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Ridge cut their cost per ticket by 70% — saving $500K a year by making the switch. Migration takes under two weeks, and CSAT tends to go up, not down. The guarantee: 50% autonomous resolution in 30 days, or your money back.
→ Book your demo at Richpanel.com
Ecomm Cowboy is the go-to live show for ecommerce operators, breaking down the latest DTC, retail, and AI news while interviewing the founders and executives building today's fastest-growing brands.
We’re live every Monday to Friday at 12PM CT.
Have questions or want to come on the show? Simply reply to this email, we’re happy to chat.
Made Possible By:
Seguno - the Shopify-native marketing suite for brands that run it themselves.
Insense - The all-in-one UGC and influencer marketing platform.
Postscript - Make more money from every SMS message.
Proxima - Use real conversion data to power your creative briefs.
Northbeam - Measure the “unmeasurable,” make your marketing profitable.
Rokt Aftersell - More profit from the orders you’re already getting.
Universal Ads - TV ads that deliver for performance marketers.
Richpanel - The AI helpdesk that saves you headaches (and money).
SATHI - Affiliate attribution beyond last-click commissions.
Slash - A better business banking platform.
Trendtrack - Track competitors' winning marketing strategies daily.
Tie - The internet’s #1 shopper ID platform.
Proppel - The best recruitment agency for ecom brands and agencies.
See you on the stream,
Ecomm Cowboy Team