Week 37 - The Latest eCommerce Shakeups: UX Face-Offs, Shopify’s Wild Ride & AI-Powered Shopping Shakeups

Your shortcut to staying ahead in eCommerce, The Checkout Point by blikket.co delivers this week’s must-know trends, debates, and curveballs—all with a shot of caffeine and plenty of fun. Whether you’re hustling as a founder, running retail ops, or leading marketing, this 20-minute episode is packed with smart takes and practical updates you can use right away.

This week, Max and Rachel dive headfirst into the biggest conversations driving eCommerce forward—starting with the real (and seriously debated) differences between Product Designers and UX Designers in 2025, lightning-fast Shopify news, globe-trotting shipping drama, and wild advancements in AI-powered promo emails. You’ll get the scoop on trending pop culture shopping moments, major retail shake-ups, and all the tech upgrades happening behind the digital scenes.

🔑 Main Takeaways:  

• ✨ Clear up the Product vs. UX Designer confusion—don’t get caught mixing roles! 
• 🚀 Inside Shopify’s global moves: soaring stock, expansion strategies, and bold predictions  
• 🤖 AI in your inbox: Why promo emails are getting weird (and maybe a whole lot better)  
• 🛒 Walmart’s livestream shopping: Gen Z trends, Collector’s Night, and impulse buys reimagined  
• 🌍 Shipping headaches & customs chaos: SingPost adventures, new rules, and million-dollar fines  
• 💡 Lightning tech roundup: Amazon, PayPal, Etsy, and all the platforms you need to watch

Ready to caffeinate your week and level up your eCommerce game? Hit subscribe to never miss an episode and visit blikket.co for bonus resources, news, and our freshest blog post: “Why Product Designers and UX Designers Aren’t the Same in 2025.” Your smartest 20 minutes starts now!

Subscribe to 'The Checkout Point' now and transform the way you manage your eCommerce business! 🔗🎙

Transcript

Alex: 0:04

Welcome to the checkout point. Your quick dive into this week's e-commerce boss with me, Alex, powered by Blikket. These 20 minutes pack, the latest trends, news and insights, let's navigate the digital marketplace together. Ready? Let's go.

Max: 0:27

Hey folks, what's up everyone, and welcome back to the checkout point by Blikket.co. I'm Max coming to you slightly over caffeinated as usual, and I'm fired up for this one.

Rachel: 0:36

Hi everyone. I'm Rachel and it's so good to see you. Well, sort of. I spent half my week chasing my cat off my keyboard, but I made it coffee or no coffee,

Max: 0:44

week 37 already. The e-commerce year is just flying by

Rachel: 0:47

seriously. And if you're just tuning in, the checkout point is your all-in-one 20 minute scoop on the latest e-commerce news trends and what's actually working out there for students, entrepreneurs, or anyone who wants to sound super smart at the dinner table.

Max: 1:03

Totally. And before I forget, I am so excited because we just published a brand new blog post on Blikket.co. It's called Why Product Designers and UX Designers aren't the Same in 2025. And trust me, you do not wanna mix up your product people. We'll be breaking that down in today's first segment.

Rachel: 1:22

Yeah, that post was a blast to put together. I've already sent it to my designer friends and half of them are. Well debating. We'll get into the good stuff and maybe settle that debate right up top.

Max: 1:34

Then, you know, we couldn't skip Shopify. We're talking about their insane growth, their moves around the globe, and whether their stock is about to rocket to Mars. Or just do a dramatic U-turn. Stick around for our hottest takes. Spoiler. It gets a little spicy.

Rachel: 1:50

Oh, and you won't believe what's happening with AI and promo emails. Max, I know you got one promising you midnight deals. If you clicked a dancing llama emoji,

Max: 1:59

Hey, I love my avocado socks. Can the robots finally figure out what I actually want? We'll see.

Rachel: 2:06

And for the pop culture shoppers out there, have you heard about Walmart's collectors night? We're talking live shopping Gen Z hype, and whether your next impulse buy will be live streamed right to your screen,

Max: 2:17

I'm here for it. Honestly. After that, we're tackling some e-commerce curve balls. New shipping rules that could send your stuff on a world tour or those million dollar fines that make you go, wait, what did Amazon do this time?

Rachel: 2:29

And speaking of shipping, get ready Because we're going global. We've got stories about sing post wild delivery adventures, and seriously more customs drama than a spy movie marathon.

Max: 2:40

Finally, we'll wrap things up with a roundup of the week's tech shakeups from Amazon's sci-fi shopping tools to PayPal, Etsy, all the stuff you interact with but might not know has totally changed.

Rachel: 2:51

So buckle up. Let us caffeinate your week with the best stories across the e-commerce universe, and we promise to keep it fun, fresh, and even a little bit weird.

Max: 3:01

Week 30 seven's, e-commerce news starts right now. Ready, Rachel?

Rachel: 3:04

Always. Let's get to it,

Max: 3:10

max. All right, Rachel, I am so pumped to talk about our latest blog post. It's been popping off on the site. If you missed it, it's called why product designers and UX designers aren't the same in 2025. Honestly, I feel like this topic comes up in every slack thread lately,

Rachel: 3:29

Rachel. Yes. People are always like, oh wait, aren't product designers and UX designers basically the same thing? And spoiler alert, they are not. I love that in the post we break down, why confusing these two roles could actually cost companies real money, especially with teams growing and projects getting more complex,

Max: 3:50

max. Totally, and I think the first big takeaway is that product designers are kind of like these unicorns who bridge the gap between business objectives and design, right? They're thinking about the whole product lifecycle from that first brainstorming session all the way to launch and beyond. They're the big picture people,

Rachel: 4:07

Rachel. Exactly, and not every team realizes that. Whereas the UX designer, they're super deep on the user journey, the flows, the wire frames, the research. They're making sure every tap, swipe, and scroll feels amazing to the user. They're like the user's advocate in the room,

Max: 4:25

max. Totally. And honestly, I remember the first time I worked with both roles on a project Game Changer. Product designers were focused on how does this fit our business goals. The UX designers were like, how will this actually feel for a real human

being using it at 2: 4:39

00 AM on their phone? Having both made everything smoother and honestly, it took the pressure off each designer to have to be everything at once.

Rachel: 4:48

Rachel? Yes, and it's funny how companies sometimes just mush the job titles together, thinking they'll get one person to cover all the bases, but like we laid out in the post, that's not just unrealistic. It's actually risky. You miss out on specialized skills and suddenly your app is clunky or your team's rowing in different directions.

Max: 5:08

Max Wright plus with 2025 already here. The expectations for both roles have only gotten more specific. I love that section we added about how product designers have to collaborate even more closely with internal stakeholders now while UX designers are digging so deep into data and usability testing. Both are super critical, but they're not interchangeable,

Rachel: 5:32

Rachel. Yep. And if you're trying to build a killer design squad, it pays to know what these roles actually do so you can play to their strengths. If you're listening and you or your team have ever wondered if you're using your designers as effectively as you could run, don't walk to check out the post to Check

Max: 5:49

Max for real. Just head over to bleak it.co. If we get into a ton more detail and there's even a checklist to help you figure out if your team is mixing up those roles, it'll save you so many headaches. Okay, check this out. Rachel. Shopify is all over the headlines again, the stock is apparently still climbing. Their global partnerships are heating up like with ESW for international stuff and get this. Their GMV is way up because. Basically more and more merchants are hopping on. It's kind of wild.

Rachel: 6:23

No way. That's crazy. I was just thinking about how many times lately I've heard people say, oh, I opened a Shopify store. It feels like every friend with a craft hobby is suddenly their own CEO. But wait, what's GMV again?

Max: 6:37

Oh right, my bad. GMV is gross merchandise volume. It's basically just the total value of all the stuff people sell through Shopify. Imagine if you added up every lemonade stand and slime kit sold in the whole neighborhood. That's like Shopify, GMV, but worldwide. And when that number goes up, it's usually a what's up signal for investors.

Rachel: 6:59

That makes sense. So Shopify's like the world's biggest lemonade stand. I love that. But I'm wondering, does this mean now's the time for everyone to jump in and buy Shopify stock? Because all the hype makes me a little bit skeptical. You know, like when everyone says a movie is amazing, but then you see it and it's just okay.

Max: 7:19

Classic. Yeah, I get that. I mean, the does Shopify stock have more room to run? Article is basically that meme of the guy poking a stick saying, do something. Investors wanna know if it'll keep growing or if it's gonna nap for a while. Honestly, though, the crazy thing is every time it seems like they've hit a ceiling, Shopify finds a hidden trap door with more stairs up. They just keep innovating.

Rachel: 7:44

Speaking of secret staircases, what's the deal with ESW? I read they're helping Shopify merchants go global, but what does that even look like? Like am I going to be ordering Japanese Kit Kats direct from a local shop in Tokyo soon, or what?

Max: 7:58

It's kind of close. ESW is like Shopify's International Courier BFF. They help big stores take their stuff worldwide without all the scary paperwork and customs headaches. Imagine you bake cookies, but suddenly there are cookie fans in Spain, Brazil, and Australia. ESW tells you, no worries mate, we'll deliver. So it's way easier for brands to go global.

Rachel: 8:19

That's such a game changer for small businesses or even the big guys. Actually, this totally relates to last segment, right? We talked about how nuanced product design is, and now shops are having to design for all these new cultures and audiences. It's not just translate your website and hope for the best and you know.

Max: 8:37

Exactly. And that's where Shopify's flexibility really stands out. Like you can tweak your shop, try different sales, experiment with local trends. It's almost like the more tools and integrations they add, like with ESW, the easier it is for merchants to test new markets. It's kind of like the Mario power ups for entrepreneurs.

Rachel: 9:00

Ha. Power up mushrooms for business owners. I love it. But here's what I'm wondering. With all this new tech and expansion, does it actually help the small shops or is it just the mega brands getting all the coin?

Max: 9:13

Oh, I'm glad you asked.'cause it looks like Shopify's merchant base is actually swelling and it's not just big players. The more shops that join, the more noise there is. Sure. But also more support for cool small ideas. Like, have you ever found a weird little store on Instagram and realized it's running Shopify in the background?

Rachel: 9:32

Yes. My new obsession is this tiny K-Pop merch shop, so niche, and yet my order shows up in less than a week. I guess with all these developments, it's only gonna get better, although I'm not entirely convinced Shopify can just keep this pace forever. Like there are limits, right?

Max: 9:49

For sure. And not every gold rush lasts forever. Right now with more merchants global reach and rising GMV Shopify's, riding a serious wave kind of makes you wonder what happens when AI gets fully into the mix. Spoiler alert for our next segment.

Rachel: 10:06

Ooh, totally. If AI can help shop's personalized promos and make sales even smoother, add that to what Shopify's already doing. It could be like a superpowered lemonade stand with a robot selling cookies on the side. My wallet is already nervous.

Max: 10:21

Same Rachel? Same. Okay, Rachel, speaking of Shopify and all things e-commerce, check this out. I read this article that basically asks can AI send the perfect e-commerce promo? Like, are we finally at the point where my inbox isn't flooded with totally random stuff I don't care about? Because honestly, if AI can solve that, I might start believing in magic.

Rachel: 10:49

Right. I was just thinking about all the promotions I get that have literally zero to do with me. It's like, who decided I wanted three for one Gardening gloves. I don't even own a plant.

Max: 10:59

Exactly. But here's the deal. AI is now crunching all this data, what people buy when they shop, even which emojis they use in their reviews. Imagine a promo email knowing you're a night owl who loves socks with avocados on them. I mean, not just showing you a sale, but.

Right sale at 10: 11:18

00 PM with the right quirky avocado joke in the subject line.

Rachel: 11:23

Wait, how specific are we talking here? Because that's funny, but also kind of, I don't know, a tiny bit creepy. Like are we getting into minority report territory for shopping?

Max: 11:34

Not gonna lie, sometimes it does feel like Big Brother is just a very enthusiastic marketer. But the articles I saw say it's more like AI quietly rewriting the rules. Not just blasting everyone, but testing a thousand different versions of a sale email to see which one makes you click. Buy AB testing on steroids.

Rachel: 11:54

Oh, I just have to jump in here because what happens when we get the wrong promo? That's what I wonder. Like if AI thinks I'm into camping, suddenly I'm waiting through ads for tense and bug spray. I mean, how do they get it back on track if they miss?

Max: 12:08

That's such a good point. I think it's kind of a feedback loop. If you keep ignoring the tent deals, AI's like, alright, scrap that. Rachel is strictly an indoor cat. You know like how Spotify stops recommending banjo covers after you skip 'em a few times.

Rachel: 12:22

So basically my shopping emails start learning from me like a slightly less annoying version of Clippy. It looks like you're trying to buy fuzzy slippers. Need help,

Max: 12:31

huh? Clippy for capitalism. I love it. But actually it's super useful for stores too. They get to focus on what you care about. It's not just spray and pray like in the Shopify news segment we just did with all these businesses trying to stand out. AI is their secret weapon, right?

Rachel: 12:51

But here's what I'm still not totally convinced about. Is it actually better for shoppers or just a way for companies to sell more stuff? Like is AI helping us discover cool things or just tricking my brain into thinking I need the third pair of sneakers this week?

Max: 13:08

Honestly, a little of both. Sometimes I wanna be surprised like those live shopping events Walmart's doing in the next segment. That's kind of discovery plus community. But hey, if the robot overlords want temp me with discount pizza socks at midnight, who am I to say? No,

Rachel: 13:26

I get it. Pizza socks are hard to resist, and I do see the appeal. If AI promos can save me time and actually make online shopping less chaotic, I might be on board as long as they don't try to read my thoughts. Or push more gardening gloves

Max: 13:42

deal. If the day comes where you get personalized ads for avocado socks and gardening gloves, we know they've gone too far.

Rachel: 13:49

I'll let you know if my inbox starts giving off Black mirror vibes.

Max: 13:57

Okay, Rachel, I have to tell you, I stumbled on this collectors night thing. Walmart just launched and honestly, it's kind of a game changer live shopping, but make it a hype event like picture QVC for Gen Z. Except with Pokemon cards and Funko pops.

Rachel: 14:12

Oh, I saw that. I was just thinking about the last time we talked about AI and e-commerce. This feels like the next level. Walmart's out here saying, what if shopping was a party and you're invited every week. But I have to ask who actually watches live shopping shows? Is this the new Friday night plan for people, or am I just out of the loop?

Max: 14:35

Here's the deal, Rachel. Apparently a lot of people. According to some wild stat from adage, live shopping is supposed to dominate e-commerce by 2030. That's only like six years away. And get this, the way they're doing it is super interactive. It's not just, here's a toaster, buy it. It's chat polls. Sometimes celebrities, unboxing stuff. It's almost like Twitch streams, but with way more shopping carts.

Rachel: 15:02

Wait, celebrities, unboxing. You're telling me my favorite Marvel actor might be showing off action figures and I can just buy them in real time. I mean, that's dangerous for my wallet. But also, isn't it a little weird? Like are we shopping or just hanging out and chatting?

Max: 15:20

Yes and yes. It's kind of a mashup. Think about it as more brands go omnichannel. They're trying to meet you everywhere. You see the live stream On TikTok, you can buy in the Walmart app or even ship to your local store. It's like the ultimate choose your own adventure except instead of slaying dragons, you're snagging limited edition merch before it sells out.

Rachel: 15:40

That actually reminds me, wasn't this sort of thing huge in China first? I remember hearing about how influencers there can sell out entire makeup lines in like 20 minutes.

Max: 15:50

Exactly. In China, live shopping is like the Avengers level event of retail influencers go live, show off everything, answer questions, and people just buy. The US is playing catch up, but with Walmart jumping in, you know it's about to get big. I mean, if anybody can turn shopping mainstream, it's probably Walmart. Right?

Rachel: 16:10

I see your point. But here's what I'm wondering. Does this actually help people buy what they really want or just make us impulse shop more? I'm not entirely convinced letting chat hype me up to buy the limited edition. Glitter Toaster at midnight is the most sensible thing for society.

Max: 16:28

Ha. Glitter toaster. I'd buy that. Honestly. Yeah, it is kind of like social media meets fomo, meets online cart. The data shows people do impulse buy more during live shopping. It's all about that. You gotta act fast energy. But to be fair, you're not getting 20 emails in your inbox anymore. Now there's a whole live show. Maybe more fun, maybe more. Uh oh. My credit card.

Rachel: 16:53

I feel like we're right on the edge of Black Mirror territory, but hey, at least it's not a robot deciding your shopping fate. Like we talked about with AI and promos, this is okay. Mostly real humans convincing you to buy stuff you may or may not need.

Max: 17:07

True for now. But speaking of those promos, live shopping actually uses a ton of data too. Like what time people tune in, what they click, what chat questions they ask. So honestly, it's all connected. Basically, we're living in the matrix, but everyone's just fighting over limited edition sneakers instead of red and blue pills.

Rachel: 17:27

Well, I guess that's the new commerce model. Blend online, offline, impulse and entertainment altogether. Just don't be surprised if you see me showing up in the chat heckling the hosts. Excuse me. Can you hold up that glitter toaster just one more time?

Max: 17:41

Oh. If you're not moderating the chat with sarcastic comments, are you even watching a live shopping stream? And wait till we get to next segment about all the shipping rules and HS codes. Just imagine if you have to factor in customs for every collectible you buy during a stream. Okay, so switching gears from our Walmart live shopping showdown. By the way, still waiting for my invite, Walmart, just saying, let's talk about something super thrilling, regulations and tariffs. Wait, don't hit pause yet, I promise. This is actually wild if you're selling stuff online.

Rachel: 18:26

Max Wild is a strong word for customs forms, but I'm intrigued. What's got you so hyped about paperwork?

Max: 18:32

Well check this out. The USPS just dropped a rule that if you're shipping anything out of the us, you have to include an HS code for every item. Now,

Rachel: 18:40

HS code, is that like the code you use to sneak into the lunch line in high school? Ha.

Max: 18:45

Close, but no, it's not the hungry student code. HS stands for harmonized system. Which is basically a universal language for describing stuff in trade. Imagine you're shipping, I don't know, rubber duckies to France without an HS code. Customs folks will be like, ku, is this a bath toy or a classified weapon? Now they know bath toy, a hundred percent. Not dangerous.

Rachel: 19:10

So why are they making everyone use these codes now? Wasn't it okay before?

Max: 19:14

It was kinda like the honor system before, but now they're cracking down hard. I think it's because global e-commerce just exploded and countries want to keep better track of what's coming in. Like no one wants a mystery package of, I don't know, 12,000 cheese hats.

Rachel: 19:29

Actually, that sounds kind of amazing, but I get what you mean. And I guess these codes also help with stuff like tariffs, right? Like making sure all the taxes are fair.

Max: 19:38

Exactly. It's like when your little brother keeps sneaking extra cookies, but finally your mom starts counting them out loud. No more cookie crimes.

Rachel: 19:46

Speaking of cracking down, did you see that? Huge.$2 million fine. China's e-commerce Giant just got slapped with because of the inform act.

Max: 19:53

Oh yeah. Here's the deal. So the Inform Act wants to protect buyers from shady sellers by making big online marketplaces more responsible. The government basically said, if you don't check out your sellers, we're bringing out the big fines. Boom. First fine lands

Rachel: 20:08

$2 million. That's not even pocket change. That's like buy your own island money. I'm not entirely convinced this will solve all the sketchy online shop issues.

Max: 20:20

True. I mean, scammers are basically the cockroaches of the internet always finding new ways in,

Rachel: 20:25

unless the cockroaches have to fill out HS codes now too. But seriously, it kind of reminds me of that live shopping conversation. We just had more ways to sell, means more chances for things to get complicated across borders, you know?

Max: 20:38

Oh, totally. Like you do a flash sale on TikTok, suddenly someone in Brazil buys your custom t-shirts. Bam. Now you're trying to figure out what the HS code is for shirt with a cat wearing sunglasses,

Rachel: 20:50

and if you mess up your package, just takes a world tour before coming back to you. Or worse, $2 million, fine level, worse, no pressure, right?

Max: 20:59

I mean, it sounds tricky, but honestly it's just the new normal. If you wanna be global, you have to play by, well, literally everyone's rules. And spoiler alert, that ties into our next segment. We're talking all about how people are handling the complicated cross-border e-commerce season,

Rachel: 21:16

which is basically e-commerce on hard mode. All these rules, peak season madness. I was just thinking, who knew sending a rubber ducky could be so epic?

Max: 21:25

Hey, it's ducks, tariffs, and world peace right here on the podcast. Okay, Rachel, check this out. Sing posts, prepping hardcore for 9.9 and the whole e-commerce peak season. They basically want everything running so smooth. It's like butter on a hot pancake. And honestly, I get it. These shopping events can get crazier than my inbox after Black Friday.

Rachel: 21:51

That's so true. 9.9 is one of those big online shopping days in Asia, right? Like everyone just collectively decides to empty their wallets online for major deals. I was just thinking about our last segment on how the USPS is making people list those HS codes now for shipments. It all connects, right? If you're selling cross border, you can't just slap a stamp on it and hope it gets there.

Max: 22:16

Exactly. It's not like mailing your aunt a birthday card. You've got customs, tariffs, new regulations popping up every five minutes. I mean, I can just imagine seeing posts warehouse right now probably looks like an army of little robots doing squats with boxes.

Rachel: 22:31

Ha. I bet it's wild. And honestly, with all these shipping events, expectations for fast and cheap delivery are higher than ever. Sometimes I'm not entirely convinced all these logistics upgrades are as seamless as they sound like. Can they really deliver every flash sale order instantly, or is it all promises and unicorns?

Max: 22:52

Oh, for sure. There's some wishful thinking, but I did read they're upgrading their last mile delivery, putting more tracking in place. And even partnering with other local delivery companies, it's kind of like forming an e-Commerce Avengers, but everyone's superpower is package delivery.

Rachel: 23:09

Now, that's a movie I'd watch The Package Whisperer, but seriously, isn't it a little overwhelming for sellers? One day you're shipping locally. Next you're figuring out customs fees for shoppers in, I don't know, France, and let's be real. How many regular folks understand what cross-border compliance even means?

Max: 23:28

Right. Unless you've got a law degree or a very patient Google search, it's a lot. That's where these big players like sing post, come in, making all these cross-border sales possible. Otherwise, you'd be stuck with boxes in your living room forever. I guess the dream is you click buy in Singapore and your gadget teleports to Berlin, but we're not quite at Star Trek yet.

Rachel: 23:53

Not yet, but shout out to whoever invents that. But you're right. Global e-commerce is such a jigsaw puzzle now. Everyone has to play nice with different country's rules, manage customer expectations, even deal with language barriers. Plus, if something gets stuck in customs, who do you even call? Is there a Ghostbusters for loss packages?

Max: 24:13

If there was, I'd want the theme song playing every time my parcel was delayed. But hey, speaking of making online shopping easier, in our next segment we're diving into how Amazon's using ai. Its fancy visual search tools. Maybe soon you just point your phone at a mystery gadget. Amazon figures it all out, including where it ships from, like e-commerce magic,

Rachel: 24:37

right? It all comes full circle from figuring out international shipping codes to just snapping a photo of whatever you want and letting the tech handle the rest. Maybe someday online shopping will be as simple as, I don't know, ordering pizza, except your pizza's coming from like Tokyo.

Max: 24:53

Now I'm just hungry. Okay, Rachel, check this out. Amazon just dropped a super cool update. They're integrating lens visual search with their AI shopping assistant. So basically you can point your phone at like a friend's backpack and it'll instantly help you find something like it online. It's like saying, Alexa, get me that, but with your camera.

Rachel: 25:19

Wait. Seriously? That sounds straight up. Science fictiony. I was just thinking about how last week I wanted to find these funky sneakers I saw at the mall, but I had no idea what they were called. So if Amazon Lens was around, I could have just snapped a pick.

Max: 25:33

Exactly. It's like real life Shazam. But for stuff instead of music, you can just scan anything and boom. Amazon's like, Hey, here's 10 versions of those shoes. And also a slightly questionable pair for eight toddlers. I mean, copying someone's style just got way easier and way sneakier.

Rachel: 25:54

It makes me wonder though, does this make us all secret shopping ninjas? Because I might be accidentally building a collection of, Rachel saw this at Starbucks bookmark folders. But here's what I'm wondering. What about privacy? Like is it weird to be snapping pics of random people's outfits? I don't know if my social anxiety could handle that.

Max: 26:15

For sure there's a creepy factor. If you're not careful, maybe they'll give you like a, Hey, don't be weird popup, but honestly, the tech is bananas. And get this, they just launched something called Amazon Lens Live, which makes copying styles even easier in real time. It's like, see it, want it, get it. I'm not saying it's dangerous for my wallet, but my impulse buys are already quaking.

Rachel: 26:42

Dangerous is right. My credit card is going to start hiding from me. But I have to say, as someone who always screenshots stuff to buy later and totally forgets, this could actually help me follow through. The only thing is, will it work as well on like those impossible to find small brand pieces? Or is it just for the big brands?

Max: 27:03

Good question. I think it depends on Amazon's catalog, right? But with all the cross-border trends we were just talking about in that last segment. It could even surface some hidden international gems. Imagine you spot a cool K-pop shirt and lens tracks down where to get it without three hours of Google F Global e-commerce goals. Am I right?

Rachel: 27:23

Speaking of finding stuff, PayPal just launched a new subscription hub. Finally, this is for anyone who's signed up for a zillion free trials and then forgotten. You know that feeling when you check your bank statement and see three Dawn 99 for sparkly magazine, 3 24, and you're like, what even is that? The hub lets you actually track and cancel subscriptions in one place.

Max: 27:45

Hallelujah. I swear my unsubscribed project is bigger than my inbox cleanup. Why is it easier to get into a subscription than to get out of one? It's like Hotel California you can check out, but you can never leave. Now with this PayPal hub, you don't need to go full detective mode. Just click and cancel. It's a game changer for my, I swear I didn't mean to sign up for that Cheese of the month club moments.

Rachel: 28:11

No way, max. You actually had a cheese of the month thing going. I need details anyway. It's good to see some power going back to the shoppers. It kind of levels the playing field, but honestly I wish every payment company did it.

Max: 28:24

Yeah, and I feel like it connects to the bigger trend. Retailers and platforms are all tweaking their stuff to focus more on like customer control. Speaking of tweaks, did you see what's going on with Etsy? Their chief product officer just left. Now they're consolidating the C-suite.

Rachel: 28:41

I did, and part of me is like, is this a good shakeup? Etsy's always felt like this quirky, creative playground, but every time there's corporate drama, I get a little nervous. They'll lose that indie vibe, you know?

Max: 28:55

Totally. Totally. It's like when your favorite band suddenly loses their drummer. Could be awesome. Could go full Yoko. But maybe they're trying to get lean and mean for the next phase, especially since everyone's racing to upgrade features and policies. Lately, it's an upgrade arms race out here.

Rachel: 29:14

I just hope Etsy remembers its roots. My cousin would literally riot if she couldn't sell her weird, homemade candle holders anywhere else. But it's interesting to watch these platforms move their pieces. With all the tech changes we covered today, it's like everyone's trying to out-innovate the other, keeps things spicy, I guess.

Max: 29:37

Wow. That's a wrap for week 37. Thanks for hanging out with us on the checkout point. Seriously, you guys make this way more fun.

Rachel: 29:45

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for spending some time with us. I have to say my favorite part today was that debate about product designers versus UX designers. It always surprises me how many teams still mix those up even in 2025?

Max: 30:00

Oh, totally. I'll never look at job titles the same way again. But you know what got me the stuff about midnight deals on avocado socks? I mean, if AI can figure out my obsession with novelty food socks, I'll take 10 pairs please.

Rachel: 30:13

Yours would be all about Pizza Max. But honestly, I loved our chat about Walmart's collectors night. The idea that shopping could feel like a party instead of just another thing on your to-do list. That's wild. I kind of wanna see what everyone listening thinks. Would you join a live shopping event if it felt like a real bash, or is that just too much for you?

Max: 30:35

Well, as long as there's pizza, but I'm still processing that bit on shipping adventures. It's like your package could turn up with more stamps than a passport. This week just proved e-commerce is basically the Wild West, but with way more memes.

Rachel: 30:49

Slightly fewer actual tumbleweeds

Max: 30:51

only on Mondays. But hey, if you enjoyed hanging out with us, we'd love it if you joined us again next week for more e-commerce news and maybe a few more of my terrible jokes. Sorry, Rachel and hey, swing by blit.co. If you want more cool resources or you just miss us between episodes,

Rachel: 31:09

we really love having you here. And if there's something you want us to talk about or you just want to vote on, which of Max's jokes is actually the worst, reach out anytime. Until then, take care. Have fun shopping, and we'll catch you next week

Max: 31:23

later, everyone. I'll be off secretly testing AI to see if it really knows my shoe size. See you soon.

Rachel: 31:29

Bye for now. Don't let your inbox fill up with those random glove promos unless you actually wanted them. See you next week.