Dear founders and friends,

While I normally like to focus my articles on e-commerce philosophy, I must admit - it’s hard to resist the urge to talk about a very important part of work: not working. In this month’s Dollar Commerce article I talked a bit about time away with family and friends, the importance of ‘not even having your phone in the same room’ and why it’s so important. Have a read here!

But now we’re back at it, and boy, has it been a month (it’s only been a month?)! Here’s what’s going on in the world of e-commerce, the ever-changing digital landscape, tariffs (yup, still), and more fun stuff we all love about running our own biz!

July news roundup: high sales, cool vibes

While Prime Day turned into Prime Days (plural) and still managed to smash records, Shopify started leaning so far into AI it’s basically a tech company now. Meanwhile, parcel volumes are up, freight rates are down, and logistics teams are somewhere between relieved and caffeinated.

Let’s unwrap the headlines heating up July’s checkout lanes.

🛍️ Prime Day 2025 went four days… and broke records anyway: Amazon stretched Prime Day to 4 days and still posted record sales, giving brands more ad runway and shoppers more time to splurge. Peak hour: 8 p.m. PT Friday, with sales nearly 10x a typical hour. How the longer window changed buyer behavior →

🤖 Shopify is officially an AI play now: Analysts are framing Shopify less as “just” an e‑commerce platform and more as an AI automation layer for merchants—think Sidekick upgrades, tariff tooling, and cross‑border automation. The catch: Google’s AI payments ambitions could pressure Shopify Payments. Can Shopify keep its edge? →

🚢 Freight softens, parcels surge: July updates show ocean and air rates easing while parcel demand stays hot—global parcel volumes are +35% vs. 2021–2023, and e‑com share of consumer spend ticks from 19% to 20%. Translation: last‑mile speed still rules, even as upstream costs cool. Your logistics playbook for H2 →

Venture capital spotlight: July 2025

Smart money's still showing up—even if it’s wearing Crocs.
Despite a VC market that’s tighter than a DTC brand’s Q3 budget, July’s deal sheet proves investors haven’t stopped betting big on what’s next in e-commerce. From electrified last-mile delivery to fast-fashion fever dreams and AI-fueled platform plays, this month’s capital flows are less about hype and more about horsepower. Let’s unpack who got the bag (and what that means for you).

⚡ Hived Raises $42M to Electrify UK Delivery
London-based Hived secured £42 million (~$52M) from NordicNinja and others to scale its all-electric delivery fleet for e-commerce retailers like Zara, Uniqlo, and John Lewis—leveraging proprietary tracking software to cut missed deliveries.
Can sustainable logistics reshape last‑mile forever? →

👗 Quick‑Fashion Delivery Startups Attract Fresh VC Cash
Rapid delivery fashion apps (like Knot, Zulu Club, Whatnot) saw hefty early‑stage investments, tapping into investor appetite for speed-oriented retail models—despite growing ethical and environmental scrutiny.
Will “fast fashion now” startups scale responsibly? →

📈 VC funding surges, fuelled by AI hype… but deals are tight
Despite continued difficulty raising new funds, 1H 2025 saw U.S. startup funding surge 75.6%, driven by AI-powered platforms—even as total deal count remains compressed.
E‑commerce brands: how deep is that VC wallet for AI retail? →

Tariff update: Fresh deals, lingering questions

In a bid to avoid a full-blown trade meltdown, U.S. and Chinese negotiators reconvened in Stockholm to hammer out a new deal before the August 12 deadline, with hopes to extend the current tariff truce for another 90 days. This pause allows current tariffs—30% on most Chinese imports and 10% on U.S. goods entering China—to remain in place for now.

On the legal front, the July 31st hearing before the full Federal Circuit could impact the entire tariff framework: a lower court already ruled that Trump-era “Liberation Day” tariffs exceeded executive authority—and those rulings are under appeal.

Here’s What We Know →

Tools that rule: Shoplift

Shoplift: Because Guesswork Is So Last Quarter
If you’re not A/B testing your landing pages, you’re leaving serious conversion gold on the table. Shoplift is the tool turning clicks into customers, helping brands test, tweak, and scale high-performing LPs—with zero dev help required.

Teams using Shoplift have reported up to 100%+ lifts in CVR just by optimizing what’s already there. Think plug-and-play testing, rapid iteration, and insights that go way deeper than “this button’s red now.” For any new brand especially living off of Shopify’s basic templates, having a landing page designer execute a great piece of UI (PDP most commonly) and running a 50/50 split test is a must! Cannot recommend more, and it’s something we’re rolling our across the portfolio for brands that need the help.

Whether you’re scaling meta spend or just trying to stop the scroll—Shoplift might be your new secret weapon to higher CVR.

A/B Testing Your LP Shouldn’t Be A Pain In The SAAS - Try It Here →

Hear it from our Igloo brands

Medistik, a Canadian leader in topical pain relief, partnered with Igloo to sharpen its e-commerce strategy and scale smarter. We overhauled their Amazon ad structure—optimizing bids, keywords, and brand defense—to drive 20% month-over-month growth. On-site, a refreshed landing page design lifted conversions by 4%, proving that clean UX can ease more than just muscle tension. Together, we built a performance-first foundation that’s helping Medistik win in a crowded, competitive category. This is what happens when performance meets pain relief →

“Working with Igloo has been great so far! It's really valuable having founders who understand the business deeply to help manage the strategy and execution of the account. Igloo's team are not only helping grow the account, but also working diligently to improve net profitability as well." - Naser M. -

Visit more case studies

Listen of the week

• SmartLess x Stephen Graham – Come for the Scouse accent, stay for the scavenger hunts and parachute pants. The legendary Brit actor joins the crew for a delightfully unhinged ride that’ll make your inbox feel miles away.

• Nerd Marketing x Chubbies – Preston Rutherford spills the tea (and maybe some beer) on how Chubbies went from flatlining to a nine-figure flex. Expect hard-won lessons on ditching ROAS tunnel vision, building a 50/50 brand, and rallying the squad behind long-game growth. A masterclass in turning a near-fail into frat-boy folklore.

• Limited Supply x S13 E3 – Do you need to know how to code to create an app? Hint: no, you don’t.

The Magic of the Aegan: Two weeks of no e-commerce

 Two weeks, no e-commerce (kind of) and Prisoner’s of Geography

What happens when a founder ditches Slack for the Aegean and trades Meta dashboards for a little sleep and time with mates? Honestly not much actually…but if you’re keen to have a read check out my post on a couple weeks away with family and friends. Read the full escape manifesto →

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