Online business and marketing lessons from what's working out there, researched and handed to you every Thursday.
🤖 Gen Z will buy from AI. Then leave over it.
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Everyone’s excited that AI is driving purchases now. People are asking ChatGPT what to buy, and it’s actually recommending products. That part is true. What nobody’s talking about is what happens right after. New research looked at how Gen Z actually shops with AI, and they found that 48% of Gen Z buyers had already purchased something an AI recommended. But 43% had also switched to a different brand specifically because of how a brand used AI. Thing is, we assume younger buyers will tolerate anything brands do with tech. They grew up online, they’re used to it, they’ll just accept it. The data says the opposite. The more used to AI they get, the quicker they catch when it’s used in a way that feels confusing or in your face ways. And they just leave. About 25% said they’d stop sticking with a brand over AI use they didn’t know about. Just, you used AI and kept it quiet, so we’re out. The practical part for anyone starting an online store right now: if you’re using any AI in your product descriptions, recommendations, or chat support, just say so. Even just a single line. “We use AI to help surface products you might like.” That’s it. You don’t need a long policy page, just don’t pretend it isn’t happening. The buyers most likely to find you using AI are the same ones most likely to walk away if they feel tricked by it. The trust part costs nothing. Losing it costs everything. Talk soon, Minosh If you’re thinking about getting your products in front of people who shop through ChatGPT and Gemini, Shopify’s Agentic Storefronts does exactly that, with sales running through Shopify’s checkout across all the major AI platforms. Affiliate link above. Costs you nothing extra, helps keep this newsletter free. |
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Online business and marketing lessons from what's working out there, researched and handed to you every Thursday.
Most of us were told the same thing at the start. Don’t go too niche, you’ll cut down your market. Sell to more people and you’ll get more sales. Sounds logical. But real life is starting to look different, maybe a lot. Shopify surveyed 18,000 shoppers across nine countries for its holiday report, and 65% said they’re likely to use AI for at least one shopping task this season. That’s not Google, not scrolling Amazon for an hour. They just describe what they need to ChatGPT or whatever they...
There’s a salt works in Malden, West Virginia. Population about 3,000 and surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains, sitting on top of an ancient ocean buried underground for hundreds of millions of years. A sister and brother revived their family’s salt business there in 2013. Everything is done by hand, brine pumped up from 350 feet below, dried in sun houses, raked, packaged, shipped right from the farm. A staff of fewer than a dozen people. Their salt ships to high-end restaurants in Tokyo...
You know how everyone starting an online business tries to appeal to everyone? Their about page says they help teens, parents, office workers, and retirees. Their product does five things. Their content covers whatever felt interesting that week. And I get it. Saying no to a type of customer feels like leaving money on the table. Thing is, Coca-Cola just proved the opposite. Mr. Pibb, a soda that has existed since 1972, became the fastest-growing brand of 2026. Not a new product, not a viral...