In today's episode, John breaks down the biggest signal yet that agentic commerce has arrived: Ulta Beauty's new partnership with Google that makes its entire catalogue shoppable inside Gemini and AI Mode. He explores what this means for how products get discovered, recommended, and purchased when AI agents become the intermediary — and why every merchant's product data strategy just became an AI strategy. The episode also covers Google's expansion of Demand Gen advertising tools, eBay's decisive pivot toward fashion and resale after cutting 800 roles, a surprising reversal from Bed Bath & Beyond on California stores, and a practical framework for diagnosing search growth stalls.

Ulta Beauty and Google launch agentic commerce inside Gemini and AI Mode in search

Why beauty is the ideal testing ground for AI-mediated shopping

Google expands Demand Gen with commerce data and view-through optimisation for YouTube

New customer acquisition vs. retention bidding goals in Google Ads

eBay closes its San Francisco office and goes all-in on fashion resale with its $1.2B Depop acquisition

Bed Bath & Beyond reverses course on California with 12 new combined-format stores

How to diagnose search growth stalls: demand, targeting, conversion, or execution?

New episodes daily. Visit www.ontapgroup.com for more ecommerce insights and to connect with the On Tap team.

In today's episode, John unpacks a striking paradox at the heart of Q1 2026 retail: consumer confidence is cratering while retail sales are surging. He explains what's really driving the numbers, why the divergence matters, and what warning signs merchants should be watching underneath the surface. The episode also covers a major fulfilment escalation from Sam's Club, Google's admission that AI is fundamentally reshaping search behaviour, OpenAI's move to formalise CPC advertising in ChatGPT, and what it all means for product discovery.

• The consumer confidence vs. retail sales paradox — and who's actually spending

• Sam's Club launches one-hour delivery across 600+ locations

• Google's Liz Reid on AI-driven query shifts and content visibility changes

• OpenAI adds CPC ads to ChatGPT — performance marketing meets AI

• Why Practical Ecommerce says product detail pages need a complete rethink

• Home Depot deploys AI phone agents to all U.S. stores

• Best Buy and Lululemon announce major CEO transitions

• Hyvä Checkout 1.3.10 ships critical CSP and UX fixes for Magento merchants

Whether you're watching the macro picture, planning your AI strategy, or optimising your checkout, this episode has actionable insights to help you stay ahead.

🔗 Learn more at www.ontapgroup.com

In today's episode, John breaks down the biggest ecommerce developments of the past 24 hours — from Adobe Summit's game-changing Brand Visibility Solution to explosive new antitrust evidence against Amazon.

With AI-referred traffic to retail sites up 269% year-over-year, the race to be seen by AI is heating up fast. John connects the dots between Adobe's new tools, IBM's GEO playbook, Microsoft's agentic web advertising suite, and what it all means for merchants trying to stay visible in an AI-first discovery landscape. Plus, the California AG's unsealed evidence against Amazon reveals how the e-commerce giant allegedly pressured brands like Levi's and Hanes to raise prices at Walmart and Target — and why channel diversification just became non-negotiable.

• Adobe Summit's Brand Visibility Solution and what the 269% AI traffic surge means for your brand

• The "bland tax" — why generic brands are disappearing from AI search results

• Microsoft AI Max and IBM's 12-part GEO playbook for the agentic web

• California's bombshell antitrust evidence against Amazon's pricing practices

• Lululemon's Mexico expansion and Primark's standalone spin-off

• Shopify's AI-powered app submission, InventoryLevel API updates, and checkout UX improvements

• Fresh Magento community modules from Mage Dispatch

Visit www.ontapgroup.com for more ecommerce insights, strategy, and the full On Tap content library.

Uber Eats has entered the retail returns game, Shopify Hydrogen ships breaking changes that demand developer attention, and the zero-click search debate gets new fuel. In today's episode, John breaks down what Uber's courier-based returns service means for consumer expectations and merchant strategy, explores why Home Depot is investing $157 million in a New York distribution centre, and explains the two breaking changes in Shopify Hydrogen v2026.4.0 that every headless commerce team needs to know about. Plus, insights from Rand Fishkin on the real history of zero-click search and what the Allbirds collapse teaches every DTC brand.

• Uber Eats launches retail returns with Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Pacsun, and Petco — and why instant refunds change everything

• Home Depot's $157M Yaphank distribution centre and Target's six new stores signal continued physical retail investment

• Shopify Hydrogen v2026.4.0: always-on API proxy and backend consent mode — what to do now

• Shopify Scripts editing freeze hits April 15 — June 30 shutdown approaching fast

• Rand Fishkin argues zero-click search predates AI, and what that means for organic strategy

• Google tests video ads in local search results

• Allbirds' dismantling as a cautionary DTC tale

For more ecommerce insights and strategy, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

In today's episode, John unpacks the most consequential development in ecommerce traffic since the rise of paid search: new data showing AI-referred visitors are converting better than traditional channels — just as OpenAI begins rolling ads into ChatGPT. The episode explores what this collision means for merchants and why the window to build organic AI presence is narrowing fast. Plus, a major U.S. tariff refund portal goes live today with $127 billion at stake, Home Depot doubles down on warehouse automation, and Shopify officially deprecates a key Hydrogen package.

• - New Adobe data reveals AI traffic outconverts paid search for U.S. retailers

• - OpenAI launches advertising in ChatGPT — and why the trust window is closing

• - The CBP tariff refund portal goes live April 20 with $127B in estimated refunds

• - Home Depot acquires Simpl Automation to accelerate fulfilment

• - Walmart plans 20 new stores and 650 remodels in 2026

• - Shopify deprecates @shopify/remix-oxygen in Hydrogen 2026.4.1

• - Magento community highlights: Hyvä testing tools, Consent Mode v2, and free App Builder sandbox access

• - U.S. search ad revenue hits $114.2B but growth is slowing

For more insights on ecommerce strategy, technology, and trends, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

In today's episode, John unpacks a revealing new survey that shows younger shoppers overwhelmingly prefer AI-powered shopping tools over human store associates — but draws a hard line at sponsored results. The episode explores what this means for ecommerce merchants building their AI discovery strategy, and why product data quality is rapidly becoming the most important marketing investment you can make.

• - New Harris Poll/Quad survey: 62% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer AI shopping tools, but 75% would lose trust if results were sponsored

• - ChatGPT citation study reveals precision and specificity beat length — what this means for your product pages

• - Google Chrome's AI Mode overhaul turns the browser into a real-time research assistant

• - Microsoft makes importing Google PMax campaigns significantly easier — why diversification just got simpler

• - QVC Group prepares for Chapter 11 bankruptcy under $5B+ in debt — lessons for every retailer

• - Magento community embraces AI with Claude Code Skills for store operations and a wave of developer productivity tools

• - Why trust is the defining currency of modern commerce

Whether you're running a Shopify store, managing a Magento build, or leading ecommerce strategy, this episode gives you the context to make smarter decisions

today.

🔗 Learn more at www.ontapgroup.com

In today's episode, host John unpacks a trio of Google developments that together signal a fundamental shift in how ecommerce merchants need to think about search visibility, AI-driven discovery, and digital advertising. From the highly volatile March 2026 core update to a new "Agentic Engine Optimisation" framework straight from a Google AI Director, the rules of the game are changing fast. The episode also covers a surprising force reshaping retail assortment planning, a heritage brand's AI-powered transformation, and new platform features merchants should be testing right now.

• - Google's March 2026 core update shifted nearly 80% of top results — what it means for ecommerce content strategy

• - A Google AI Director introduces "Agentic Engine Optimisation" and why structured product data is now critical

• - Dynamic Search Ads are being retired in favour of AI Max — what merchants should do before September

• - How GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are creating a "body transformation economy" that's disrupting retail planning

• - Levi's CEO on using AI to drive a strategic pivot — and the results to show for it

• - Shopify's new Posts feature turns the Shop app into a content-driven discovery channel

• - Magento community highlights including PCI DSS 4.0 compliance tooling

For more insights on ecommerce strategy, platform selection, and digital commerce trends, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

In today's episode, John unpacks a pivotal moment in ecommerce: AI chatbots are becoming legitimate shopping channels, the digital advertising landscape is shifting beneath merchants' feet, and Shopify is quietly dismantling the barriers between its plan tiers. From a bridal retailer betting big on conversational commerce to Meta's historic overtaking of Google in ad revenue, this briefing connects the dots on the forces reshaping how products get discovered and purchased online.

Topics covered in this episode:

- David's Bridal integrates its catalogue into ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot via Shopify's Agentic Storefronts — and why product data quality is the new competitive moat

- Meta on track to overtake Google in global ad revenue for the first time

- A wave of unexplained Google Ads disapprovals and looming mass arbitration claims worth billions

- Shopify opens key B2B features and checkout controls to all plan tiers

- Hyvä's Adyen Payment v2 checkout patch and Magento community developments

- Why your cross-border returns policy might be creating compliance risk in the EU

Stay connected: Visit [www.ontapgroup.com](https://www.ontapgroup.com) for more insights, analysis, and to connect with the On Tap team about your ecommerce strategy.

Deadlines are converging across the ecommerce landscape, and today's episode breaks down what merchants need to act on right now. John covers the Shopify Scripts editing freeze taking effect tomorrow, Google's upcoming consent overhaul that will reshape how advertising data flows, and what a "fragile" consumer environment means for your bottom line. Whether you're on Shopify, Magento, or another platform, this episode connects the dots between platform changes, privacy regulation, and the macro forces shaping online retail in 2026.

Key topics covered:

- Shopify Scripts editing freeze starting April 15 — what it means and how to migrate to Shopify Functions before the June 30 shutdown

- New default address management in Shopify checkout and why small UX wins matter

- Google's June consent update: user permission becomes the single gatekeeper for Ads data collection

- How the Magento ecosystem is responding with native Consent Mode v2 tooling

- First-party data strategy as the antidote to shrinking third-party measurement

- NRF's 4.4% retail growth forecast amid tariff uncertainty and rising price pressures

- Why preparation — not reaction — separates thriving merchants from struggling ones

Want to stay ahead of ecommerce changes?

Visit www.ontapgroup.com for insights, strategy, and hands-on support from the On Tap team.

ontap.daily — Monday, April 13th, 2026

In today's episode, John covers a jam-packed weekend of ecommerce news, from Shopify's biggest accessibility move of the year to a critical Google migration deadline that every merchant and agency needs on their calendar. The episode explores what it means now that Shopify has opened up native B2B features to all plan tiers, how Google's new Merchant API reshapes product data management ahead of an August sunset, and why AI-powered discovery — from Google's "Ask Maps" to LLM-driven shopping nudges — is changing how customers find and choose products.

• - Shopify extends B2B features (company profiles, custom catalogues, payment terms) to Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans — no Plus required

• - Shopify launches "Posts" for shoppable content in the Shop app feed and overhauls -POS cash management

• - Hyvä releases iPlusService X-Pay checkout integration for European Magento merchants

• - Google's Merchant API arrives in Ads scripts April 22nd, with Content API sunsetting August 18th

• - Google simplifies enhanced conversions to a single toggle

• - Google's "Ask Maps" creates new AI-powered local discovery opportunities

• - EcomFuel's 2026 trends report reveals growth–profitability tensions across 300 brands

Stay ahead of the latest ecommerce developments — visit www.ontapgroup.com for insights, strategy, and hands-on support.