Print isn’t dead and we’re proving it.
We’re so excited to be launching DTC Live Insider, a limited-edition print magazine celebrating YOU - the founders, brands and stories that make up our community, and what you’re seeing here is the very first cover.
This marks a huge moment for DTC Live and a new way for us to showcase the incredible work happening across e-commerce beyond the screen.
We’ve only printed 750 copies of this debut volume, and we’re giving them away for FREE to our community, so if you’d like to receive a copy, make sure you sign up for early access before they’re gone.
Shopify dropped its Winter ’26 RenAIssance Editions in December, with over 150 updates across the platform.
Under the big Renaissance theme and all the AI buzzwords, there are a handful of changes that will genuinely change how brands run, test and grow their stores. Here’s what’s worth paying attention to:
Sidekick Pulse now looks at your store and flags things like pricing tweaks, shipping thresholds or campaigns you should be running, using your data and wider Shopify trends. What’s interesting is what it can now do, not just what it can say.
You can ask Sidekick to build internal tools, create Shopify Flows and automations, generate reports and customer segments, and even edit your theme using plain English.
This is a big one.
The way people shop keeps shifting, from websites, apps, TikTok, and now to AI tools like ChatGPT. With Agentic Storefronts, your products can show up when shoppers ask for recommendations inside tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity.
You don’t need to integrate with each one. You set it up once in Shopify, and your catalogue gets pushed across AI shopping experiences automatically. You stay in control of which platforms your products appear on, how your brand is shown and what data is shared.
For the first time, Shopify is making brands discoverable inside the AI layer of the internet, not just on Google and social.
Two new tools change how scary it feels to make changes to your store.
Rollouts lets you schedule theme updates, promos and layout changes and control how much traffic sees each versionSimGym takes it a step further, using AI shoppers trained on real Shopify behaviour to simulate how people will move through your store before anything goes live.
This is especially useful if you don’t have enough traffic to run clean A/B tests.
With the Product Network, you can show products from other Shopify brands on your site when you don’t stock something a customer is looking for.
You choose where they appear, what categories are allowed and which brands are excluded. You earn a commission, and customers stay on your site instead of bouncing.
For brands with physical stores, the new POS Hub is a big upgrade. Wired connections for card readers, printers and scanners, with built-in monitoring and automatic updates, mean fewer dropouts and fewer issues at peak times.
AI isn’t going anywhere, so it’s worth using it in ways that actually make running your business easier. Between Sidekick, AI discovery, safer testing and new ways to reach customers, this is one of the more useful Shopify Editions in a while.
It's a new year, and we’re kicking things off with some seriously exciting DTC Live experiences.
If you’re looking to level up your 2026 plans, meet the right people, and get inspired for what’s ahead, these are the moments you don’t want to miss.
12th February | premium central London location - Register here
A one-day, high-energy, high-impact workshop for fast-moving DTC brands, connecting with ambitious leaders and operators.
We’ll be running workshops that allow you to take a step back and think about how you can attack 2026 with meaningful results. Spend the day learning with others, plenty of valuable conversations and networking opportunities and enjoy a high-end central London setting with a proper lunch.
12th March | London - Get tickets here
DTC Live Connect LDN is a full-day, high-impact gathering of founders, marketers and operators, bringing together sharp talks, real insights, industry-leading partners, meaningful conversations, and a buzzing central London atmosphere where you can learn what’s working right now, meet the people shaping the future of e-commerce, and leave with ideas, connections and momentum for the year ahead.
