Technology
The Checkout Point
Step into the fast-paced world of online business with 'The Checkout Point,' a dynamic, 20-minute podcast that wraps up the week's must-know eCommerce news, trends, and strategies.
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Episodes
The archive
20 episodes, newest first.
- Week 38 - AI Checkout Hype Check: Shopify's Numbers, Aviator Nation's Early Wins, and the Small Business Digital DivideThis week on The Checkout Point, Max and Rachel dig into the fast moving world of agentic commerce and ask whether AI powered shopping is actually delivering results or just generating buzz. From the big platform promises to the real adoption numbers, this episode breaks down what merchants need to know right now. Here is what we cover this week: - The Universal Commerce Protocol and OpenAI's Instant Checkout, and what the big platforms are promising shoppers and merchants - Shopify's eye catching AI traffic numbers versus the reality of merchant adoption, plus what a Forrester analyst says about the FOMO driving brands into agentic commerce - Aviator Nation's early ChatGPT orders, Lands' End's e-commerce comeback, and how boomers fueled summer retail sales crowds - Why the smallest businesses are falling behind as Main Street goes digital, and a cross border e-commerce compliance company's new IPO filing Subscribe to The Checkout Point for weekly eCommerce news and strategy, brought to you by the team at blikket.co.
- Week 37 - The EU's Ecommerce Customs Shakeup: Descartes' Filing Fix, Holiday Sales Forecasts, and Spain's E-commerce BoomThis week on The Checkout Point, Max and Rachel dig into a quiet compliance shift that's about to touch pretty much every ecommerce shipment heading into the EU, then pivot into the holiday season numbers every seller should be watching. From automated customs filings to the disappearance of a duty-free loophole, this episode breaks down what's actually changing behind the scenes of global online retail. This week's themes: - How Descartes and K&R International Services are automating EU customs filings for high-volume ecommerce air cargo - The EU's removal of the 150 euro duty exemption and what it means for low-value shipments - Cross-border sales, buy now pay later spending, and TikTok Shop's holiday growth forecasts - Spain's decade-long ecommerce boom, a marketplace optimization partnership, and why a smooth checkout experience still decides who wins Subscribe to The Checkout Point to keep your shortcut to the week's ecommerce news, powered by the team at blikket.co.
- Week 36 - Warehouses Bet Big on Robots and Workers: Amazon's Holiday Fee Squeeze, Anthropic's $30 Trillion Bet, and Retail's Efficiency RaceThis week on The Checkout Point, Max and Rachel dig into the surprising warehouse robot story that flips the usual robots-versus-jobs narrative on its head, then head straight into the holiday season prep chaos at Amazon, where fulfillment fees stay flat but the shipping calendar gets a lot less forgiving. From there they take on Anthropic's jaw dropping thirty trillion dollar revenue forecast and ask whether the number means anything at all. Themes covered this week include warehouses hiring workers and buying robots at the same time, Amazon's tightened 2026 holiday inbound deadlines, Anthropic's eye popping revenue bet, BJ's Wholesale Club trimming a fifth of its SKUs, and Walmart's new boho inspired private label rollout alongside a rough quarter for Foot Locker and Dick's Sporting Goods. Hit subscribe so you don't miss next week's rundown, and share this episode with a merchant friend who's trying to keep up with the pace of retail right now.
- Week 35 - Amazon's AWS Engine Powers a Blowout Quarter: Shopify's New Merchant Deadlines, Etsy's Surprise Layoffs, and Walmart's Same-Day PushThis week on The Checkout Point, Max and Rachel dig into a wild stretch of eCommerce news, from record-breaking earnings at the top of the industry to a marketplace shakeup that caught a lot of sellers off guard. It is a packed rundown of who is winning, who is tightening belts, and what merchants need to have on their radar before the next big shopping season hits. Themes covered this episode include Amazon and Shopify's blowout Q2 earnings, new Shopify deadlines merchants cannot afford to miss, Etsy's surprise layoffs right after closing its Depop deal, and how Walmart, Kroger, and Canadian retailers are all repositioning for the next phase of online shopping. Grab your coffee, settle in, and let's get into it. Subscribe to The Checkout Point so you never miss a week of what's actually moving in online business.
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- Week 34 - Shopify's AI Traffic Boom: Stripe's PayPal Play, Kroger's New eCommerce Chief, and TikTok's $50 Billion Half-YearMax and Rachel break down Shopify's Q2 numbers and the 197% jump in AI-referred sessions, then look at Stripe's shopping spree, Kroger's new eCommerce boss, and what retailers are betting on for the 2026 holidays.
- Week 33 - Shopify's AI Traffic Triples: Etsy Layoffs, TikTok Shop's $100B Run, and Fraud Up 33%Max and Rachel break down Shopify's 30 percent growth quarter and tripling AI referral traffic, Etsy cutting staff right after a $1.4 billion cash raise, live commerce hitting real scale, and why AI-driven fraud pressure jumped a third.
- Week 32 - Amazon's $200 Billion AI Quarter: Shopify's Privacy Mess, DoorDash Drones, and the Rise of Agentic PaymentsAmazon crosses $200 billion in quarterly sales with AI agents doing the heavy lifting, Shopify heads into earnings with a privacy suit hanging over it, and drones plus agentic checkout start reshaping how orders actually get fulfilled and paid for.
- Week 31 - AI Agents Are Shopping Without You: Stripe's Big Bets, Shopify's Fulfillment Fix, Meta's Seller App, and Shein's Tariff HitMax and Rachel break down the week in eCommerce: Stripe building rails for AI shopping agents, Shopify's new native fulfillment and DoorDash delivery, Meta's standalone Seller app, and the tariff and counterfeit fines squeezing Shein and AliExpress.
- Week 30 - Live Commerce and AI Reshape Ecommerce: DoorDash's Shopify Delivery Deal, eBay's $1.2 Billion Etsy Move, and Shein's IPO TroubleMax and Rachel break down China's $900 billion live-commerce boom, the AI tools quietly reshaping product pages, DoorDash's new Shopify delivery hookup, and the billion-dollar deals shaking up fashion, payments, and Shein's IPO plans.
- Week 28 - EU's €3 Ecommerce Fee Hits Shein and Temu: Plus AI Checkout Tools, Rising Ad Costs, and Etsy's New Appeal ProcessMax and Rachel break down the EU's new €3 fee on cheap imports and what it means for Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, then dig into AI tools reshaping checkout and supply chains, rising ad costs squeezing margins, and Etsy finally giving sellers a way to fight back on bad listing flags.
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What the show is
Powered by the visionary team at blikket.co and narrated by the AI-driven voice of Max, this podcast is your shortcut to staying ahead and informed in the digital marketplace.
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