On Tap

On Tap
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Technology
  • Updated Daily

The On Tap Podcast explores what it really takes to build, scale, and optimise modern digital commerce. Hosted by the team behind On Tap, each episode dives into the strategies, technologies, and operational challenges faced by today’s eCommerce businesses. Through conversations with merchants, technology partners, agency leaders, and platform experts, we unpack real-world lessons from the front lines of online retail. Topics range from Magento and Shopify architecture to performance optimisation, AI-driven operations, platform migrations, integrations, and the evolving economics of running profitable eCommerce. Whether you’re an eCommerce merchant, digital leader, developer, or agency professional, the On Tap Podcast delivers practical insights you can apply immediately to grow revenue, improve performance, and build more resilient commerce operations.

  1. 18h ago

    ontap.daily (June 8th 2026)

    In today's briefing, John unpacks a week where automation took centre stage across the eCommerce landscape. From a startling new data point about bot traffic to Amazon's enforcement of seller handling times, the intermediaries between merchants and customers are multiplying and getting smarter. John explores what this means for your store's costs, analytics, and discovery strategy, and shares a counterintuitive retail success story that proves the most effective channel isn't always the most digital one. Key topics covered: Cloudflare data reveals bots now make up 57% of all web traffic - arrived two years ahead of predictions The "delegation search" trend: how AI is changing how consumers discover and choose products Google's updated guidance on third-party SEO tools and generative AI optimisation Lululemon slashes full-year guidance after negative media coverage impacts traffic and sales Torrid's surprise Q1 results and why direct mail is driving a 75% subbrand sales increase Walmart's expansion into restaurant delivery through Subway partnership Amazon's June 29 deadline for accurate seller handling times and the 5% sales uplift opportunity Hyvä's new legacy modal compatibility module and what it means for Magento migration decisions Practical Magento tools: cache debounce, malware scanning, and trojan order prevention Want to learn more? Visit https://www.ontapgroup.com for insights, services, and to connect with the On Tap team.

    9 min

  2. 3d ago

    ontap.daily (June 5th 2026)

    In today's episode, John explores how AI is moving from buzzword to business-critical across retail, with Best Buy, Gap, and Dick's Sporting Goods all revealing specific AI deployments during their Q1 earnings calls. He examines the emerging summer sale showdown between Target and Amazon - both running promotional events on the same June 23-26 dates for the first time, and unpacks what Five Below's extraordinary 32% sales growth reveals about the power of brand clarity over promotional depth. The episode also covers significant shifts in how SEO and paid search are evolving, and what the Magento ecosystem is shipping this week. Best Buy, Gap, and Dick's Sporting Goods detail AI strategies during Q1 earnings Target Circle Deal Days goes head-to-head with Amazon Prime Day: June 23-26 Five Below's 32% sales surge and why killing its "Five Beyond" section was a masterstroke Why traditional SEO is no longer driving growth - authority and brand visibility now matter more Google introduces Search profiles in Discover, creating a new content surface Customer Match emerges as a critical Google Ads advantage in a privacy-first world Magento ecosystem updates: Sansec Watch module, Hyvä compatibility checker, structured data tools For more eCommerce insights and to connect with the On Tap team, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

    6 min

  3. 4d ago

    ontap.daily (June 4th 2026)

    In today's episode, John unpacks one of the most compelling data points in recent retail earnings: Costco's revelation that personalised product recommendation carousels drove nearly $500 million in digital sales in a single quarter, converting at three times the standard rate. He connects this to a broader pattern emerging from Q1 results, where retailers investing in customer experience and product curation are thriving, while those that haven't are retreating. Costco's personalisation engine generates $500M in quarterly digital sales with 3x conversion lift Macy's reports strong Q1 after investing in merchandising improvements across 200 stores; Bloomingdale's posts its seventh straight quarter of comp gains Ulta Beauty's 11% sales growth powered by prestige beauty, proving consumers will pay up for the right experience Neiman Marcus's historic downtown Dallas flagship closing for good as Saks Global's bankruptcy proceeds Shopify outage disrupts storefronts, checkouts, and admin access - a wake-up call on platform concentration risk Google Search Console rolls out AI performance reports and opt-out controls for AI responses The PPC role evolves from keyword manager to AI system optimiser Hyvä releases ElasticSuite 1.2.8 with Magento 2.4.9 compatibility For expert eCommerce guidance and to learn how On Tap can help your business, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

    6 min

  4. 5d ago

    ontap.daily (June 3rd 2026)

    In today's episode, John unpacks a packed day in eCommerce, from Amazon's surprise move to sell its AI shopping agent technology to any retailer through AWS, to Victoria's Secret posting a stunning Q1 turnaround powered by "promo detox." With Prime Day moving to June 23-26 and Google's May 2026 core update now complete, there's plenty for merchants to act on. Amazon launches Agentic Shopping Assistant on AWS and the 3.5x conversion stat that should get your attention Prime Day 2026 dates confirmed: June 23-26, with Amazon expected to capture 60.3% of US eCommerce sales during the event Victoria's Secret Q1 results: 15% sales growth, 20x net income surge, and how "promo detox" delivered 240 basis points of margin expansion Dollar General sees "accelerated" trade-down from shoppers earning over $100K - the middle market squeeze deepens Google's May 2026 core update is complete - what the ranking volatility means for your organic traffic Google Ads terms of service changes coming July 2026: expanded AI automation raises advertiser control concerns Microsoft's Web IQ: a new search service built specifically for how AI agents discover information Why choosing your strategic (lane, value, premium, or infrastructure) has never been more important Want to learn more or discuss what these developments mean for your business? Visit www.ontapgroup.com.

    6 min

  5. 6d ago

    ontap.daily (June 2nd 2026)

    In today's episode, John breaks down why Walmart's delivery speed data should be a wake-up call for every eCommerce merchant, examines Hyvä's massive coordinated internationalisation release, and explains why schema markup is fast becoming the critical interface between your store and AI-powered shopping agents. Walmart's delivery milestone: Over 36% of store-fulfilled deliveries arrive in three hours or less, and the CFO says "fast fuels frequency", making speed a loyalty strategy, not just a logistics metric J.C. Penney's reversal: Holiday quarter sales fell 8%, and losses widened 77%, a cautionary tale for brands losing operational relevance American Eagle vs. Aerie: The flagship brand dropped 2% in comps while Aerie surged 25%, reinforcing the split-personality pattern in retail Hyvä Themes ships 18 locale packages to v1.4.0: A major synchronisation event for international Magento merchants running multi-market stores Google's Preferred Sources for AI: Why earning this status is becoming the new page-one ranking Schema markup for the agentic web: How structured data is the interface between your content and AI shopping agents Commerce media goes cross-platform: Retailer data now powers ad targeting across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail via Demand Gen integration For more eCommerce insights and to work with the On Tap team, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

    6 min

  6. Jun 1

    ontap.daily (June 1st 2026)

    In this episode, John unpacks the growing consumer squeeze reshaping retail and explores why AI-powered product discovery is accelerating faster than most merchants realise. From record-low consumer sentiment to contrasting earnings stories from Dollar Tree and Gap Inc., the episode examines how financial pressure is splitting the market in two and what eCommerce operators need to do about it. John also dives into major developments in AI search, including why search platforms have moved beyond RAG into agentic systems, what Google's new AI Max branded search controls mean for advertisers, and why Practical Ecommerce is calling AI "the new shelf space" for brands. Consumer sentiment hits new record low - 57% cite high prices eroding finances Dollar Tree posts 7.2% sales growth: "Our model is built for environments like this" Gap Inc.'s Old Navy stumbles while off-price competitors expand aggressively AI search evolves beyond RAG into agentic systems that evaluate content trustworthiness Google tests new branded search controls in AI Max campaigns Practical Ecommerce frames AI visibility as the new "shelf space" for brands Google Ads launches built-in lead management dashboard with AI quality signals Magento ecosystem updates, including PCI DSS 4.0 compatibility and builder.io integration Why paid social creative testing needs genuinely differentiated concepts, not cosmetic tweaks Stay ahead of the curve with On Tap Daily. For more insights on eCommerce strategy, technology, and trends, visit www.ontapgroup.com.

    9 min

  7. May 29

    ontap.daily (May 29th 2026)

    In today's episode, John unpacks one of the most significant developments for eCommerce merchants this year: Google has added AI shopping visibility insights to Merchant Center, giving retailers their first real window into how products perform across AI-powered shopping surfaces. Combined with new thinking on "brand depth" as the key to AI recommendations and Google's new AI-powered customer acquisition targeting, the landscape for being discovered online is shifting fast. The episode also covers Dick's Sporting Goods' launch of an agentic AI shopping adviser, Best Buy's incoming CEO declaring "we're not just a retailer anymore," new context on the Everlane-Shein saga, tariff refund updates, and a noteworthy Hyvä Checkout payment integration for Magento merchants. Google adds AI shopping visibility insights to Merchant Center, what it means and what to do now The "brand depth" framework: why your entire digital footprint determines AI recommendations Google's "new prospects" mode for reaching brand-unaware audiences Dick's Sporting Goods launches Coach by Dick's, an agentic AI adviser built on Adobe Brand Concierge Best Buy's CEO transition and the pivot to retail media Everlane-Shein acquisition: deeper analysis of what went wrong CBP tariff refunds climb to $85 billion Hyvä Checkout Airwallex 1.0.0 for Magento international merchants Visit www.ontapgroup.com to learn more about how On Tap helps eCommerce businesses navigate the rapidly evolving digital commerce landscape.

    5 min

  8. May 28

    ontap.daily (May 28th 2026)

    In today's episode, John unpacks a flurry of Google announcements that are quietly reshaping how eCommerce brands get discovered in AI-powered search, including a new trust signal that could give content-rich merchants a major edge. He also flags an urgent deadline that could wipe out years of advertising data and explores the battle between mass retailers fighting to own the beauty category. Google's new "preferred sources," perspectives carousel, "highly cited" labels for AI Overviews and AI Mode, and what they mean for product discovery The SEO-GEO gap: new research reveals what type of content actually wins in AI-generated search results Google Ads historical data deletion starting in June: what you need to export now Target and Walmart's aggressive push into beauty retail, with new staffing models and premium brand expansions Lululemon settles its boardroom feud with founder Chip Wilson after months of public tension Mage-OS 3.0, Magento 2.4.9, and Hyvä 1.4.6: the Magento ecosystem's most coordinated upgrade cycle in years Whether you're optimising for AI search, managing ad campaigns, or planning a platform upgrade, this episode has actionable insights you can use today. 🔗 Learn more at https://www.ontapgroup.com.

    6 min
See All (45)

About

The On Tap Podcast explores what it really takes to build, scale, and optimise modern digital commerce. Hosted by the team behind On Tap, each episode dives into the strategies, technologies, and operational challenges faced by today’s eCommerce businesses. Through conversations with merchants, technology partners, agency leaders, and platform experts, we unpack real-world lessons from the front lines of online retail. Topics range from Magento and Shopify architecture to performance optimisation, AI-driven operations, platform migrations, integrations, and the evolving economics of running profitable eCommerce. Whether you’re an eCommerce merchant, digital leader, developer, or agency professional, the On Tap Podcast delivers practical insights you can apply immediately to grow revenue, improve performance, and build more resilient commerce operations.

Information

  • Creator
    On Tap
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2026 On Tap OÜ
  • Show Website
    On Tap