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As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a festive moment to look back at the biggest ecommerce wins, smartest strategies, and most powerful insights shared on the Winning With Shopify podcast this year.
From basement-built side hustles that turned into sell-out brands, to founders who drove 75% of launch revenue through email alone, this year’s guests delivered some serious wisdom — and we’re wrapping it all up in one place.
Whether you're reviewing Q4, planning your next product launch, or gearing up for a massive 2026, this is your go-to round-up of lessons you don’t want to miss.
Email: The Sales Engine Behind 2025’s Top Shopify Launches
If there was one recurring message this year, it was that email continues to be the strongest driver of sales, far outperforming social media for launches. Some founders shared that up to 75% of their launch-day revenue came from email alone.
Seguno was a standout tool, especially when paired with Canva Connect. Together, they allowed brands to create on-brand email campaigns quickly and effectively. Many brands admitted they once underestimated email, only to discover that well-timed sneak peeks, countdowns and launch-day reminders were the difference between an average release and a sell-out event.
The brands that won this year didn’t rely on luck. They relied on structured, strategic email marketing.
Sell-Out Launches, Limited Drops and the Art of Building Hype
One of the most memorable stories came from a brand that started in a basement, sewing products by hand and releasing limited batches. Despite the humble beginnings, these drops consistently sold out within hours.
Even as they scaled, the formula remained the same: limited quantities, early-access emails and strong product storytelling. This created anticipation, urgency and emotional connection. Launch days became brand-defining moments, often requiring founders to mute their Shopify notifications because orders were coming in too fast to track.
These stories also highlighted the importance of forecasting and inventory planning. Scaling demand requires structure, not guesswork.
Built for Shopify: Why These Apps Powered Growth in 2025
This year made it clear that Shopify-native performance matters. Brands using apps from the Built for Shopify program saw faster stores, seamless integrations and better customer experiences.
Guests shared how BFS apps helped boost reviews, streamline workflows and create consistency across platforms. Seguno and TaxCloud were mentioned frequently — Seguno for powering email revenue, and TaxCloud for making sales tax compliance manageable for growing brands.
When tools integrate cleanly into Shopify, brands move faster and work smarter.
Bill Gates and the Power of Unhappy Customers
Bill Gates’ well-known quote — “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” — echoed throughout the podcast this year.
Founders repeatedly shared how negative reviews, unclear product pages, slow fulfilment and pre-sale questions pointed them toward conversion issues they had overlooked. The brands that took this feedback seriously saw improvements in clarity, trust, product quality and return rates.
Sometimes, your biggest growth opportunity lies in the feedback you’d prefer not to hear.
Authenticity Over Aesthetics: The New Influencer Playbook
A significant trend in 2025 was the shift away from staged influencer photos toward genuine, experience-driven content.
Real customers using products outdoors resonated more deeply than polished mountaintop poses. Authentic content helped consumers visualize real usage and made storytelling more relatable. Many founders also revealed how this honest content guided product improvements, showing where functionality needed to evolve.
Authenticity became the strongest form of influence.
Growing Pains, Inventory Wins and Understanding Demand
Scaling isn’t glamorous — and many founders openly discussed the difficulties that came with growth. Over-ordering, dead stock, understaffed teams and unpredictable demand all presented challenges.
This year reinforced the value of understanding seasonality, focusing on hero products and using data-driven forecasting tools. The brands that succeeded were the ones that slowed down long enough to build operational clarity before scaling.
Growth only works when the foundation is stable.
What You Should Carry Into 2026
Several themes emerged repeatedly this year. Email should anchor your launch strategy. Authentic content connects better than perfection. Customer feedback — especially the uncomfortable kind — can drive your biggest wins. Product decisions need data, not instinct. Inventory clarity must come before growth. And tools that integrate deeply with Shopify give brands the advantage.
2025 was full of lessons and transformative moments. Bringing these insights into 2026 may be your best strategic move yet.
Check out the full podcast here.
This episode was brought to you by Nick Trueman, Director of PPC & SEO Agency, Spec Digital.