Growing Ecommerce – The Retail Growth Podcast

Ecommerce Trends 2026: Google AI, Temu & CPC Forecast

• Smarter Ecommerce

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In the final episode of 2025, Chris and Mike trade their suits for matching Christmas pajamas to deliver a raw, honest review of the year in digital marketing. 🎄

They break down the biggest surprises of the year, from Google’s unexpected pivot toward transparency to the "Naughty List" players who frustrated the industry. Mike reveals details about his behind-the-scenes meeting with Temu, while Chris explains why Mark Zuckerberg is on his bad side this year.

Plus, we look ahead to 2026. Will CPCs finally slow down? What is "Gen 2 Commerce," and how will AI reshape the shopping experience next year?

In this episode, Mike and Chris cover:

  • The 2025 in Review: Highs, lows, and navigating information overload. 
  • The Naughty & Nice List: Why Google’s PMax updates won us over, and why Meta’s ad strategy is failing agencies. 
  • The Temu Report: Mike’s personal experience meeting with Temu reps. 
  • 2026 Predictions: Economic outlook, AI commerce features, and the future of media buying.

Ready to grow your Ecommerce business? Visit us at: https://smarter-ecommerce.com



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At smec - Smarter Ecommerce, we specialize in transforming business goals into optimized ad campaigns. With over 16 years of experience in Google & Microsoft Ads, our intelligent software and expert services help retailers achieve superior results.

We're committed to giving you the tools and insights needed to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of digital advertising.

Make sure to follow smec - Smarter Ecommerce for more performance marketing insights:

SPEAKER_00:

Hello, ladies and gents. My name is Chris, and I want to welcome you to our beloved podcast, Growing E-Commerce. It's the last episode of this year. I can't believe it. And I have to start with one thing, man. Your outfit is just fucking awesome. Well, I I like your outfit so much. You like it? You like it? Yeah?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It feels uh man, I think it's the first episode. I'm not overdressed.

SPEAKER_01:

It could be underdressed. So for our listeners who are might be wondering, maybe I think we did we tease this on last week.

SPEAKER_00:

We we we teased it. Yeah, we wanted we want it to stand out today.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so um we are wearing masks matching Christmas pajamas.

SPEAKER_00:

Pajamas. Okay, because there are people just listening. Yeah, of course. Matching. Pajama, sure. And mine is too small, honestly speaking. I went for an S to you know be like to show my biceps because I'm I'm hitting a gym again. I think it's a little bit too too small. Should have gone for the XS.

SPEAKER_01:

Double down, double down. And then you could give it to like, you know, your life afterwards or something. I will probably do. I'm not kidding. But man, really, it uh it's you two. No, thanks. This one fits nicely. Um I unfortunately we I'm missing a cocoa or something like that. Yeah, that's that will be. But and I should mention, because I don't know if this is visible on camera, but Chris also has um these ugly Christmas socks on as well. Uggy is a strong word, I would say. Excuse me. Tasteful, tasteful, tasteful Christmas socks. And his PJs are tucked into his Christmas socks.

SPEAKER_00:

By the way, I just want to highlight that I did the intro today. Yes. How did I do? Good. Good. I'm teasing. It's getting better for you.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm proud of you. I'm teasing you. Thanks, man. I just I just wanted to bust you with.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh so, ladies and gents, last episode of the year, um, we we talked so much about um I would call it technically stuff and very, very much um yeah, industry and and and and business related stuff. Today, we maybe talk about business related stuff as well, but somehow we want to make it a bit more more I don't know, ad hoc. Yeah, a little more personal. More personal. Um so actually, man, I I would I would start with the first question. Mate, last episode of the year, the year comes to an end. Um let's start with a very classic, but probably a very powerful low and highlight review. What what what what what were your highlights? What were your low lights? It was a long year. I don't know for a fact you had a lot of highlights. Yeah. I'm not sure about lowlights. Does Mike Ryan have lowlights?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Um good good question to start off with. Um and I I think it's also like we're you know, you don't want to be too recency-biased, and it's weird because it's crazy that we're recording this now because I feel like January 2025 just happened and this year, it's maybe even a a low light in a way. This year was so insanely fast. Um, the pace of change was so fast, the volume of information was so fast. Um AI just came to reality, more or less. Yeah. Yeah. And we I mean, we we all uh we all are in this environment. We all have to keep up with this stuff. I think for me personally, it's even it's in particular an occupational hazard. I'm really tasked with um with keeping up to date on a lot of stuff. Part of my role is to help the company stay up to date on things. Um and so this the you know the signal to noise ratio feels off sometimes, particularly with AI, what is hype, what is not. Um so that to me, like uh I mean on the one hand, it's it's exhilarating too. It's like there you just feel different ways about it on different days. You can't always feel on and a hundred percent. Sometimes I I feel like when when I'm dating myself here, when Neo is plugged into the Matrix and they unplug him. I've I think I've even said this on the podcast before. I love I love I I think about this story. You love the matrix? Well, I think about this story a lot in relation to my to my work too. But it's you know, he unplugs and he's like, Whoa, I just learned kung fu. And um, but you know, he's he just had this deluge of information plugged straight to his brainstem, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's what it feels like. That's how yeah, yeah. And by the way, I think this is a low-end and highlight uh in itself. Because sometimes, man, I really feel sorry to swear again, but fucking overwhelmed with I mean uh in my my position as as as as chief client officer, I'm I'm I'm forced to to zoom out all the time and and and and and I love to do it. But you know me, I I'm I I love to always, you know, be grounded in okay, what's really going on in our industry. Man, and it's five years it was just way easier to keep up. Um so I I think it's a super interesting time. Um I think it's the most interesting time for for mankind. I really believe that the things which are about to happen. But at the same time, man, the train is just it it uh it's you can't stop it, and it feels super fast. It's super fast. And yeah, so a high and low light in itself. By the way, I want to say thank you. Uh honestly speaking, um, and I I didn't I didn't I don't know if if we talked about that. Um since we we're doing the podcast here and and we have been working more closely on on our our presentation on conventions and so forth, man, it helped me so much to get track again. Um to get on track again, what what's going on there, because you just coured it for me on on the right level so that I can understand it. So a big big shout out to you. It really helped me a lot. So that's one highlight uh I really want to put on Front Street. Yeah. Working together with you because I I enjoyed, and at the same time, it really helped me to dig into more tactical stuff again. Uh so thanks, thanks a lot, mate. Yeah, well, I mean uh uh And I fully assume that working with me is a highlight for you as well.

SPEAKER_01:

The feeling is mutual because when we were preparing for one of these conference talks or stuff like that. Um like what was that? We did we did uh uh we did a few two-hour sessions. Yes. And like we did a like really at I think we did like four of them in two days or something like that. Yeah. We were really getting and there is very intense. Um but I I really appreciate working with you. I love the conversations that we have in those settings, and um and uh I think it's you very impressive how fast you can monetize also. Thanks, man. And because then you get up on it, you c it's amazing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, but but I mean and another because we're talking about but harlet uh and this is very much personal, and I I hope I don't bore bore the listeners, but for me Halat this year was certainly that I'm I'm back back on stage again because it uh for the people who don't know Smack that well and and and how how how we roll as a company, I have been the Mike the poor version of Mike the Mike Mike Ryan version for the poor guys, right? Uh before Mike Ryan became Mike Ryan. So I was trying to represent our company on stage and and representing ourselves in pockets and so forth. And uh you took over uh and never looked back, and you do a great job here. Now, you know, come going back on stage together with you, this is really a big joy because man, I just don't feel any pressure. I mean, I have the pressure standing next to you, and I know there's one person who just knows more than me. Uh it's so good to have to have a sidekick who whatever question there might be from the audience. I just can't relate back to you. Uh this is a highlight. This is certainly a highlight. Being being back on stage and just don't have have the pressure to uh to to give the answers to potentially critical questions.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, it's been it's been great teamwork, Chris, and great collaboration. So but uh yeah, I don't want to I don't want to bore people with us just complimenting each other. Yeah. Um you had some bad fuck-ups, by the way, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

There were some. Uh same same year, same year. But like talking about lowlights, I'm I'm not kidding. Well, uh it I think it's I I tried to reflect on this a bit before the podcast. Yeah. Uh because I assumed we somehow review the year. Man, there were many lowlights. Yeah. Because it was uh, I mean, let's face it, I don't know to listen out there how your your year uh played out. Um I think everything played out somehow well. Um but it was a tough year, man. It was a tough, tough year. One one one one lowlight I really want to put on Front Street is um seeing seeing our clients uh facing just so much pressure from the market, within the Google ecosystem. Uh it it it's really it it's tough, man. Because sometimes you just can't help. Yeah that's certainly a a low light. I really I really feel that way. It hasn't been the uh that that way, I think the years before.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I get you. I mean, because there's um yeah, I mean I'm uh I'm proud of the the ways that we do help our clients, and uh there's different kind of scopes or areas of activity where we help different ones, some of them uh quite comprehensively, and and some of them were really just focused on on narrow things right in the channel or stuff like that in the channels, but some of them really broadly, and I'm I'm proud of that. But you also there are just market conditions, there are business models, and these are things where your hands are tied to a certain extent.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes, that's certainly certainly a low light. And I mean, talking about lowlights, and I think it's it's fair to talk about lowlights because I mean the the reality check is and that itself might be a low light. The reality check is that I talked to a lot of uh um you know CC guys from from from our biggest clients, and I I just don't see a lot of confidence that 2026 will be will be substantially different, right? Yeah, um a lot of uh me like I said, CROs, CEOs, CCOs, doesn't matter, expect especially first six months in 2026 to be quite uh quite tight again. Yeah, um yeah, this is something I of course, yeah. Um is is is not good. And that's because I really hope that there's is some some turnaround happening in 2026. Broadly speaking, in terms of macroeconomics. But uh the confidence level is not that high.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I think it was it was that was something that we felt coming into the year and and through the year that just confidence hasn't been given. And yeah, um I agree with you. There's no reason to see like I don't see the the fundamentals changing that much in the near term.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we would would would need some some singular event, right? To which which ignites incompetence again.

SPEAKER_01:

Artificial general intelligence and then yes, yes, this could also be quite bad.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, yeah, exactly. I think there's another option that uh goes goes south from there. Um but yeah, uh I think uh that that there were certainly some some lowlights. I mean one personal low light to me uh was was for sure um that uh I had one talk where I just didn't didn't perform the way I wanted to. Okay. Where I got some very, very uh very um tasty feedback. And I think you know what I'm talking about, right? Uh so yeah, but part of the game. Part of the game. But in general, it's really this the when I when I thought about it, it's it's not that one one one single Lola. I think it's it it was just a tough year. Personally, a lot of challenges and uh some macroeconomic developments you just can't control. Yeah.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And this is I think how how a lot of retailers feel that year.

SPEAKER_01:

I I think so for sure. I mean, on a highlight um that's I mean it it really has its roots in even in 2024, but uh maybe I should call it put it on the nice list. Like Google is kind of on my nice list this year. Yes, for sure. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. Can you imagine that? Meanwhile, like I can imagine our poor Google partners listening to us and like, they're surprised that we're on the nice list.

SPEAKER_00:

We we love we love Google. And sometimes we don't love them, but it it it's fair.

SPEAKER_01:

Well I like I like every uh every Googler on a personal and professional level. Shout out to the Google people. Yeah, really. They are you hear you hear, I don't know, you hear nightmare stories and stuff like that. But I I always have a great time with every Googler that I've ever worked with. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And uh the m more than ever I feel like they're generally interested in in in in supporting. Um so shout out to Gala. Kala, my favorite Google rep. I hope you're listening. No, but uh yes, there Google has done good things this year.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You want to to drop?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah. So now like on the people side, um, I think that's given. And uh but then also on the on the the product strategy strategy side where there's usually the most friction. Um I mean I never had a problem with the people at Google, but uh their product strategy has been frustrating. And that's you know what when we just think about the stuff that we have this year, like in terms of um transparency into like into campaign types like DemandGen and PMAX, that transparency was not given one year ago. Um also the the new technology that they're rolling out, like AI Max, it's built with transparency and control from day one. Yes. So that is yeah, which is they're just not making this mistake again. Yes, yes. Um and so these are things that I'm I'm genuinely grateful for. I think people say like the the cynics say that uh that Google's gaslighting us here, they're making us thankful for things we always should have had. That's so negative. Come on, that's water under the bridge. Exactly. The the reality was that things were at a low point for sure, and they're not anymore. And I don't care if it should have been that way from day one. Things are better now, and I'm grateful for that. That that's it.

SPEAKER_00:

And you have to benchmark it with with other platforms, right? Yeah. Look at the direction that Mark Zuckerberg is. Mark Zuckerberg is going or TikTok is going. And yeah, so yeah, Google is on the nice list for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh who's on the naughty list?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh the we didn't think of it, naughty list, nice list.

SPEAKER_00:

Let's think about it. Well Timu. Timu. Man, you as Mr. Timu. By the way, uh, to the listeners uh out there and uh who is watching this, of course, as well. You are are or were called Mr. T for a reason, right? Because you were covering Timu like no one else. Uh by the way, another highlight that uh I mean we are big in the field we're active in, but all we are a small company with roughly 100 people. Yeah, man, that we get the attention from Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, you name it. This is so great. Yeah, it's really fascinating. But talking about Timo, Timo was one of the reasons why we got this attention because you were reporting on Timo like no one else. Sure. Timo wanted to meet you. Did this happen? Did we know we never talked about it? I don't know, man. I I I can remember when I uh when I told the the people listening to the podcast, I hope we see you again. Yeah, yeah. Because you never know.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, we never followed up. Did you meet? Because they sent the replacement the extra. You're not real? I'm the robot now.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my.

SPEAKER_01:

Did you meet Timo? Yeah, I did. I did. How was it? Um I I can because I have to, yeah, you know, I didn't sign an NDA with them or anything like that, but and it's also a while back now. But let me speak about it in the um Be careful, mate. It was fascinating because um they it I couldn't quite understand why they wanted to speak with me, uh to be honest. Like I was I was waiting for them to lead in with like with an agenda or what or with like questions or their expectations, but it kind of felt like they wanted to know what questions I have for them. Okay. And um and I to be honest, I don't I mean, I do have questions, but the the questions that I really have for them, they're not going to answer. Um they're not gonna give the kind of answer that I want. Yeah. Um Did you ask about the gross margin, for instance? I did. I said what you know. Uh but I mean uh things things that we talked about, like uh we so first off, I think that they made an effort culturally and like and I mean I mean that um not just in like a like in terms of a business culture because I get I could feel what the hierarchy is right there. That was clear to me. Um and so I think the level of formality that they the it felt a bit fake fake, but they were trying to have this uh other communication style. Um but it didn't I could really get a feeling for what the corporate culture might be like there. Um and But it was friendly. Yeah, they were it was amicable. Okay. Yeah, and and um it was not hostile in any way, of course. Um and this was really this was like a VP at Team When that was speaking with me. Um so I don't intend any disrespect, but um Um but they were talking about like their their local seller initiatives and stuff like that. And um they were I think they were interested what I think about this and what would our client base think about this. And to be frank, and I told this to them as well, I don't think that their local seller um offering is that attractive. Um but you know, God bless them. They send me um I still get someone there's a couple people from their PR team. Yeah. And they like once a month they'll send me some press releases and stuff like that. And and they I think they think maybe he's gonna push promote this.

SPEAKER_00:

And uh Of course, man. It's it's it's a smart thing on their side. Yeah. Because you probably have been on the naughty list. And you're like, yeah, let let let's let's bring them close. Bring all the naughty people close. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I was and you know you you know, in theory, like if they're if this would be a really attractive channel to our um to our clientele. We will push it, of course. But but I mean and here again, I I can't speak too much deeper into this, but um, you know, we work primarily with multi-brand retailers. And they're I think um they would be more interested in working with brands and manufacturers and these retailers are competitive. Yeah, of course. And um they take a dim view of their competition. So it the feeling is mutual, you know. That's that's good.

SPEAKER_00:

And it's good that you came back. I'm here healthy. Yeah. Talking about the naughty list, this is fun. So you know who on the naughty list is? It's Mark Zuckerberg.

SPEAKER_01:

I agree.

SPEAKER_00:

You agree? Okay, I I thought there was some pushback, right? He's on my naughty list too. No, well, and I want to be specific here. Uh uh doesn't really matter on which which which quarter you look at, but roughly 95% plus of Meta's revenue is coming through ads. Yeah, yeah. And this guy continuously talked down to the idea of ads. Like it's it's a bad thing. Yeah, he's disdainful of his own customers, he's disdainful of his own business. Of its own business model. And I I just don't like it. It it feels so what is it? I mean, it's just wrong on all levels. And by the way, this brings me back to our nice list, because Google is quite ob quite straightforward. Like they don't know what's what's down the line, let's say five years from now. But for the next five years, they double down on the cooperation on the idea of cooperating with the middleman. And the middleman is an agency, a software vendor, or the in-house teams of the clients. Yeah, exactly. And you see it in their actions. I really I don't want look, this is really and Mark Zuckerberg is here on an audil list. Yes. You think we've hurt his feelings now? I don't think Mark Zuckerberg has.

SPEAKER_01:

Can you picture Mark Zuckerberg like crying? No.

SPEAKER_00:

And man, he I I don't honestly, I don't want to rub him the wrong way because he he became a beast.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah. No, he's it's the it's the CEO. He transformed himself into a fighting real It's uh it's the CEO human growth hormone kind of thing. Yeah that's that's going on here, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you're gonna love it. Yeah. Do you want to talk about testosterone cycles or is this somehow off topic?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh you know, hold up. You know since you brought it up. I've been getting a bit more sleep.

SPEAKER_00:

It's the last episode. I don't give a fuck. Let's go with it. I I've been getting a bit more sleep lately, Chris. Really?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

This is good for your testosterone.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, but that's the only thing. Because I I have very mixed feelings about getting more sleep.

SPEAKER_00:

Man, I'm I honestly I'm worried about my testosterone levels because of the lack of sleep.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Um I what I That's a low light problem. That's a low light. Yeah. Well, I what I found out some years ago years ago is that because I was like, I need to sleep more. I need I need to get more rest. I feel so tired all the time. But I I discovered that I don't know, it doesn't really matter how much I sleep. I don't feel actually like I have more energy during the day. And so I found out that I can actually I can just make my days longer and push through. But the only thing is that as men of a certain age, sleep is very important for revitalizing your tea.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, the tea. Talking about tea. The big tea, the big tea. Man, the fact that it doesn't matter how how how how much how how many hours you sleep and you you have your same energy levels would be a strong argument that Timo sent back uh a robot mic, right? You just don't don't don't need any sleep anymore. Yeah. By the way, lack of sleep is a low light, and I I felt it throughout the year, but the reason for lack of sleep is one of the major highlights for me this year personally. Uh my two boys, uh they're everything for me. Um getting emotional now, really. And uh my my newborn son now is turned one year and he he doesn't he doesn't care at all about my sleeping habits and about my testosterone level. But yeah, this is on a very personal note, I'm an absolute highlight. And I'm looking so much forward to the holidays with these two two boys next to me. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah, likewise. It it definitely brings a new new meaning to the holidays again.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

That was something you know, I was a little burnt out on the holidays. Um, and then two things happened. I I moved to Austria first, and uh holidays are just different here um and done very well, I have to say. Um and so that that kind of reinvigorated a bit for me. And then yeah, having kids.

SPEAKER_00:

It's it's a game changer, of course.

SPEAKER_01:

So like I'm now, you know, I'm Mr. Christmas nowadays. Man, I look at you. You can't argue with that statement. You know, the only reason I'm not wearing my my Christmas socks right now, like you, is because I already I was already wearing them the other day.

SPEAKER_00:

Socks should have shown my socks now, man. They're not that bad. It's just uh room of the red pose, right?

SPEAKER_01:

I think we need to put a black bar over that sensor. He ladies and gentlemen, listeners, he just like lifted his foot up on the table in front of the main cam. So with my S-sized uh pyama. Yeah, now we just got a content rating.

SPEAKER_00:

For sure. But we already got it with my my F words. Oh, did he drop an F on? Yeah, two times I think. Uh but I don't know. Mike, going back to going back to some some business context. Again, it's the last episode. By the way, I find it so funny. Growing e-commerce, today we talked about ways to grow your testosterone levels. I think I I love it. Uh Mike, going back to some business uh topic, um what's the what to expect 2026?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, yeah, we we clicked off with that a little bit uh earlier. We were saying unfortunately, I think there's no clear reason to think that the macro is gonna change that much right now. If anything, yeah, I think you're the optimist, I'm the pessimist.

SPEAKER_00:

But uh I'm rather optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01:

That was that was quoted uh recently. It's a hell of a quote. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

But you're the pessimist now, and I'm an optimist.

SPEAKER_01:

Or well, we we we don't have to take those lines. But I mean I mean on the optimistic side, I think that um some of the things that were causing a lot of uncertainty early 2025 with tariffs and stuff like that. Um for better or worse, this stuff is is settled, is settling normal. And so um businesses will adapt, uh things evolve. Uh so I think like that's a positive, I would say. And um I just I just uh yeah, I don't know what exactly what's gonna happen with consumers. And what then when it comes to the technology, I also think that um this AI stuff um we'll see a lot of noise with Agenda Commerce. Um I can't talk about this in any level of detail on the on this podcast, but I've seen uh let's say a shopping list of um of the features that Google is planning for their agenti commerce and uh because they're they're polling this with businesses, with retailers, brands to see what they would like to see with different stakeholders. So I've seen the shopping list and um yeah, time of recording, the only feature that's live is uh agentic price monitoring and checkout. Um I personally think that agentic is overrated, but it's the direction, as I've said multiple times, but it's the direction that they're going. Um I think there's different and better ways of doing this, but um, but still the features that they're working on are really interesting, and we're gonna have a lot to talk about next year as these features roll out. I think by this time next year, there will be um a robust but early agenda commerce offering from Google. I'm sure Amazon will be there as well, and we'll see what's going on with if shop if um excuse me, if uh OpenAI still exists or not. Yeah, dude. With or without a bailout. It will be maybe a bailout, but doesn't matter. They will exist. Yeah. But that that's something that I I I don't want to overhype it because I think I really I think it will be early, I think it will be primitive, but that's going to be a big step from where we are in it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. True that. And for me, for this is again, I'm I always circle back to to the conversations uh with decision makers I have because that's that's the the opinion I I refer to the most. Um there are a lot of that this is where certain very funny, this is where a lot of people have are optimistic and see chances because the new environment we will be operating in, right? More at based, at driven, I think this will provide a lot of opportunities. Because wherever disruption happens, you know that Mike, there will be opportunities for online retailers who are smart about it at adopting, who have the right partners at their hands. So I think that's what I love about Google now. They're doing the right things. Some of them are really disruptive, but disruption is a good thing because you you can stand out again. Um, not just with the biggest war chest, but by being smart, right? This is really something, man. Two years ago, you you just couldn't do it, right? The days were gone where you could really stand out as a mid-sized retailer by just being smarter in your PMAX tactics. Now you can really do shit again. So that's why I'm optimistic. Um and another thing, what I certainly expect is, man, maybe you kill me for that now, but I I really think that there will be a slowdown in in the CPT CPC development. Um by the way, this is just a gut feeling. This is based on the conversations I had with with some Google reps. Um, I think there will be a slowdown compared to this year. Um and this is this is good, right? Everything, everything close to the slowdown is good for every online retailer in the world. I think this is what's what's going to happen.

SPEAKER_01:

I I have no basis, I can't comment because I don't really understand why it occurred. The dynamics span yeah. I don't truly understand why it occurred and the extent that it occurred with the timing that it did and stuff like that. And um and I I just so I I it's hard for me to say, but I also I I feel like it must cool down. It must cool down.

SPEAKER_00:

It must cool down. It must cool down. It must cool down.

SPEAKER_01:

These things just don't go on forever. And if they do go on forever, like then Google needs to intervene somehow. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Nope. Fair fair fair point. But then I think we we we we have we have something to look to uh honestly to be looking forward to. I I think it's it's a we are living in exciting times, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

This is always these these new channels to emerge. Like you can think of the emergence of email marketing, you can think of the emergency the emergence of mobile commerce, yes. The emergence of search, of like this this stuff goes on and on.

SPEAKER_00:

And when online retailers look back here, I think every single channel, if adopted the right way, it it it brought something to the table. Yeah, right. And and I think this is if you zoom out and let's be a bit cheesy, uh, I think there will be chances next year.

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. The the new channels usually like if they achieve scale, they usually work better than the old channels than whatever they're replaced. So there's a reason to be optimistic. Uh good.

SPEAKER_00:

Man, what what a way. I mean, let's let's stay optimistic. All right. What's your new year resolution? Be more optimistic. Should should I be more pessimistic then? Or yes, right? Realistic. No, uh chokes aside, do you have some let that let's say uh a professional uh new resolution and a private one on personal level?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure, sure. Well so professionally, um yeah, well, you mentioned a highlight of the past year was um that we, you know, uh I think we got a lot of press coverage at different times. I spoke with a lot of journalists over the year, which I I really enjoy doing, but there were a few standout occasions. Um and they were involved with these um like teamwhite turned off threats and turned them back on. Amazon Amazon turned and so but um I mean that was just it was really exciting to be at the front of that. Um and so my resolution is to stay at the front. Stay emphasized. That's that's a creepy. You have to make that decision professionally, yeah, every day. Um also another highlight of the year was the State of PMAX report. And I've I've teased this in the past uh a bit on this podcast, but I really want to I want to do more um of this in-depth writing and reporting, and um I want to do some more of these state of reports. So those are two um two kind of commitments or resolutions of mine professionally. You're on the record now, huh? Yeah. I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and the the new optimistic me says we're gonna do it. You're not directly reporting to me anymore, but I took no now, Mike.

SPEAKER_01:

On personal level? Um and on a personal level. Um Yeah, you know, you know, I I uh this is really this is really kind of personal, but I I've I it deal it deals with this topic of the overload, the information overload, the communication overload. And at times I just closed off to people, I ghosted people in some cases. Um that's that's just how it was. And um something, you know, I already I I I really it was a it was that was a low point for me. And at a certain point, I think really in the summer of this year, I just that was where I was at. But I've been I've been thawing out again and I feel back. Yeah, I'm back. Um I've really enjoyed, I've just been, you know, even visiting the office more often and stuff like that. Um and it and it just feels good. And so yeah, that's something I just want to um you know You're on the record again, mate. Yeah, I'm on the record. Holy shit. Yeah, I just but I just I just wanna I just wanna be there for people and and uh and just you know get over get over that. So love it. Yeah. Love it. I I I beared my soul, Chris, and whoever else is listening. Whoever had the patience to make it through this one.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, man. Uh shout out to to all uh all listeners uh who yeah who still stay with us. Um Mike, then anything you want to add?

SPEAKER_01:

No, it's your turn. My turn.

SPEAKER_00:

Resolutions. Ah, okay, man. I thought I touched it. No, you're a fancy then. No, I'm done. Uh professionally. Um I want I want to become a better better listener from a professional context, meaning become a better leader by listening more actively. Certainly a weakness of mine. Um a second thing, I want to talk even more uh to our clients to understand their pains and challenges. It's so but it feels it's so it's so good to have clients around and to talk to them to them very, very openly because what you realize in the instant of an heartbeat, these are people. Doesn't matter how big the company are, these are people with challenges. You're worried about stuff. So it it this was certainly great great thing for me to this year, and I want to to to be even more involved in client meetings. Um really it really helped me a lot this year. And man, uh personally, uh man, be a better dad. Uh honestly. I I can I can be so much better at that. I know I know that for sure. Um and since I assume that my wife is listening, I want to record on record, I want to become a better husband. But this is very hard because I'm already very I'm close to a 10. No, I'm close to a five. So my next step would be to be at the six, and uh I have to figure out what that means. But uh this this will be talked about behind the curtains. I'm on the record too, man.

SPEAKER_01:

There we have it.

SPEAKER_00:

The big question now, since we have some time left in the office, um do you uh change your clothes or or am I gonna walk around like this? Let's let's let's think about it. Yeah, we can talk about the next episode.

SPEAKER_01:

We'll let people know what we chose. So stay tuned next year to find out. Did did Mike and Chris wear their matching PGs? Yes. All day long in the world.

SPEAKER_00:

All day long. Were they brave enough? Uh Mike, um let's I I I thought about doing the outro, but man, there's such a high risk that I fuck it up and I think it w it it's it's it's your show. The last outro of the year, it's yours. I did the intro. It cost everything I had. It cost everything I had. Outro is yours.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, we'll put that on your New Year's teaching. So thank you for joining another episode of Growing E-Commerce. This podcast is brought to you by Smarter Ecommerce, also known as SMEC. You can learn more at smarter-ecommerce.com. Um, and that's it. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy new year. And we'll see you next year. All the best. Bye. Thanks. Happy New Year, Christmas.