Welcome back DTC fam,
We’re officially one month out from one of the biggest spending seasons of the year.
And holiday forecasting is looking a bit wild…
More on this in a bit, let’s get into it:
Recruiting affiliates shouldn’t be the slowest part of running an affiliate program.
But it usually is. Hours of scrolling profiles, reading comments to work out whether the audience is even a fit, then hunting for an email, or paying something to enrich one, that sometimes doesn’t even match up.
SATHI just launched Match, and it pulls that whole job into one place.
Match reads your Shopify store and surfaces creators who fit it. You filter by niche, follower range, creator location, and where their audience sits. Open a profile, look at recent content and engagement, and make the call yourself. When someone’s worth a shot, the contact email is right there and the invite goes out from SATHI, personalized and editable before you send.
Fit before outreach, and you still decide who’s worth a conversation. Check out the launch vid above, then book a demo with their team below.
[ founder highlight ]
Matt started @live.momentous before college and ran it for 5.5 years.
But then he went VC at JAZZ Venture Partners, looking for a better-for-you brand in nicotine pouches. He never found one. Instead, he found an ingredient, left the investor seat, and launched Sett with JAZZ leading a $3.8M pre-seed.
We highlight founders like this every week. Send this to the founder we should bring on next:
[ in the news ]
Magic Spoon Drops Brand Refresh
This is the biggest design shift the brand has made since launching back in 2019.
And everything is getting a refresh:
the entire product suite
packaging
colors
They droppin’ any more tricks before BFCM??
How this helps you get ahead:
There’s a lot of input that goes into a brand-wide refresh like this. It’s worth noting how and when the big brands do it.
A New Wellness Category?...
Jamie Weeks (founder at Founders Row) has partnered with Jon Congdon (Co-founder at Beachbody) to build better.states, a “daydream studio”.
This is a physical space created to help with brain health and intentional rest.
The big idea behind this is to slow down rather than speed up (like we see a lot of brands in the health and fitness space doing).
They’re planning to launch in 2027, with their waitlist currently open. Flagship spots are planned for New York and Florida.
How this helps you get ahead:
When lots of people are zigging, you gotta zag. Whether it’s opening up a new category in a crowded space or a simple brand refresh, the new and novel is going to draw customers into your brand.
[ get connected IRL ]
Calling Brooklyn Snack Brands for Play Fair
Be the next snack brand Brooklyn locals try.
Play Fair is a community festival bringing locals together for a day of discovery and play. They’re looking for Brooklyn-based snack brands to sample and sell at the upcoming event on Sunday, November 15th.
It’s a chance to get your product in front of a highly engaged neighborhood crowd alongside 20+ local clubs, workshops, and independent businesses. If you’re a vendor, apply here or reach out to anastasia@findplay.co
Even if you can’t make it this time, fill out the application to be kept in mind for other events in Brooklyn.
Check out their event reel and website for more details →
Inside the SoCom Expansion: Q4 and Beyond
Social Commerce Holdings has officially unified its news, research, and podcasts under the SoCom master brand.
Bolstered by the acquisition of the original conference assets, the unified ecosystem gives DTC operators a year-round resource to connect, learn, and grow.
That momentum sets the stage for Q4.
For industry professionals looking to explore new channels, navigate emerging platforms, and connect with peers shaping the industry, upcoming events offer the setting.
SoCom LA takes place on October 14–15 at Westdrift Manhattan Beach, followed by SoCom NYC on November 10 at Sony Hall. Looking ahead to 2027, the schedule is expanding to include Miami, London, Hawaii, and beyond.
(Brands attend free)
👉 Grab passes here for SoCom LA
👉 Grab passes here for SoCom NYC
Before The Rush #LATechWeek
BFCM panel bringing brand operators together to talk through what they’re prioritizing ahead of the biggest shopping season of the year.
Excited to hear their perspectives and take away a few ideas we can put to work.
Big thanks to DOSS, Okendo, and Northbeam for supporting the panel alongside us and Reserve Venice.
[ DTC notes ]
3 things I’m seeing in the space, one thing to lock in and one thing to cut:
1. Shopify opening checkout to AI agents
Pretty wild that AI agents can help someone find a product and complete the purchase (with the buyer’s authorization), including through Shop Pay. I’m pumped to see how brands approach this. It opens up some interesting possibilities for how people discover and buy products.
2. Adobe’s holiday forecasting…
Just take a look at these:
Adobe’s projecting $275.1B in U.S. online holiday sales (up 6.7%)
Cyber Monday alone is expected to hit $15.1B
AI-driven retail traffic is projected to grow 130%
Social media’s revenue share is expected to increase 17%
Buy now, pay later spending is forecast to reach $21.3B
A lot to keep an eye on heading into November, especially how discovery channels translate into purchases.
3. Shopify changing how it counts sessions
This is something operators need to understand before comparing performance or making decisions off their dashboard:
Shopify’s filtering identified bots, removing the midnight UTC session split and counting cart-link checkouts.
Your reported conversion rate can change without a single order changing.
Stay close to changes like this.
Lock this in during October:
Your BFCM offer and the full mobile buying experience.
Adobe expects mobile to account for 63% of Thanksgiving online spending. Click your own ad, land on the page, add to cart, and check out on your phone. Make sure the offer is clear and buying is easy.
With Black Friday discounts expected to reach up to 30%, get clear on what you can offer while still protecting your margins.
Cut this:
Don’t make reactive changes based on conversion rate alone.
With Shopify’s reporting changes, get clear on your new baseline and look at orders and revenue alongside it. You don’t want to spend October trying to fix right before BFCM.
See you Tuesday,
Zach and 1800DTC Team
1800DTC.com
P.S
If this was helpful, send it to another DTC founder or operator in the space →
A full Magic Spoon refresh, product suite, packaging and colours, one month before BFCM is a bold call. Every listing photo, ad and email has to match the new boxes by then. That's a lot of new photos to have ready in four weeks.