Welcome to the Platter Newsletter, where we cover the latest news, tactics, and trends shaping ecommerce.

In this issue

🧠 Yotpo cuts 200 staff
🛒 TikTok extends session data, goes IRL
🛠️ Shopify’s latest product updates
🏋️ Store spotlight: Steelfit
💃 Partner of the week: Try with Mirra
🔥 Sauna in the city: Early Bird NYC event

STORY OF THE WEEK

Yotpo lays off 200 employees, bets on AI

Yotpo made a big announcement this week: the company is shutting down its Email and SMS products and laying off around 200 employees or roughly 34% of its global workforce. The affected customers will be transitioned to Attentive, which acquired that part of the business in a deal estimated in the tens of millions.

Moving forward, Yotpo will focus entirely on Reviews and Loyalty, alongside a growing suite of AI-powered tools. These include automated review summaries, AI-generated loyalty tiers, and analytics engines designed for large language models.

Yotpo’s CEO Tomer Tagrin described it as a necessary move to become a “profitable, product-first” company and signaled that the future of SaaS will be smaller, more focused, and deeply AI-led.

This move is aligned to a broader trend unfolding: SaaS platforms narrowing their scope as AI reduces the cost of building (and rebuilding) software.

Read the full release from Yotpo.

OTHER ECOM NEWS THIS WEEK

TikTok’s everywhere right now — literally

This week, TikTok made moves on and off the app.

Here’s the rundown:

• Engaged Sessions tracking: New ad tools show what people do after clicking, like time on site and scroll depth.

• IRL ads: TikTok expanded its “Out of Phone” placements to malls, taxis, refill stations.

• A bill to keep TikTok in the U.S.: A new Senate proposal would let TikTok stay if strict data rules are met, no divestment required.

STORE OF THE WEEK

Steelfit

Steelfit is a great example of how a well-built store can make life a whole lot easier.

Before the rebuild, Rob was managing 27+ separate product pages — each with its own metadata. Now he manages just one page. We restructured the backend using Shopify’s CMS so updates can be made dynamically using Metaobjects and Metafields.

The result:

• A faster, more efficient store

• More flexibility for marketing and product drops

• A smoother experience for customers

Powerful doesn’t have to mean complex. Steelfit proves it.

Curious what other stores Platter has designed and built? Check out our Showcase for the latest stores.

SHOPIFY UPDATES OF THE WEEK

Shopify dropped four updates this week. Here’s what you need to know:

Post-fulfillment discounts
Merchants can now discount fulfilled items, streamlining partial refunds and improving financial reporting. Orders also auto-unarchive and re-archive. (Released July 31)

Edit taxed & duty orders
Editing orders with duties/import taxes is finally supported. Shopify now recalculates fees automatically on all unfulfilled items. (Released August 5)

Read Shopify’s full changelog.

PARTNER OF THE WEEK

Try with Mirra

Try with Mirra is redefining the online shopping experience with a seamless Try Before You Buy model with no upfront payment required. Shoppers try items at home, pay for what they keep and love, and return the rest.

On average, brands using Mirra see:

• 68% lift in first-time conversions

• 54% increase in order value

By removing the uncertainty around fit, size, and style, Mirra helps turn more browsers into buyers. Trusted by brands like Silk Laundry, Mister Zimi, Jurlique, and Bondi Boost.

Check them out.

EVENT OF THE WEEK

Early Bird Sauna (Aug 21st)

We’re bringing together founders, marketers, and operators in the Shopify space for a relaxed morning rooftop session in Soho.

Come network and enjoy good conversation on a rooftop in Soho.

RSVP here if you’re in town.