📈 Tariffs hit ecommerce (again)

Tariffs news, Shopify upgrades, and the mushroom brand to watch.

Author

Cam Wind
July 15, 2025

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

In this issue

💸 Tariffs are back
🛒 Shopify’s latest updates
🍄 A mushroom brand with a beautiful store
🎧 Building an ecom brand with a celeb

Ben Affleck, pictured here reacting to tariffs (probably). With new import taxes on the way, some brands are already raising prices. We break down what’s changing—and what it means for Q3 planning.

STORY OF THE WEEK

Tariffs are hitting ecommerce a second time

Trump’s unleashing 30% tariffs on imports from the EU and Mexico effective August 1, and Canada’s not safe either. 35% tariffs on some Canadian goods already announced.

Retailers are already responding. According to BNN Bloomberg, “Retailers will have no choice but to pass on the cost to consumers”.

Fellow, the coffee gear brand, is one of many already raising prices.

If you import products, packaging, or components, your costs are likely going to go up.

So what this means for ecommerce brands:

  • Margins could get tighter before Q4 even starts

  • Suppliers may raise prices or MOQs ahead of time

  • Inventory decisions might need to get accelerated

  • Get messaging ready if you plan to raise prices

And while there’s a chance the deadline could get extended, nothing’s off the table. Brands are already making moves.

SHOPIFY UPDATES OF THE WEEK

Email just got less spammy

Shopify Email now filters out bot-generated signups. This means it should be easier to maintain a cleaner list, better deliverability, and more efficient email campaigns.

Manual payments now supported in B2B Checkout

B2B buyers can now pay with wires, checks, or bank transfers directly in checkout. You can customize who sees what with Checkout Blocks. Merchants on Plus may need to enable this via test drives.

Horizon theme gets a solid upgrade

Version 1.0.5 is live with clickable hero sections, hover carousels, and a bunch of performance and accessibility improvements plus cart updates and better mobile rendering. One of the bigger updates we’ve seen so far for the AI-powered Horizon theme.

Tax and duty customizations now supported for B2B

You can now configure how taxes and duties appear at checkout for B2B buyers—separate from your B2C settings. That means more flexibility when pricing across different markets and customer types.

Get more info from Shopify’s changelog.

STORE OF THE WEEK

Fungies is making wellness fun (and colorful)

Functional mushrooms aren’t new, but damn Fungies makes them feel fresh.

Designed and built by the team at Platter, their new storefront nails the DTC playbook with just the right mix of education, branding, and conversion-focused UX.

Here’s what we love:

  • The bundle builder makes it easy to mix and match your stack.

  • A killer mega menu helps customers shop by benefit or product.

  • The bold color palette and high-quality imagery throughout the store really tell the brand’s story.

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

CONTENT OF THE WEEK

From Gossip Girl extra to DTC CEO

Katie Hunt (co-founder of Oh Norman!) joined The Turning Pro Podcast to talk about building a pet wellness brand with Kaley Cuoco and running the whole thing without Slack or a single guy on payroll.

Some highlights:

  • Why she walked away from VC to build on her own terms

  • Lessons from scaling Warby Parker and relaunching Hinge

  • The burnout that forced her to hit reset

  • How her team built a multimillion dollar brand sustainably

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to build a DTC brand with a celeb, this episode is for you!