E-commerce Pulse — 2026-09-20
Shopify’s recent shipping infrastructure changes are causing checkout disruptions for merchants, while the platform's EMEA Managing Director, Deann Evans, announced her departure after five years. Meanwhile, broader industry data confirms the Amazon-Shopify duopoly now controls nearly half of the US e-commerce market.
E-commerce Pulse — 2026-09-20
Shopify: Shipping Infrastructure Overhaul Impacts Checkout
- What changed: Shopify is implementing significant changes to its carrier services and introducing market-driven shipping rates in 2026. These updates risk silently removing shipping rates from merchant checkouts if not properly configured.
- Why it matters: Merchants must urgently audit their shipping settings to prevent checkout failures, which could directly impact conversion rates during the critical holiday season.
Shopify: Leadership Shake-up in EMEA
- What changed: Deann Evans, Shopify’s Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), has announced her departure after a five-year tenure. She previously worked at GoToDigital, Mettrr, and Sizmek before joining Shopify.
- Why it matters: Leadership changes in key international markets can signal strategic shifts or restructuring within Shopify’s global expansion efforts, potentially affecting regional support and partnerships for merchants.
Market Dominance: The Duopoly Solidifies
- What changed: Recent data indicates that Amazon and Shopify now collectively control 49.7% of the US e-commerce market. This duopoly continues to widen the gap with competitors like Walmart and eBay.
- Why it matters: For merchants, this consolidation means that aligning strategies with either the marketplace model (Amazon) or the independent store model (Shopify) is increasingly critical for capturing market share.
DTC & Brand Spotlight
No recent DTC brand-specific news (funding, launches, or pivots) was available in the last 24 hours that met the freshness criteria.
Industry Data & Trends
- US E-Commerce Duopoly: Amazon and Shopify control 49.7% of US e-commerce in 2026 — This near-50% concentration highlights the extreme fragmentation of the remaining retail media landscape, forcing smaller platforms to niche down or integrate deeply with these two ecosystems.
What to Watch Next
- Shopify Shipping Rate Audits: Merchants should monitor their checkout flows immediately following Shopify's carrier service changes to ensure market-driven rates are displaying correctly.
- EMEA Strategic Direction: Industry observers will watch for Shopify’s next leadership appointment in the EMEA region to gauge future growth priorities in Europe.
- Duopoly Impact on Fees: As Amazon and Shopify tighten their grip on nearly half the US market, merchants should anticipate potential fee adjustments or policy shifts from these dominant platforms.
Reader Action Items
- Audit Shopify Shipping Settings: Immediately review your shipping configuration in Shopify to ensure the new carrier services and market-driven rates are not inadvertently blocking checkout options.
- Monitor Regional Support Changes: If you operate in EMEA, stay alert for any changes in Shopify’s regional support structures or partnership programs following Deann Evans' departure.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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