Welcome to the Moast newsletter. We spend the week collecting news, trends, and other content that we think would be interesting to e-commerce founders and CMOs. Our goal is to provide value without sounding like a promo for our app. Helpful wether you use Moast or not.
Happy New Years (this is officially the last day you're allowed to wish someone happy new years).
A bit of a slower news week with the holidays. Here's what caught our attention in the world of DTC / e-commerce 👇
1/ DTC Headlines
Lululemon entered 6 new international markets through partners
→ Expansion leaned on franchise and wholesale models to reduce risk.
→ New countries included Greece, Austria, and India among others.
→ The move supported long-term growth targets ahead of 2026 plans.
Read more on the expansion move
AI agentic shopping pushed bots closer to finding deals and buying for users
→ AI agents compared prices, tracked discounts, and suggested cheaper options.
→ Visa and Mastercard tested ways to let bots complete payments securely.
→ The shift raised new questions around trust, fraud, and consumer control.
Here’s how this part of agentic commerce is playing out
Subtle released earbuds powered by its noise-cancellation models
→ The launch marked Subtle’s first consumer hardware product.
→ AI models adapted noise cancellation in real time to surroundings.
→ The move signaled a push beyond licensing into direct-to-consumer sales.
Tech billionaires cashed out $16B in 2025 as stocks surged
→ Founders sold shares as tech stocks rallied to record highs.
→ Sales were framed as diversification, not loss of confidence.
→ Activity reignited debate around timing, optics, and insider selling.
Read more on these financial moves
Zales debuted a next-gen retail concept called The Edit
→ Stores focused on self-purchase, styling sessions, and discovery over gifting moments.
→ Open layouts mixed digital tools with curated jewelry collections.
→ First locations launched in Atlanta, Austin, Denver, and Chandler.
2/ Shopify Stuff
Shopify expanded AI sidekick to help merchants launch stores faster
→ Sidekick guided setup tasks like products, pages, and settings through chat.
→ The tool answered business questions using each store’s real data.
→ Shopify positions Sidekick as a built-in assistant, not a separate app.
3/ What We Found Interesting
OpenAI advertised its head of preparedness role paying up to $555,000
→ The job centers on identifying and mitigating advanced AI risks.
→ CEO Sam Altman said the role is high-stress and critical for safety.
→ Compensation includes a $555K salary plus equity.
4/ What We Found Helpful
4 urgency triggers that actually make people buy
What are you planning to do with your social ad budgets in 2026?
5/ Campaigns we're following
Dollar Shave Club debuted its first AI-generated ad, making tech the punchline
→ The brand leaned into AI skepticism instead of hyping the tech itself.
→ Creative kept the scrappy humor that helped define early DSC ads.
→ The test explored faster production without sacrificing brand personality.
Related content
Turn your social content into a revenue channel
Turn your TikToks and Reels into shoppable videos and boost conversions by 3.5x.
