DTC1042: Shopify Rollouts and 5 Video Styles

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

1️⃣ Shopify introduces native A/B testing with Rollouts. Here’s how to get started.
2️⃣ Looking for inspo? 5 Short-form video formats that never go out of style

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‍🧪 Shopify Rollouts: Why Native A/B Testing Changes Everything

With the launch of Rollouts, now available within the updated Markets experience, Shopify is bringing built-in A/B testing and controlled deployments directly into the admin.

This isn't a workaround. It's native, server-side functionality built for real experimentation.

Rollouts allow merchants to:

• Schedule storefront changes in advance
• Release updates to a percentage of visitors
• Measure performance before a full rollout
• Gradually scale to 100% when results support it

Pilothouse shares Shopify is giving merchants the kind of deployment control that, until recently, was reserved for engineering teams at large tech companies.

This is huge.

Historically, running proper A/B tests on Shopify wasn't easy. Brands had three options:

• Pay for third-party testing tools
• Build custom infrastructure
• Skip testing altogether and deploy changes live to everyone

Unsurprisingly, most chose the third option. It was faster, but far riskier.

Without controlled testing, even small changes could quietly tank conversion rates, often with no clear explanation why.

Rollouts eliminate that tradeoff. By embedding experimentation directly into the platform, Shopify has removed the biggest barrier that kept most merchants from testing in the first place.

And this is also a sign of where Shopify is headed. It’s moving beyond a pure ecommerce platform and increasingly equipping merchants with engineering-grade capabilities: gradual rollouts, percentage-based targeting, scheduled releases.

Here’s How to Get Started

Rollouts is already available in early access.

To find it:

Admin → Markets → Rollouts

It's worth setting up now. Not just to use the feature, but to start building the experimentation discipline that comes with it.

Because the real advantage isn't just testing. It's learning faster than your competitors.

Remember: Effective experimentation requires clear hypotheses, structured testing plans, consistent measurement, and a genuine commitment to data-driven decisions.

There's a meaningful difference between "we enabled Rollouts" and "we run structured experiments to guide every major change."

The brands that close that gap fastest are the ones most likely to gain an edge.

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‍Unboxings, B-Roll, and 3 More Video Styles That Scale

Most brands are overthinking video ads. They chase trends, burn budget, and end up with nothing that lasts.

In this episode, Aves breaks down the 5 foundational short-form video styles that actually drive consistent performance across Meta, TikTok, and beyond without relying on trends or “lightning in a bottle” creatives.

What you’ll learn:

• Why unboxing videos quietly drive years of performance (not weeks)
• How simple iPhone B-roll can outperform high-production ads
• The counterintuitive gifting angle most brands get wrong
• How to use lifestyle content without killing conversion intent
• Why trend-based ads fail (and when they’re still worth testing)

▶️ Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.