ASR Sunday Brief #16

What Shopify operators were talking about this week

September 06, 2026

From the founder:

September is back and you can feel it in the data. More operators joining, more projects going live, more submissions landing in a week than we saw across most of August. Everybody's home from holidays and looking at Q4 with about twelve weeks on the clock.

Two quick things before the data.

One: if you missed it, we launched Shopify Jobs — a free board for the network. Brands post roles (contracts, part-time, full-time), operators and experts browse what's open. Posting is still free.

Two: the referral contest is extended through September. More below.

Pattern of the week is what struck me most about this week's submissions - and it's not what I expected coming out of August.

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Welcome to the brand network

These are a few brand operators that joined us this week:

Jack B. — United Kingdom · Home & Garden · Plus plan

Raquela C. — Owner, Canada · Health & Beauty · Basic plan

Cristobal S. — Owner, Chile · Fashion & Accessories · Advanced plan

Start a project to meet these participants and others like them.

Just published: Shopify App Store News - August 2026

Every month we publish a running record of what actually changed in the Shopify ecosystem. August's is live now.

Read this part even if you read nothing else. On August 26, non-Plus stores were force-upgraded to the new extension-based Thank You and Order Status pages, and the old additional-scripts field stopped executing on those pages permanently. No alert. No error. If your conversion tracking, pixels, or post-purchase apps were living in that field, they silently stopped firing ten days ago. If your conversion data has looked strange since late August, this is almost certainly why. Go check.

Also in there: Managed Markets ended DDU on August 24 (international landed prices changed), Shopify's own Q2 data showing AI-referred shoppers convert about 80% better than organic search traffic, and WebMCP quietly turning Liquid storefronts into endpoints AI agents can actually shop.

One finding from our own operator reviews that fits this week's theme: 27% of operators described paying for software they've quietly stopped using. Price was the number one reason people abandon an app, named by 24% of them. Retention looks fine from the app's side. It doesn't feel that way from theirs.

  • 44% of Your Returns Can Be Exchanges. Half Your Shoppers Will Pay $2.99 for the Rest. 
    Sales Call · Incentive: $250 · 60 mins

  • Looking for brands dealing with overstock and clearance campaigns
    Research Call · Incentive: $150 · 60 mins

  • Research: what Google Ads really costs Shopify brands 
    Research Call · Incentive: $100 · 30 mins

Pattern of the week

Here's what struck me about this week: almost nobody asked about acquisition.

Ten submissions, and the through-line was the same in every one - get more out of what's already here. An operator sitting on overstock who can't get attention onto the clearance listings. Another whose email list keeps growing while conversions stay flat. One whose customers keep creating duplicate accounts, so genuine repeat buyers look like one-time buyers in the reporting. Another chasing repeat rate and better repeat analytics. And one who pointed an AI agent at his courier invoices and recovered $3,000+ in overcharges he'd already paid.

Why it matters: twelve weeks out from the end of Q4, the cheapest revenue on the table isn't new. It's the stock you already own, the customers already on your list, and the spend already going out the door with mistakes in it. Acquisition gets expensive in Q4. Everything above stays the same price it was in September.

Referral contest - extended through September 🍁

We extended the referral contest to the end of September. A lot of you asked for more time, and August turned out to be exactly the holiday month we expected it to be. So the clock resets and the bonus stays on the table.

Prizes, on top of the ongoing referral pay ($50 per Shopify store, $100 per Shopify Plus store):

  • 1st — $1,000

  • 2nd — $500

  • 3rd — $300

2–5 activated referrals is still enough to land in the top three. An activated referral is someone who signs up through your link and completes their first research call.

Something you can copy and adapt:

Hey — thought of you. It's a research network where Shopify brands get paid ($100–$250) for 30–45 minute calls with app teams building tools for stores like yours. You hear what's coming before it launches and get paid for the time. Here's my link if you want a look: [your link]

Genuine thanks to everyone who referred someone during August. It made a real difference in a quiet month and we appreciate it.

From the feed this week

Three reads worth your time this week:

Join our private communities

Join the ASR Brand Operator Slack

Private discussions for Shopify brands. Apply to join →

Join the ASR Shopify App Slack

For Shopify app founders. Apply to join →

See you next week.

Jon and team
— app store research

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