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Growing Ecommerce

The online retail growth podcast with Mike Ryan & Chris Scharmüller

Feed your growth mindset

digital-momentum-the-retail-growth-podcast-with-mike-ryan - illustration In 2025, we welcomed PPC whizz Chris Scharmueller to the Growing Ecommerce family – doubling our firepower and freshening our take. Now, Mike Ryan and Chris dig into the real pain points and opportunities facing online retailers today.

They’re joined by industry leaders in ecommerce, digital marketing, and data science to share fresh trends, practical tactics, and cautionary tales. Ready to see what’s really working (and what’s overhyped)? Tune in to solve tomorrow’s challenges with insights you can put into action today.

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New episodes

44 min

Black Friday Bloodbath:
ROAS Down 12%, Gross Margins Down 9% | Post-Mortem Data

Black Friday Bloodbath: ROAS Down 12%, Gross Margins Down 9% | Post-Mortem DataIn this post-mortem episode, hosts Mike Ryan and Chris dive deep into the data behind the last peak season to reveal the true cost of Black Friday. They confirm what many performance marketers feared: the event is a "promotional bloodbath where margins are lost". The numbers are shocking: Google Ads spend was up over 31%…

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32 min

Google is bidding on the WRONG products:
The ‘Clicked vs. Bought’ dilemma explained

Google is bidding on the WRONG products: The ‘Clicked vs. Bought’ dilemma explainedIn this episode, Mike Ryan and Christian Scharmueller dismantle a massive technical flaw in Performance Max: the "Clicked vs. Bought" discrepancy. In a keywordless world, product targeting is your main lever. But Mike reveals that Google places its bids based on the product a user clicks, while being completely blind…

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37 min

Google AI Max is A TRAP?! New Data on ROAS, Demand Gen & DSA Sunset

Google AI Max is A TRAP?! New Data on ROAS, Demand Gen & DSA SunsetIs Google's new AI Max for Search the future, or is it a hidden trap? In this episode of Growing E-commerce, Mike Ryan and Chris dive into brand-new, independent test data on AI Max for Search and discuss the strategic role of Demand Gen and the future of Dynamic Search Ads (DSA). The analysis of over 250 e-commerce campaigns reveals…

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28 min

Google's $155 Billion Backlog:
The Real Cost of Advertising

Google's $155 Billion Backlog: The Real Cost of AdvertisingQ3 earnings are in, and the consolidation is real. Hosts Mike Ryan and Chris dive into the gravity-defying numbers, confirming that Google's core ad revenue is up a strong 12.6% year-over-year (YoY), and their massive Cloud backlog sits at $155 billion USD.  Chris states that Google is not the "bee-headed chicken" but remains the dominant "American…

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34 min

​​CPC Crisis:
30% Inflation is Here! What now?

​​CPC Crisis: 30% Inflation is Here! What now?This episode tackles the most urgent issues retail clients are facing right now: exploding costs and profound market uncertainty. Hosts Mike Ryan and Chris dive into the alarming trend of increasing CPCs (Cost Per Click), which are soaring at rates of up to 30% in key categories. Chris calls these increases a "fucking pain in the ass" and a potential "business…

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27 min

Google & OpenAI are FORCING You to Pay:
The AI Ad Overhaul

Google & OpenAI are FORCING You to Pay: The AI Ad OverhaulIt's here! Ads are officially landing inside your AI search results, and Google’s not asking for permission.  In this episode, Mike Ryan and Chris break down the massive global rollout of AI Overviews (AIO) and AI Mode (AIM). They reveal the experimental phase where ads will soon appear inside the AI content itself, and expose the most critical…

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25 min

Zalando is Banning Shoppers:
Are Returns Killing YOUR Profits?

Zalando is Banning Shoppers: Are Returns Killing YOUR Profits?This controversial episode is tackling the messy side of shopping! Hosts Mike Ryan and Christian Scharmueller dive straight into the news that Zalando is tightening its return policy, issuing warnings and even year-long bans for shoppers with "disproportionately high return volumes".  With fashion return rates soaring (sometimes 30-70%!),…

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37 min

Google Email Leak Explained:
What’s coming next to Google Ads?

Google Email Leak Explained: What’s coming next to Google Ads?In this solo episode, host Mike Ryan tackles the opaqueness of the digital advertising industry. He then reveals a previously confidential email from two senior Google executives. This internal communication confirms that Google’s “PMAXification” phase is over. While their old approach was to push Performance Max as the end-all solution,…

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