ontap.daily (July 24th 2026)

In today's episode, John breaks down a packed day of eCommerce developments that all point to one theme: AI is taking over the decision layer in digital commerce, and your data quality determines whether it works for or against you. From Google's sweeping AI Max expansion into Standard Shopping campaigns to a crafts retailer that built an AI assistant in just six weeks, this episode covers what's changing and what merchants need to do about it right now.Google AI Max spotted in Standard Shopping campaigns: what this means for advertiser control and product feed strategyGoogle says AI Max unlocks "billions of new monetizable searches" and publishes DSA sunset migration guidanceMichaels launches "Ask Mike" AI shopping assistant built with Google Gemini in only six weeks, handling 75,000 conversationsOpenAI and Yelp partner to feed real-time reviews, ratings, and photos into ChatGPT recommendationsEuropean Commission fines Google nearly €890 million under the Digital Markets ActLa-Z-Boy expands 3D cloud product imagery to replace manual renderingTractor Supply partners with Instacart for same-day delivery from 2,400+ storesGoogle Ads API v25 introduces loyalty campaign goals and YouTube metricsHyvä ecosystem continues strong update cadence across theme releasesFor more insights on eCommerce strategy and digital commerce trends, visit www.ontapgroup.com