This probably isn't the best time to say this, and I might regret it later, but—is it time we became a bit more... American?

I was chatting with a friend who just took on the Australian arm of an American company. When I asked her what the biggest differences were, she didn't hesitate:

"You’ve got to be on all the time. No cruisy meetings. You need to know your numbers and be ready to blow your own horn. It’s a completely different culture."

I put down my iced latte, took my feet off the table, and paid attention.

Her comments stuck with me when I read the latest Shippit report. It says the average delivery time in Australia is 2.2 days, yet we’re promising 5.6 days. Talk about keeping things humble and conservative!

But is our laid-back, understated style actually holding us back?

“Don’t stand out, or you’ll be chopped down.”
“Don’t shout about your achievements, or you’ll come off as arrogant.”
“Appear relaxed and nonchalant so people will like you. 

From an ecommerce perspective, this mindset isn’t doing us any favours. One of the most common mistakes I see when auditing ecommerce businesses is underplaying what they’re capable of.

Awards are buried in outdated blog posts. The “About Us” describes the founder’s ‘vision’ more than the company’s actual successes. Glowing reviews are tucked away on product pages, and I only realise how big your customer base is after checking your socials. And heaven forbid you point out how your prices outshine competitors.

The biggest issue? Founders and ecommerce managers are often too close to the action. They think no one cares. Or that everyone has already seen it. Or worse, being too loud about success isn’t “on brand.” It often takes an outsider’s perspective to remind them to pump themselves up—especially for first-time customers.

Maybe it’s time we injected a little more of that American swagger into Australian ecommerce. Be proud. Brag a little. Just make sure you can back it up—because no one’s buying it when you start boasting about your golf handicap.

 Cheers,
Bushy

💫 The annual IAB Ecommerce Report is one of my favourite reads of the year. Go ahead, judge me. As usual, it’s packed with insights. The big headline? Amazon has surged ahead in the top spot in Australia, with 54% of Australians making a purchase last year - up from 42% last year. eBay follows at 41%, and Temu cracks the top five. Also notable: convenience is now the top priority for shoppers (we’re even willing to pay extra for it), shopping events like ClickFrenzy are driving discovery, and women aged 30-39 are the sweet spot for ecommerce targeting. Download the report here—no data required, ironically.

📈 Google just gave Google Trends a major facelift, and unlike some recent updates (cough Analytics), this one’s actually useful. Their ‘Trending Now’ tool has a sleek new look, allows you to filter down to the last hour and city, and refreshes every ten minutes. On trend this week? The Logies, monkeypox, and acting demure. Go figure.

🏪 Podean’s Marketplace Index Report just audited brands selling on Amazon AU. Brands were ranked on content, retail, customer, and media, and the top three in Australia were Brokig, Nivea, and UGreen. Unfortunately, Australia had the lowest average score compared to the US, UK, and Mexico—so there’s still plenty of room for improvement. 

🗯️ I am ashamed that I heard about this through Yahoo! Finance - what an absolute boomer - but the Nibble haggling chatbot is getting attention in Australia. Used by brands like Chubbies and ASOS, Nibble lets customers negotiate their price in a live AI chat. A fun way to hide discounts... and win back the Trading Post customer. 

 🐶 Next Monday is International Dog Day. To celebrate, Zappos are giving away products to anyone who adopts a dog on the day. Better still, name your dog "Zappos" and get dog-walker approved shoes free for life. There's a fine line between marketing and animal cruelty. 

I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to reply to this email or contact me on LinkedIn. 

Nathan Bush is an independent Australian ecommerce transformation consultant, with expertise in marketing, technology, and team leadership. If you're looking for fresh ideas, facing key decisions, or implementing significant investments, I'd love to partner with you.