Final goodbye to de minimis, a simple image SEO fix, and a trending summer travel product

Happy Monday to 9,655 Shopify scientists looking to improve by 1% every week. Ada here with a major ecommerce update, one clever way to get more traffic, and one 1% win you can knock out before your next coffee refill.

Here’s what’s inside:

• De minimis exemption is (finally!) going away

• You’re leaving money on the table with poorly optimized image SEO

• Fix your image SEO in bulk

• Trending product on TikTok: luggage cup holders

New: Would you rather listen to this newsletter? We’ve got you. Listen below:

Industry: One major ecommerce loophole is closing (had this coming!)

Trump just signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and here’s the big news:
The de minimis exemption – the one that lets imports under $800 enter the U.S. duty-free – will be gone by July 1, 2027.

For many cross-border Shopify sellers, this means:

• No more duty-free imports under $800

• A potential price hike on low-cost inventory from countries like Canada, Mexico, and Vietnam

• Existing bans on China and Hong Kong already in place

Also in the bill:
A $5,000 fine for anyone caught misusing de minimis rules, starting 30 days from now. Yes, it’s getting real.

If you rely on direct-from-China suppliers or DTC fulfillment partners like Shein or Temu, this is your early warning: You’ve got two years to adjust.

Growth Hack: You're leaving traffic on the table
Let’s talk alt text (i.e the little image descriptions Google reads to understand what’s on your page.)

Most stores either skip it or use lazy defaults like “IMG_8475.”
That’s a missed opportunity. Alt text boosts your organic rankings, makes your site more accessible, and helps you appear in Google Images.

However, editing the image alt+text manually on every single item in your store can take weeks or even months, depending on how many SKUs you hold.

So, here’s a quick win:
Use Plug In AI to generate accurate, keyword-optimized alt text in bulk for every product image. It’s so easy you can take 30 minutes this week to cross it off your list.

Weekly Challenge: Fix your top 100 image alt tags

Set a 60-minute timer this week and do this:

1. Open the Plug In AI app inside Shopify (no need to copy and past across apps)

2. Go to Dashboard > View all Products

3. Check the products you want to optimize

4. Click on “Generate Bulk image Alt text”

That’s it!

Your store’s images will now be searchable, crawlable, and helpful for buyers using screen readers.

Bonus: This might nudge your product pages up a few spots on Google.

Trending product: Luggage cup holder

Luggage Cup Holders are the latest TikTok obsession.

These clever pouches with over 3 million TikTok mentions slide over carry-on handles and hold two drinks so travelers can go hands-free through security. Some luggage brands now build pop-out cup holders directly into the suitcase.

Ways to make money from this trend:

1. Add comfort-focused travel accessories to your store (cup holders, portable fans, foot hammocks)

2. Run an airport-related UGC campaign: “What’s in your carry-on?”

3. Test travel influencers or micro-creators on TikTok for 7–14 day runs

That’s it for this week!
Small optimizations now = major compounding growth later.