Founders ditch big cities, indie print gets punk, and Dad Gang hits 1M hats
The biggest news in commerce from the company that powers your favorite brands
Every month, In Stock breaks down the commerce news that matters: brand wins, real data, and retail insights from the platform behind millions of merchants and billions of transactions.
This month, commerce is happening everywhere, anywhere, all at once. Founders are building big from small towns, indie publishers are keeping print alive with punk energy and hand-bound books, and one merchant is proving there’s still plenty of room at the top for a very good hat. Plus, Boll & Branch founder Scott Tannen shares the podcasts that shape how he thinks about business, leadership, and game day.
Entrepreneurship has no zip code
For most of history, succeeding in business meant packing up and planting roots in a big city. Shopify’s latest data release points to a different reality. Founders don’t need a 90210 zip code to build something big, and the ones outside major city centers are already proving it.
The Era of the Entrepreneur
Tobi Lütke took the stage with Lulu Cheng Meservey at Toronto Tech Week to talk about what’s changed about starting a company. His take: the future problem isn’t a jobs shortage, it’s a companies shortage.
The conversation covers the meaning of craftsmanship in the age of AI, why being the “best in the world” beats incremental improvement, and why entrepreneurship remains one of the strongest engines for global growth.
Recommended listening
Scott Tannen is the founder and CEO of Boll & Branch the luxury bedding brand he started with his wife, Missy, in 2014. What started with sheets in two colors has become one of the most recognizable names in premium home goods.
Scott is part operator, storyteller, sports obsessive, and student of other founders, which is exactly why we wanted to know what he’s been listening to lately.
Here are Scott’s recommended listens:
How I Built This with Guy Raz: “I was lucky enough to be interviewed on How I Built This, which was a very full-circle moment because I’ve probably listened to just about every episode. I love hearing the real stories behind companies that people now think were destined to succeed. Almost every founder hit moments where things went sideways, they questioned themselves, or they had to reinvent the business. It’s a good reminder that the messy middle isn’t the exception… it’s the job.”
Acquired: “If How I Built This is the origin story, Acquired is the graduate course. I love how deeply they unpack the history of companies I admire, the strategic decisions they made, and the moments that changed everything. I almost always walk away with an idea that applies to Boll & Branch, even if the episode has nothing to do with retail.”
The Mike Francesa Podcast: “I’ve been listening to Mike since Mike and the Mad Dog debuted on WFAN back in the late ‘80s. Some people call him the “Sports Pope,” and while that may be a little much… I get it. I’m a huge sports fan, and my family would tell you I schedule my life around game times and NFL Sundays. They’re probably right. I don’t miss a Mike episode either. Beyond the sports, I love his unapologetically New York, no-nonsense style because he reminds me of a lot of the people I grew up around. I don’t always agree with him, but that’s part of the fun. If Mike thinks you’re wrong, you’re definitely going to hear about it.”
Diary of a CEO: “I like that it isn’t just another business podcast. Steven Bartlett has a way of getting people to talk honestly about leadership, ambition, failure, and what drives them. Whether the guest is a founder, athlete, or scientist, I usually finish an episode thinking less about tactics and more about how I want to show up as a leader.”
P.S. Boll & Branch is dishing out some behind-the-scenes on their own Substack. Check out The Extraordinary Sleep Club.
The indie publishing renaissance is here
The indie media renaissance is underway, and no one knows this better than Vivian Sming, founder and publisher of Sming Sming Books. Vivian is an unofficial leader of the indie publishing rebels, and in the first installment of Fine Print, she makes the case for a movement that’s tactile, scrappy, and even a little punk.
Quick hits
When I say “everywhere” you say… your favorite Fleetwood Mac song. Or you could say it’s the theme for Shopify’s biannual product showcase, Spring ’26 Edition. 👉 Check out Shopify’s latest and greatest.
DTC isn’t dead…it’s just different now. Dan Frommer unpacks what still works in the direct-to-consumer world, and why the strongest brands are treating it as a durable channel, not a one-size-fits-all magic formula. 👉 Read his thoughts.
For Daily Drills, a pop-up isn’t just a temporary store. It’s a photoshoot, a souvenir shop, a community meetup, and a sellout strategy all at once. 👉 Go behind the scenes with founders Kennedy and Mary Ralph as they take us inside their three-day New York takeover.
Congrats Dad Gang on 1M hats sold 👏 To make it even sweeter, we teamed up with them on a limited-edition Shopify × Dad Gang hat, designed by dads, for dads. 👉 Check out the swag.
By the numbers: viral product categories
May was all about upgrading the everyday*:
Mobile phone grips led the month, up 1,222%, as shoppers keep treating their phones as something to style, carry, prop up, and film with.
The “hotel bed at home” aesthetic is still going strong, with shoppers upgrading their sleep setup one layer at a time, including pillowcases which were up 1,000%.
Shoppers are building “signature scents” into their hair styling routines. Hair perfumes were up 923%.
ICYMI
T1TAN went all in on goalkeepers. Now their gloves are at the World Cup.
Off the record: They’re not like regular bandages. They’re cool bandages.
*All data is based on sales by hundreds of thousands of Shopify merchants in the US from May 2026 compared to April 2026. Percentages are month over month (MoM) changes in sales.