Mar 3, 2026
Episode
12
Sam Wright, Blink & Macalytics, on Data Structure & Retail's Wicked Problem
Summary
Transcript
Guest Details
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What if your website isn’t the future of e-commerce?
In this episode of the Retail is Detail Podcast, Jamie chats with Sam Wright, founder of Blink SEO and Macalytics, to unpack why most retailers are still leaving 20% growth on the table. From killing the obsession with shiny growth hacks to showing why structure, taxonomy, and data hygiene are the real retail game-changers, Sam cuts through the noise.
We dig into why large-catalogue Shopify stores have unique challenges, how AI will reshape the buying journey, and why treating your business as a data feed might be the most important shift you make this decade. Whether you’re a retail leader, marketer, or founder hungry for growth, this conversation will make you rethink how SEO, structure, and future-proofing really work.
About Blink
Blink is a specialist ecommerce SEO and PPC agency focused on Shopify stores with large product catalogues. Founded by Sam Wright, who has worked in ecommerce since 2002, the Birmingham-based team combines data science with hands-on expertise to improve organic search performance, site structure, and taxonomy for online retailers.
About Macalytics
Macalytics is an AI-powered SEO platform built specifically for Shopify stores by Sam Wright of Blink. It automates keyword mapping, on-page optimisation, and impact tracking, connecting directly to Shopify, Google Analytics, and Search Console to surface opportunities and measure results without the manual legwork.
Jamie Hamer
Host, Retail is Detail Podcast
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Eddie Grovu, Toolden, on Scaling a Retail Business from £11m to £70m With No Stores
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Ryan Copeland, Foundation Commerce, the Magento Developer Who Took On Shopify
Ryan Copeland of Foundation Commerce explains why Magento with Hyvä still beats Shopify for the right merchants. He shares how Foundation doubled Citizen Watch's revenue, why page speed is still retail's ignored money leak, and what good agency work actually looks like.