Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott Joins Board of Directors at E-commerce Company Shopify — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

Taylor Swift Effect

The Taylor Swift effect isn’t just a pop culture headline, it’s also big business, and online retailers are perfectly positioned to capitalize on that, Finkelstein noted in May.

In a LinkedIn post, he cited the example of creator and entrepreneur Cassey Ho, founder of Blogilates.

Along with the release of Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, she posted a viral video for her For a Fortnight challenge. The video shows a three-second clip of her wearing a Blogilates skirt.

After publishing this review, Blogilates immediately sold out of all 13 color versions of the Pirouette skirt and had to hold a pre-sale for the first time ever to keep up with the overwhelming demand for their product.

Sales were up 600-700%, and the day’s result was the second best ever, beaten only by the 2023 Black Friday sale.

Finkelstein noted that Shopify merchants around the world are feeling the power of Swift.

In January, Swift was spotted wearing a dress from British retailer Little Lies, which saw a 17,000% increase in sales compared to the same day last year and, unsurprisingly, recorded its best daily sales figure in the company’s history.

And again, Swift was spotted wearing a garment from The Westside Storey after a Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday in December. The next day, the retailer reported a 700% increase in sales.

Finkelstein concluded: “One of the biggest figures in popular culture, wearing a small company’s product, changing lives.”

“For some brands, this influx of volume would overwhelm their store—but not on Shopify. We’ve built a platform that can handle the demand and the power of Swifties. The only question is: What product will go viral next? If it’s on Shopify, we’re ready for it.”