Shoptoberfest Recap: The Future of Wholesale Ecommerce, Live From the Beer Hall
Shoptoberfest brought together some of the most forward-thinking minds in ecommerce, and the energy was unmistakable.
From platform innovation to community powered conversations, Shopware created a space where honest dialogue and real-world challenges took center stage. For Aysnd, it was the perfect environment to dig into the future of wholesale and B2B commerce.
One of the highlights of the event? Carrie Weidenbach (Co-Founder/COO) and Chris Harrison (VP of Ecommerce Strategy) joining the Always Off Brand team live on stage to record “The Ecommerce of Getting Wholesale Orders,” a candid conversation about the friction points, breakthroughs, and opportunities shaping B2B today.
Here’s a quick recap of Shoptoberfest and key ideas explored during the live podcast session.
The Shoptoberfest Experience
This year marked our first time attending Shoptoberfest, and it quickly became clear that the event is far more than a traditional conference. It is a thoughtful showcase of what modern commerce can be when intention, community, and technology work together. Shopware’s commitment to rebuilding its platform around flexibility, openness, and composability was reflected in the event itself, and it aligns closely with Aysnd’s mission to support complex brands with conscious, scalable solutions.
From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt different. The TED Talk style presentations encouraged focused insight rather than long-form sessions, and the layout, food, and communal energy made it easy to connect with both familiar faces and new ones. Even as first-time attendees, the Shopware team created a welcoming environment where we immediately felt part of the community.
Across sessions and hallway conversations, similar themes kept coming up:
B2B is undergoing a long overdue digital transformation.
Teams are hungry for platforms that reduce friction rather than create it.
AI and automation are shifting from novelty to necessity.
Human connection remains core to growth, even as more workflows become automated.
These themes carried directly into our podcast discussion.
What We Covered on the Podcast
During the live recording at Shoptoberfest, Carrie Weidenbach and Chris Harrison joined the Always Off Brand team to talk about the realities of modern B2B ecommerce, platform strategy, and why flexibility and intentional design matter for regulated and complex industries.
Carrie opened by sharing Aysnd’s perspective on evaluating and choosing the right ecommerce platforms, as well as why Shopware stood out during their research. As she explained:
“We did extensive research and found Shopware, and found a lot that we love about this platform…the open API, the composability of it, the flexibility that it brings. With so many of our B2B and complex regulated clients, these are important features that you need to be able to adapt and change, and Shopware brings that.”
Chris added insight from his background working with enterprise platforms and large scale digital transformations. He noted how innovation in ecommerce often originates from emerging, nimble platforms rather than the large players that acquire them. As he put it:
“A lot of the innovation comes from those smaller, nimble partners that get acquired. And Shopware seems a lot like that. They’ve developed a very solid product with a really productive and efficient technology stack.”
The conversation also highlighted ongoing pain points for wholesale teams, including the persistence of manual orders, fragmented workflows, and tools that force sales reps into administrative roles rather than relationship driven work. The group discussed how solutions like Shopware’s Digital Sales Room give reps a way to collaborate with customers in real time, eliminating unnecessary steps and strengthening relationships.
Looking ahead, Carrie and Chris touched on the growing relevance of AI in commerce. While adoption is still early, they agreed that B2B will likely see meaningful impact first, given the complexity of product catalogs, compliance rules, and purchasing workflows. Intelligent agents and well trained bots have the potential to act as scalable support for both customers and sales teams.
Overall, the episode underscored a clear theme: wholesale brands grow faster when technology reduces friction, supports compliance, and allows people to do their best work.
How This Connects to Aysnd’s Work
Aysnd partners with purpose-driven brands in B2B, wholesale, and regulated industries to modernize digital ecosystems with intention. Our work spans strategy, user experience, platform implementation, and ongoing optimization. The conversations at Shoptoberfest reinforced a truth we see every day: When you reduce friction, you unlock growth.
Platforms like Shopware make this kind of progress possible. We help bring it to life in ways that reflect the mission, operations, and goals of each brand we serve.
Listen to the Full Conversation
For all the insights, humor, and the full behind-the-scenes energy of recording in a beer hall, listen to the full Always Off Brand podcast ›
Ready to grow with intention? Let’s connect ›