We Need To Talk About WooCommerce (More Than Ever)

If we look at competitors, I don’t think we talk enough about WooCommerce. Not nearly enough, at least.

For an ecosystem this big (7+ million active installs according to WP.org, 4 million websites according to StoreLeads, and 6,5 million websites according to BuiltWith), there are few places where developers, agencies, and merchants can come together and have real conversations.

I mean actual “conversations”… and not tweets (which Woo has definitely embraced in the last couple of years) or support threads.

Because if we keep talking, we can move forward as “one”. As a community.

Talking is alignment. It’s knowing what’s coming before it’s announced. It’s understanding the challenges merchants face, what developers are building, and where agencies are focusing their energy.

When we spend time together—sharing ideas, testing new approaches, debating best practices—we’re not just individuals. We become one entity. We make the most of this beautiful open-source project.

We’re one ecosystem that can shape the future of WooCommerce, instead of reacting to it.

Conversations spark innovation. They uncover opportunities. They help us all move faster, smarter, and with purpose. And that’s exactly why creating spaces to talk—online or in person—matters more than ever.

We Lost Something Along the Way

We had WooConf back in 2014, 2016, and 2017, in person, in the US. I’ve heard amazing feedback and read dozens of enthusiastic recap posts about WooConf.

After that, the only real gathering point for Woo makers has been WooSesh (since 2018), an online conference created by the great Brian Richards. Which is awesome—and I’m genuinely grateful it’s coming back in October 2026—but one WooCommerce event per year is not enough.

Not even close.

Yes, there are WordCamps. But WooCommerce there is now a side topic, never the main conversation (with its own track, for example). If you go through the latest flagship WordCamp schedules, you will find one, maybe two WooCommerce talks per event.

That’s not enough.

I talk to WooCommerce developers on a daily basis, and everyone (everyone!) keeps telling me we need more time together, and that we really need to talk about Woo.

My Theory: Conferences === Growth

If we start talking—really talking—we can move forward as a community.

Conversations align us. They make sure no one gets left behind when the next big WooCommerce update drops. They let merchants understand what developers and agencies are working on, and let developers see where real needs lie.

When we spend time together—sharing ideas, learning from mistakes, celebrating wins—we become more than individual contributors. We become one ecosystem capable of shaping WooCommerce’s future, rather than just reacting to it.

Shopify thrives also because they invest heavily in bringing people together, often (they also invest an incredible amount of budget in physical and online ads, marketing, sales, design, communication—but that’s not the point I’m making here). With a quick search, I found these 2026 conferences: Shopify DotDev, Shopify Meetup Tour, Shoptalk, The Wide Event, Techtonic, Shopify Unite, Shopify Growth Vault, and probably some others I’ve missed.

Merchants. Beginners. Agencies. Everyone. When people meet, talk, and learn together, things happen:

better stores
better agencies
better products
better UX
better alignment
increased usage
reduced churn
more money in the ecosystem

It’s not rocket science.

Conversations spark growth. They create clarity. They inspire action. And that’s exactly why we need more spaces—online and in person—where WooCommerce people can meet, share, and move forward together.

Yep, That’s Why I Built Checkout Summit

Bring it on, WooSesh! Bring it back, WooConf! And now… Checkout Summit.

I created this in-person conference because a massive ecosystem needs another place to connect, talk, and learn from each other.

Checkout Summit is my attempt to fill the WooCommerce calendar with more touchpoints throughout the year.

But of course, right now, travelling isn’t ideal for many people (and there have been huge budget cuts in the ecosystem this year as well).

Organizing in-person events has been tougher than ever, and many people simply can’t make it to a conference abroad.

Announcing Checkout Summit… {Reloaded}!

So, today, April 1st, I’m launching Checkout Summit {Reloaded}—a live, online retake of the in-person event.

I’ve asked all Checkout Summit speakers to come back online and redo their keynote talks on May 7 and May 8, 2026. All sponsors will show up again. And some bonus speakers will be present for great, additional chats in between keynotes.

Same goal, bigger reach:

2 days: May 7 and May 8, 2026
12 keynote talks: James Kemp, Katie Keith, Josh Kohlbach, Cathy Chen, Patrick Rauland, Nik McLaughlin, Jessica Risch, Rémi Corson, Karolína Vyskočilová, Maciek Palmowski, Matt Cohen, Andrea Cardinali
10 fireside chats: Matthias Reinholz, Bryce Adams, and more…
Live interaction, networking, real conversations
Split across two time zones to make it accessible worldwide
Tickets include all recordings

And yes, the ticket costs about the same as a couple of coffees (because price should never be the barrier here). And the sooner you get your ticket, the cheaper it is: https://checkoutsummit.com/reloaded

This Is a Call, Not Just a Launch

This post is about promoting an event, yes. But it’s also a call.

If you’re in the WooCommerce space—developer, agency, founder, merchant—and you’ve ever thought “We need to talk about Woo”, Checkout Summit {Reloaded} is one of the answers.

Let’s create more events. Because this doesn’t get solved by one event only.

More WooCommerce “days”.

More conversations.

More opportunities for the ecosystem to learn and grow.

If you’re thinking of organizing something—let’s talk.

If you want to speak—let’s talk.

If you have ideas—let’s talk.

Seriously! This ain’t a joke. Even if it’s the first of April.