Justin Irvine, Co-Founder of The Aggregate Co, isn’t your average ops guy. He’s the behind-the-scenes fixer helping some of Australia’s most recognisable ecommerce brands (think Meshki, Showpo, Oz Hair and Culture Kings), streamline their operations and scale profitably. Whether it’s shaving dollars off fulfilment costs, turning loyalty into a CX weapon, or helping legacy retailers like Betts find their modern edge, Justin’s built a reputation on doing the hard things well. In this episode of Checkout, recorded live at Retail Fest, we get a look behind the logistics curtain (and a few surprises from the man who’s helped move over a billion dollars in ecommerce GVM).
Time to pull it apart.
Necklights and Night Barbecues
When Justin goes hiking, he likes to cook under the stars (romantic, huh?). But not in the dark (not that romantic). So when we asked him about his weirdest online purchase, the answer was plain and simple: a neck-mounted light that wraps around like a wearable headlamp and beams from both sides. It’s part camping gear, part Iron Man, and 100 percent Justin. It replaces the traditional head torch and leaves your hands free to cook, carry or wrangle whatever’s burning on the barbecue.
“I bought a neck light so I could barbecue hands-free. Logistics never really leaves you.”
What seems like a quirky buy actually tracks perfectly with his ops brain: solve for friction, upgrade the process, and make the tools do more. Even outside of work, Justin’s all about clever systems that quietly make things easier (and safer).
Rebooting a Retail Icon
Of all the brands Justin works with, it’s Betts Footwear that’s inspired him most recently. Watching a 130-year-old Australian retailer reinvent itself under new CEO Michael has been, in his words, “the most exciting project we’ve touched since we launched.” The Aggregate Co has been instrumental in shaping Betts’ operational strategy, not just fixing back-end processes, but building out ship-from-store models and rethinking fulfilment around the customer.
It’s a great example of how Justin thinks about ops as a strategic lever, not just a cost line. He’s not drawn to the flashiest brands, he’s energised by smart leadership, clear vision and the chance to help a business unlock its next chapter.
The BI Stack That Powers a Billion
Honestly speaking here, most dashboards look slick and say very little. But Justin’s BI stack doesn’t mess around. Built using Alteryx, Snowflake and Tableau, it cuts straight to what matters: tracking freight invoices, flagging contract issues, and giving ecommerce teams a clear view of what it really costs to serve every single order.
This isn’t just about percentages and pretty charts (although we do love a pretty chart, yes). It’s SKU-level data that tells you where the margin’s leaking, what’s working, and what needs fixing, fast. No fluff, no spreadsheets dressed up as strategy. Just sharp insights that help brands scale without setting fire to their P&L. If your ops stack can’t do that, keep in mind it might be time for a rethink.
What do Scott Galloway and Hot Tub Time Machines have to do?
When Justin’s not deep in ops mode, he’s soaking up insights from sharp operators like Scott Galloway and Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett. He’s also a fan of Dan Martell’s thinking on structure and accountability (yeah, unsurprising given how much of his work is about turning chaos into systems that scale).
But his biggest challenge isn’t tech or tariffs. It’s time. With The Aggregate Co doubling in size in just four months, Justin jokes that he needs a hot tub time machine just to stay on top of it all. That hunger to learn, build and do better is what’s kept him in the game, and why his team is increasingly being tapped for global expansion projects. He’s scaling, and fast.
Not Your Average Freight Guy
Justin Irvine makes ops look… fun. Yep, fun. He’s got the rare ability to take shipping, returns, fulfilment and freight contracts (the stuff most founders put off until Q4 panic mode) and turn them into genuine growth levers. His Checkout answers reveal someone who’s constantly finding ways to make operations smarter, stickier and just that little bit smoother.
No surprise then that brands like Showpo, Meshki, Oz Hair and Culture Kings trust him with the heavy lifting. He’s not about shiny decks or fluffy strategies. Justin rolls up his sleeves, plugs the margin leaks and helps brands scale without losing their minds, or their money. He’s ops, with heart.
🎧 Want more from Justin?
Listen to the complete Checkout Episode, live now:
Before you leave…
Join the Add To Cart Community. We’ve got deep dives, events, and practical inspo for ecommerce operators who are playing the long game.
