Friday, September 8

🗣 Agency owners only, book a time to learn about my new project here

#1 - 😇 Resale is losing its stigma

📰 TL;DR - With the rise in brands launching resale channels, how do shoppers actually feel about shopping secondhand? Well, pretty good, it turns out. According to this survey, 85% of consumers said they bought or sold used items in the last year, a bump from 2022. As well, 27% said they only started buying secondhand items within the last year. In all, 76% said the stigma associated with resale has eased. Part of this is that secondhand shopping has gotten more convenient and accessible — just think of how many online markets there are. Resale offers lower prices, wide selection, and the thrill of the hunt.

💡 Insight - You need only look at the rise of thrift resellers to know that secondhand is cool again. What I’m wondering is when the stigma will end on the brand side. I feel like many brands are still hesitant to launch their own resale channels, whether because of the optics or the fear that it will eat into their main sales. To that, I would urge you to consider what it means to meet shoppers where they’re at. We know that resale has skyrocketed, we know that many major brands have launched resale channels, and we know that shoppers are super budget-conscious right now. I think it’s also a testament to any brand that is confident its products are durable and well-made enough to live many lives.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#2 - 💄 The rise of AI in beauty

📰 TL;DR - Here’s an interesting look at how beauty brands have embraced AI at a rapid pace. We’re seeing tools like virtual try-ons, skin analysis, and color matching. The goal is to personalize experiences, which is very key to this industry. You can lose a customer based on a bad foundation color match, or you can win them for life with a flawless shade. Some examples in here include Estée Lauder’s Voice-Enabled Makeup Assistant, as well as Perfect Crop’s Precision Skin tool that uses AI along with user preferences to recommend products.

💡 Insight - AI is changing e-commerce in so many ways, but for consumers, I think personalization is the one that matters most. If you’re a beauty brand, you’re getting left behind if you’re not considering tools like these. But the philosophy applies to other types of products as well. The ChatGPT example here, as an assistant, could be used for any type of goods. All purchases are inherently personal, you just need to find the angle that works for you.

➡️ You can read the article here...

📣 If you want to reach our audience of 10,000+ DTC store owners, tap here 

#3 - 📱 Mobile reigns supreme

📰 TL;DR - This report looks at the rise of mobile commerce. And when I say rise, I really mean supremacy. Of the $96.87 billion extra spent on e-commerce in the US this year, mobile will contribute 61.4%. That’s huge. And it’s expected to rise 13.8% throughout 2023. You can see the steady growth in the charts. Breaking it down further, in five years it’s anticipated that almost half of US online sales will be made via mobile. For 2023, it’s around 43%.

💡 Insight - What this means is that if you think of your desktop website experience first, and your mobile experience second, you have to do a switcheroo. Start thinking of your mobile website as your primary point of entry and build from there. That also means I think we’ll be seeing an even greater rise in DTC brands building their own mobile shopping apps.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#4 - 🛠️ Things worth checking out

📆 EVENT - Join Aidaptive, Triple Whale, Hawke Media, and Fulfill.com for a conversation about innovative strategies to win Black Friday. Register here. Sep 12!

😎 INFLUENCERS - Build an in-house influencer program without lifting a finger, here's how. They're accepting 3 new brands for September, book a meeting.

🥊 SHOPAZON - If you can’t get enough of the Amazon/Shopify rivalry, here’s another sip of tea.

🔎 SEARCH - Here’s a 101-style guide to organic search and how to improve your ranking.

🤖 EBAY - eBay is rolling out an AI tool that automatically builds listings based on just a photo. Read more here.

#5 - 🧶 Etsy wants off-platform links

📰 TL;DR - Etsy is launching a new program to encourage shop owners to bring in sales from off the site itself. Called Etsy Share & Save, it gives sellers unique codes to use on social media, SMS, email, or wherever else. If someone makes a purchase via that link, Etsy will take 4% of the seller’s bill for the sale. Like being your own affiliate partner. As well, the seller app will now let you place trackable links back to your shop with positive reviews. The program is free to join, though you can also opt out.

💡 Insight - I can only assume that Etsy has identified that it’s having trouble drawing in shoppers from outside of its own search, and this is the solution. I can see sellers being eager to use this as any seller doing well is already engaged in off-site marketing. Etsy is even going so far as to launch educational materials and workshops on the new program, so clearly they’re hoping it’ll drive some sales.

➡️ You can read the article here...