On this episode of Unboxing Ecommerce, James and Jennifer order from Milk Makeup with special guest, Tyler DeLarm. Tyler, Head of Demand Generation at Undigital, is a seasoned business leader and marketing consultant with a reputation for guiding successful teams with optimistic kindness. His unique combination of expertise in brand positioning, organizational behavior, and demand generation has been instrumental in adding millions of dollars in annual revenue to multiple companies. Wh...
Welcome to Season Two! On this episode of Unboxing Ecommerce, James and Jennifer order from Outlier NYC ("Outlier") with special guest, Nima Elyassi-Rad. Nima is a technology executive and investor. He currently serves as VP of GTM at Shippo. Previously, he founded a soccer brand, spent time as a VC and put in time as a hip hop radio DJ. Why Outlier? Nima chose Outlier because they're the only 100% indie/self funded brand that's 100% DTC (never had B&M and never wholesaled), plus 100% fo...
On this last episode of Season One, James and Jennifer order from Psycho Bunny with special guest, Aaron Schwartz. Aaron is the cofounder of Orita.ai and has previously served as President at Loop Returns. He also co-founded Passport Shipping and Modify Watches. Based in the Bay Area, Aaron grew up in Cleveland. We will be back for Season Two on September 10, 2024. Why Psycho Bunny? Aaron chose Psycho Bunny, because he loves their VP IT / Data / Analytics. Psycho Bunny: www.psychobunny...
This week James and Jennifer order from Alter Eco with special guest, Ashley Zager. Ashley cut her teeth in CPG taking The New Primal from a part-time, online beef jerky company to managing 25 skus processed at 7 different co-manufacturers. Since then, at Siddhi Capital she has acted as the VP of Operations for over 45 companies in the past 6 years, touching every aisle of the grocery store and online channels. From warehouse strategy, to product or packaging development, to setti...
This week James and Jennifer order from Anthropologie with special guest, Monique Benoit, a Senior Merchant leading BIPOC Brand Development at Ulta Beauty and fellow podcast host of Scaling Emerging Beauty Podcast. Monique has worked with emerging brands to bring them to market and has a drive to help brands scale, along with being an avid shopper. Why Anthropologie? Monique used to work as a Senior Buyer and Diversity and Inclusion Council Member at the brand and also loves the ...
This week James and Jennifer order from Skratch Labs with special guest, Amanda Hofman, the Co-Founder and CEO of Go To Market. Go To Market is a woman-owned branded merchandise business looking to revolutionize the way the world handles swag. Before Go To Market, Amanda was the Founder and CEO of Urban Girl Squad, the premier social networking group for women in their 20s and 30s in NYC. Why Skratch Labs? Skratch sends THE BEST extra goodies with every order -- really weirdo sti...
This week James and Jennifer order from Dieux with special guest, Mary Wiegand, the Founder and CEO of Boon, LLC. Mary brings over 16 years of demand planning experience across a multitude of retail product types and selling channels. She has created an innovative, non-traditional business model that delivers hands-on results to young and start-up brands while simultaneously empowering her team (of nearly all women) to find professional fulfillment and lead robust personal lives. Why D...
This week James and Jennifer order from Bed, Bath, and Beyond with special guest, Michelle Hsiao, the CEO and Founder of Revenue Growth Advisors. Michelle brings a wealth of experience to the table, having previously led merchandising teams at prestigious companies like Boscov’s, Macy’s, and Gugu Guru. With her extensive background in ecommerce strategy, merchandising, and profitability improvement, Michelle provides invaluable insights into the world of retail and ecommerce. Why Bed Bath an...
James, Jennifer, and their guest Cody Berenson (Siddhi Capital) order Cometeer Coffee and are captured by its specialness. Why Cometeer Coffee? A Food/Beverage Operator thought this disruptive product delivered in an unconventional way would present an interesting exploration into supply chain, packaging, and logistics. Research included these sources: Cometeer Coffee: https://cometeer.com/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cometeer_Coffee and https://en.wikipedia.o...
James, Jennifer, and their guest Jeff Kaiden (Capacity, LLC) order Summer Fridays' hero product and then some. Research included these sources: Summer Fridays: https://summerfridays.com/pages/aboutToday Show: https://www.today.com/video/how-summer-fridays-founders-went-from-online-to-in-stores-162786373733Pitchbook: https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/267885-01#investorsThe Industry.Beauty: https://theindustry.beauty/the_directory/summer-fridays/Zoominfo: ht...
James and Jennifer wrap their heads around Temu. Why Temu? We wanted to understand how this Chinese app came out of nowhwere and its influence on American shoppers. Research included these sources: Temu: https://www.temu.com/about-temu.htmlTime: https://time.com/6243738/temu-app-complaints/ZDNet: https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-temu-legit-what-to-know-about-this-wildly-popular-shopping-app/NPR: https://www.npr.org/2024/02/14/1230907159/temu-shopping-app-super-bowl-...
James and Jennifer order from Rooted and admire the iterations. Why Rooted? Perishable items add complexity to shipping that would be fun to explore. Research included these sources: Rooted: https://heyrooted.com/pages/our-storyRooted’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqzCQsD_oN/Air.inc: https://air.inc/blog/on-brand-no-11The Pitch podcast: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/the-pitch/wbhjx5gPlantboy: https://www.withplantboy.com/Point of References:&nb...
James and Jennifer order from Warby Parker and feel trusted. Why Warby Parker? Counterpoint to Sunglass Hut (Oakley, Ray-Bans, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision) dominance. Research included these sources: Warby Parker: https://www.warbyparker.com/historyThe Business Model Analyst: https://businessmodelanalyst.com/warby-parker-business-model/Knowledge at Wharton: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/what-eyewear-startup-warby-parker-sees-that-others-dont/Wikipedia:&...
James and Jennifer go off-format to discuss Returns with a panel of experts at Manifest Las Vegas. Special guests Jeff Wolpov (SVP, Ryder Ecommerce), Jonathan Poma (CEO, Loop), and Kyle Bertin (CEO, Two Boxes). Recorded, edited, and mastered by Matt and Alex, Podcaster Studios, Las Vegas _______________ Have a brand/shopping experience you want us to review? Send us a message at unboxingecomm@gmail.com Connect with James Marks: www.linkedin.com/in/jameslmarks www.withtrivial.com Connect w...
James and Jennifer order from Bloomingdale's and guest Maia Benson (ex-Shopify) gets free shipping from Bangalore, India. Why Bloomingdale's / Macy's? Our first guest ever Maia Benson talks about nostalgia, experiencing something “special”, and the desire to tap a certain use case in her online shopping. Research included these sources: Bloomingdale’s: https://www.bloomingdales.com/b/about-us/history/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomingdale%27sClassic New York History: ht...
James and Jennifer order from Urban Outfitters and James falls apart. Why Urban Outfitters? They are a sophisticated family of demographic-oriented businesses. Research included these sources: URBN: https://www.urbn.com/homeWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_OutfittersFinancial Times: https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/profile?s=URBN:NSQGlobal Data: https://www.globaldata.com/company-profile/urban-outfitters-inc/Salesforce Buys Krux for...
Community and connection come up more than once as James and Jennifer consider Powell's e-tail backend like an archaeological dig into the past. Once they get their packages, they go absolutely bananas over the branded packing slip, supporting their theory that Powell's might just care more about the physical, tangible, in-person connection to their customers than updating their technologies. Or maybe it's a nod to their identity as an independent retailer. Research included these sou...
James and Jennifer order from netflix.shop. Jennifer is not impressed with the shopping experience, surprising James, who didn't have the same visceral reaction. They talk about localization and get a bit emotional as they embrace the moniker MLP. In the end, they are kind of delighted with the tech stack and the story it told. Research included these sources: Netflix: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/introducing-netflix-shopReuters: https://www.reuters.com/bu...
James and Jennifer order from Bombas and receive their first-ever package without a packing slip. They get emo over workers in ecomm, about dry, healthy feet, and about their orders generating goodness in multiples. There's a lot of love and heart-feels in this episode. Research included these sources: Bombas website: https://shop.bombas.com/pages/about-usBombas Impact Report, 2022: https://beebetter.bombas.com/impactCapitalism dot com: https://www.capitalism.c...
James and Jennifer talk about a recent dog-sitting adventure and a Mattress Factory mystery before they order socks from Stance. They get into Stance's ties to skateboarding, Rihanna, and artists then go deep into their packages' journeys, pixels, QR codes, and bare-bones packing slips. They haven't gotten over their disappointment with the Fenty lipstick "debacle". Research on Stance included these sources: WikipediaTracxnStance_______________ Have a brand/shopping experience you want us to...