2PM - Letter No. 919: "The Perfect PDP"

Building the best in-class PDP: Shopping is work until you walk into the right store. There’s something about it: the people, the ambience, the merchandising, the efficiency, the spacing. You know it when you see it. For me, it’s any Todd Snyder store. For others, it may be Lululemon, Draper James, or Drake’s of London. There are few easier places that can persuade a consumer to transact happily. You walk out wanting to tell a friend to shop there with you next time.

How does this very real sensation translate to online shopping? I’d argue directly. If you’re a fan of online shopping, the perfect product page is a hook.

A product page can foster emotional attachment to a brand or product by using captivating visuals, powerful storytelling, and personalized interactions. These elements work together to evoke emotions and create memorable experiences, ultimately leading to a deeper connection between consumers and the brand. But the real work is beneath the surface. The key to achieving this connection lies in the careful crafting of every element on the page, from the visuals to the text and even interactive features.

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People started buying Crocs during the pandemic and didn't stop

A. Persisting tastes: While other brands that thrived with customers in quarantine have dropped off, sales of the easily slipped-on clogs are up nearly 200 percent since 2019. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

2PM's Crocs Analysis: Crocs is a once-in-a-lifetime retailer with a rare trajectory, an even rarer growth strategy. The company maintains a wide adoration and support that crosses barriers like age, race, economic status, cultures, and personal style. 

Why only some brands are thriving in a tough economy

B. Shifting tastes: “[Crocs] have a very loyal customer base, they offer affordable products that are new and fresh every season,” said Gabriella Santaniello, founder and chief executive of A Line Partners. “The question now is whether they can move from being a trend to being a mainstay product.” In other words, Crocs is looking to avoid the fate of Allbirds or Olaplex, which similarly had seemingly bottomless demand for their products, until suddenly they didn’t.

eGrocery falls flat when startups try to reinvent the wheel

A. eGrocery / PYMNTS: From Instacart's increased valuation to Boxed 's bankruptcy filing, online grocery is seeing major changes. While players that attempt to drive adoption of their own digital grocery stores are struggling to make the economics of the model work, Instacart is benefitting from its status as a third-party player, enabling the company to drive sales from existing retailers' well-established customer bases.

DTC seafood leader Wild Alaskan acquires processor

B. eGrocery / Undercurrent News: The Wild Alaskan Company, one of the US seafood industry's biggest players in the direct-to-consumer space, announced on Monday (April 3) that it has acquired 100% of the Bellingham, Washington-based value-added processor Home Port Seafoods.

Frozen food brands are putting DTC on ice to focus on retail expansion

C. eGrocery / Modern Retail: It was only a few years ago that being a direct-to-consumer CPG brand was all the rage. At the beginning of the pandemic, many young food and beverage startups saw their sales explode when they went DTC.

The head of American Eagle's logistics subsidiary is out

Logistics: American Eagle Outfitters built a logistics arm by acquiring two firms in 2021. After spending more than $350 million, the combined entity is called Quiet Platforms. Two leaders have left and the firm needs a "reset," according to a spokesperson.

2PM's AEO Analysis: The 45 year old, Pittsburgh-based apparel company moved to mitigate supply chain disruptions and increased freight costs by purchasing two logistics companies, AirTerra (for an undisclosed sum) and Quiet Logistics for $350 million. While eCommerce companies like Amazon and Shopify have added to their empires by bringing warehousing and shipping operations in-house, it is still surprising for a mall retailer of AEO’s size.

Retailers tackle cardboard overload with made-to-fit boxes

eCommerce: The days of tiny online orders shipping to customers in oversized boxes are a step closer to becoming a thing of the past. Big retailers are rolling out machines in their e-commerce distribution operations that make packages sized specifically to fit the items being shipped, potentially reining in some of the big volumes of cardboard generated as online shopping has grown.

The TikTok-addicted should beware China's surveillance state

Data / Washington Post: "I want to say this to all the teenagers out there and TikTok influencers who think we're just old and out of touch," said Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.) at last month's congressional hearing on the popular video platform.Congress is not just cranky elders "trying to take away your favorite app," Crenshaw continued.

2PM's Newsweek Analysis: There have also been concerns about the close relationship between some Chinese tech companies and the government, raising questions about whether user data could be used for surveillance or other purposes. Consider GTCOM, a big-data and artificial intelligence company controlled by the China's "Central Propaganda Department."

Today's "hot" athletic and outdoor brands?

Brand Equity / SGB Media: Nike continues to dominate in popularity across athletic categories, while The North Face, Patagonia, Columbia and Ugg led the outdoor space. However, many newer brands including Hoka, On, Cotopaxi, Fjällräven and Huk gained significant traction and brand recognition that varied across genders and generations.

Memo / The Potential UPS Strike: The current contract between Teamsters and UPS is due to expire on July 31. Sean O’Brien, the Teamsters General-President, suggests that UPS workers will strike on August 1 if a deal isn’t reached by the close of business on July 31. Vinnie Perone, a 30 year employee of UPS and Local 804 Teamsters President:

UPS’s opening position is crystal clear: all the company wants after a year with $101 billion in revenue is more money off your backs.

Of the 534,000 members of the Teamsters union employed internationally, 350,000 are employed by UPS. The market leader in courier services has hired just over 72,000 Teamsters since mid-2018 with an average compensation of $95,000 (not including pension benefits). The contract between UPS and its union-backed workers was negotiated by Jimmy Hoffa Jr. and will be renegotiated by O’Brien to include better pay, better overtime protection, and an improved way for workers to stand up against the heat.

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