🎉 Welcome
Welcome to Issue #18 of Ecommerce Elevated
Ecommerce Elevated is a fortnightly round-up of the content we think will best help you stay up-to-date on the latest in ecommerce, branding and technology, provide inspiration and guidance for your next strategy and gain perspective on what it takes to succeed in the new consumer economy. Brought to you by the humans at Okendo.
đź’Ż Must Read
Lerer Hippeau’s Caitlin Strandberg: We need to look at what happens beyond the DTC brands of the past
Lerer Hippeau is the most active seed fund in New York, according to the company, and it raised a $122 million funding round in April to drive new investments as well as support new ones. According to Strandberg, 75 percent of the company’s first-time investments raise a second round. The firm is split 50-50 between a consumer and enterprise portfolio and has invested in companies like Dia & Co, Allbirds, Casper, Warby Parker and Glossier.
Shopify
Black Friday Cyber Monday 2018: an analysis of over $1.5 billion in sales
Throughout the Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) shopping weekend, November 24th to the 26th, Shopify merchants collectively made over $1.5 billion USD in sales.
đź›’ Ecommerce Trends
An Amazon revolt could be brewing as the tech giant exerts more control over brands
This fall Amazon has been notifying brands that sell products in categories ranging from household consumables to fashion accessories that part of their business on Amazon would be shut down — with just 30 days notice. As such, some companies are choosing to end their relationship with Amazon rather than cave to the online retailer’s demands.
The subtle art of (not) understanding DNVBs
The number of DNVBs has considerably increased over the past years. There are 400+ startups having raised c.$3bn in venture capital since 2012. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Most of the popular brands people use were born with our parents, not with us...
Introducing the Glossy 50, our annual list of those changing the face of fashion and beauty
It’s been a transformative year for the fashion and beauty industries: Direct-to-consumer brands moved further into traditional-brand territory, streetwear and luxury became increasingly intertwined, and wellness’s impact on beauty became apparent industrywide. In our second annual Glossy 50 list, we’re honoring the industry insiders responsible for driving these important shifts.
đź“Ł Marketing
Introducing the Lightspeed standardized e-commerce model
For the uninitiated, building an e-commerce financial model can feel a bit like constructing a Rube Goldberg machine. Without a standard model, results are often difficult to justify to others and can be unreliable. Lightspeed Ventures shares an attempt at the simplest possible financial template for e-commerce startups.
DTC brands are embracing membership models to improve retention
As digitally native brands shift attention from customer acquisition to retention, finding inventive ways to keep customers coming back is taking priority over earlier scaling methods, like Facebook retargeting and Google search ads.
👩‍💼 Leadership
You probably won’t make it to the top
Making it to the top isn’t the game you should be focused on. The top is full of people who hate what they had to do or who they had to become to get there. Even for the people who get there with a clean conscience often end up disappointed by how shallow the satisfaction really is.
🔌 Technology
Snapchat’s new ecommerce channel lets consumers shop without leaving the app
Just in time for the holiday season, Snapchat’s Discover section in the app will have a new channel: “Shop and Cop.” The channel, includes a native ecommerce experience powered by Shopify, allowing consumers to shop without leaving the app or being directed to a microsite.
❤️ Retailer Spotlight
How an indie beauty brand used video content to grow its subscription program
Vegamour, a hair-care brand that launched in September 2016, has quickly managed to scale its revenue through an aggressive use of video ads on Facebook and Instagram. The brand managed to drive $6 million in sales in the first six months of the year by initially employing growth hacking tactics like rapidly experimenting with who it was targeting with its video content to grow sales as much as possible.
🙏 Thank You
Thank you for reading Issue #18 of Ecommerce Elevated!
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