Limited Supply

Latest Episodes:

S7 E8: Shopify’s Price Increases (Again), Faire Brings Wholesaling Back, Viewer Website Audit Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

Just when you thought we were done talking about Shopify…

This week, the guys discuss the latest price hikes by the e-commerce platform and what the three-year contract means for your DTC. Is it fair—and are all retailers getting the same price increase? And what’s up with Shopify acting like the ultimate “pick me” girl when they’re the largest e-commerce platform around?

Then, Nik and Moiz take on Faire, the wholesale channel selling boutique items at wholesale prices. Is it a good thing or bad thing that it threatens to reveal just how much your competitors are willing to pay at wholesale prices?

And later, Nik dissects a viewer-submitted website, doling out his expert tips on how to optimize any DTC website. Trust us when we say, you won’t wanna miss this segment if you’re looking to increase conversion rates for your site!

Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack.

This is the better alternative to coupons.

Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more.

Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

S7 E7: Shopify is Becoming Obsolete—What It Means for Your DTC Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

A lot’s changed in the past 5 years, and we’re not just talking about the resurgence of those terrible bucket hats.

America’s favorite EBITDADDY (and Nik) are back and talking about all the changes to things like Facebook creative targeting, affiliate marketing, and Shopify that you need to know about. Is it better to create one ad set with ten ads or one ad set with one ad? Will Shopify become obsolete thanks to TikTok shop? And is affiliate marketing dead?

Nutrabolt and Bloom Nutrition are out there being savage AF, but we have to take a second to ask WTF Athletic Greens is doing. Could they even compete in brick-and-mortar if they wanted to, especially considering Bloom just raised $90 million? How long can they sustain on Amazon before realizing manifest destiny is the way to go?

Tune in for that—and more.

Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack.

This is the better alternative to coupons.

Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited

00:00:24 - Maximizing Facebook Ad Campaign Efficiency

00:07:08 - The Future of Shopify: Facebook vs. TikTok Shops

00:13:30 - The Future of Affiliate Marketing

00:19:51 - Nutribolt Invests $90 Million in Bloom Nutrition

00:25:18 - How Bloom Outshines the Competition

00:28:14 - Successful Fundraising Stories: Sanzo and nut pods

00:29:08 - Average Check Sizes in Fundraising

00:32:26 - Investing in Startups: Average Check Size at $5 Million Raised

00:33:52 - Website Audit on the Next Episode

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

S7 E6: The Inside Scoop on DTC Growth Plans in 2024 Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

When should your DTC brand take the leap of faith into the world of mixed media? What does an effective growth plan look like in 2024? Nik & Moiz set out to answer the big questions.

We're taking a deep dive into the role of TV, podcasts, and explore the key pieces you need to know to effectively utilize a mixed media strategy. From the challenges of learning how to measure TV ad success to harnessing the power of UGC to cut ad costs, to creating vanity landing pages and more, the guys get down to the brass tacks about how much you can expect to spend when making the transition into TV.

And later, Nik and Moiz reminisce about the possibilities of AI when it comes to customer service, the stupidity (or genius) of Apple Vision Pro, and reveal exactly what Google’s new efforts to combat spam mean for your brand this month.

00:00:00 - Google's Email Changes: What's New?

00:01:17 - The Role of Podcasts and TV in a Mixed Media Strategy

00:06:55 - Podcasts vs. TV: Consumer Preferences

00:10:05 - The Flaws of Traditional TV Ratings

00:12:40 - Reverse Engineering Product Market Fit

00:14:47 - Google and OpenAI Revolutionize TV Ads

00:20:43 - Using UGC to Cut Video Ad Costs

00:26:02 - The Cost of TV Advertising

00:33:07 - Google Cracks Down on Email Spam

00:39:15 - Apple's Ad Platform: What's New?

00:40:00 - The Future of Barcodes: QR Codes

00:44:58 - Website Conversion Rate Optimization Audit

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.

See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

S7 E5: The 2024 Presidential Campaign Site Showdown Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

This week, Nik and Moiz are digging into the showdown between the Trump and Biden campaigns' websites, and how they're currently stacking up against each other.

Dive into the differences between the Trump and Biden campaigns' websites, with and how their landing page design and copy are critical to resonate with audience. The boys will also begin digging into Tatari's DTC Industry Report and breaking down some of their key takeaways, north star metrics, and the effectiveness of TV advertising and the impact of content in the upcoming election.

00:00:00 - Nick's Experience at the EPR Event

00:00:41 - Analyzing Ad Funnels and CRO Tips

00:01:19 - Comparing Trump and Biden Campaigns

00:07:23 - Text-Heavy Website: Trump's Ad Strategy

00:10:53 - Powerful Upsells and Checkout Strategies on Trump's Website

00:17:26 - The Impact of TikTok on the Presidential Election

00:20:42 - Decreased Web Traffic for Biden and Trump

00:22:23 - Insights from Nick Cannon's Campaign Report

00:23:06 - Choosing the Right Metric for Marketing Success

00:24:13 - Understanding Profit vs. Revenue Metrics

00:24:34 - How to Decide Where to Spend Ad Dollars

00:29:35 - The Majority Invest in Paid Social Media

00:30:55 - The Impact of TV Advertising

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.

See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited

S7 E4: News Break: Rare Beauty’s Bloated Business Move, Dagne Dover’s Questionable Valuation and One-Click Unsubscribe Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Nik and Moiz break down the latest findings in the “Business of Fashion” article detailing several brands looking to make their exit in 2024. How do the valuations of brands like Dagne Dover and True Classic line up? Are they overshot or in line with the powerful branding these companies have taken advantage of?

Then the guys get into the nitty gritty details of Rare Beauty’s latest string of announcements, including a new product line launch and the release of their content-based relaxation videos, the Comfort Club. Is this a genius move or the bloated move of a company that’s feeling themselves a little bit *too* much?

And later the guys dissect whether or not clothing rental companies are dead, chat about the latest surge in Facebook Ad prices, and explain the latest email changes happening with Gmail and Yahoo, including what one-click unsubscribe might mean for your business.

00:00:00 - Snowstorm Hits New York City

00:00:20 - How to Bypass Paywalls for Fashion Articles

00:01:33 - Dagney Dover: Slow and Sustainable Brand Building

00:04:10 - Questioning the Valuation of Dagney Dover

00:08:00 - Should True Classic Go Public?

00:11:30 - Rent the Runway and Stitch Fix: The Rise of Clothing Rental Companies

00:18:31 - Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty Thrives

00:29:33 - Email Changes Coming in 2024

00:37:07 - The Need for Real-Time Facebook Ads Data

Read the Business of Fashion Article here.

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.

See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

S7 E3: BarkBox’s $25 Million Success Story, with Ro Co-Founder Rob Schutz Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Nik and Moiz are joined by special guest Rob Schutz, who shares his fascinating career journey and insights into the early days of BarkBox.

As the former VP of Growth, Rob discusses the challenges and successes of building the BarkBox brand, including how the company capitalized on early organic growth and leveraged the power of social media and influencers to rise to the top of the subscription box food chain. He also shares his experiences with other Barkbox ventures, such as BarkPost, BarkBuddy, and reveals exactly what happened to the failed BarkCare.

Later, Rob chats with the guys about the evolution of his new healthcare tech company, Ro, unveiling the unique set of challenges he’s faced in scaling a PCP platform and explaining how it differs from BarkBox, before talking about his current endeavors in growth marketing consulting and domain acquisition.

00:00:49 - From Healthcare Consulting to Daily Deals Entrepreneur

00:05:28 - The Power of an Engaged Email List

00:11:42 - From Startup to Facebook User Acquisition Manager

00:16:52 - Barkbox's $25 Million Success Story

00:23:14 - Launching a BarkBox’s Full Line of Products

00:27:01 - Building a Company for Dogs: Maximizing Dog Joy

00:28:42 - The Highs and Lows of Barkbox's Success

00:37:55 - From Barkbox to Ro

00:42:55 - Ro's Remarkable Growth

00:46:39 - The Evolution of a Health Company

00:55:50 - The Art of Buying Expensive Domains

Follow Rob:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robschutz/

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.

See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

S7 E2: The 2024 Shakedown: Bankruptcies, Bots, and Failed Brand Roll-Ups (Oh My!) Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Bankruptcies, failed roll-ups, and ad-spend-eating robots—sounds like the only proper way to kick off the New Year, yeah?

Nik and Moiz are back, and they’re breaking down everything you might have missed during the holiday vacay, including the string of December bankruptcies that left several brands ringing in the new year with dashed dreams and bottles of champagne to kill the pain.

Then, later they discuss the difference in thinking between first-time and second-time founders, the acquisition of several brands by Fraser’s Group and THG, and what happens when a corporation accidentally kills off its entire brand ethos (we’re looking at you, VF Corp).

And it wouldn’t be the new year without two men behind a microphone dispatching their best predictions for 2024, now would it? The guys discuss why you might want to consider selling that Shopify stock you’ve been investing in (it’s been nice knowing you, buddy), why Amazon is threatening to go postal, and why Moiz simply can’t refuse sassing off about the price of SaaS.

00:00:27 - December: The Month of Bankruptcies and Engagements

00:01:34 - Which Ad Platform is Most Effective for Newsletter Ads?

00:05:13 - Maximizing Ad Spend on Twitter

00:07:15 - Building a Brand for Success

00:14:38 - The Impact of Sales Tax on E-commerce Businesses

00:25:47 - Recent Acquisitions: Distressed Brands Bought

00:26:49 - Building Multiple $50 Million Brands

00:30:41 - Balancing Corporate Functions and Brand Ethos

00:32:50 - Who's Failing at Brand Roll-Ups?

00:33:50 - Facebook and Instagram Threaten Shopify

00:39:25 - The Future of SaaS Pricing in E-commerce

00:40:36 - The Battle Against Bot Traffic

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.

See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

S7 E1: Listener Mailbag: SaaS’s Biggest Rip-Offs, Serial Returners, and Marketing a Lifestyle Brand Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

You’ve got questions. They’ve got answers.

Nik and Moiz are dipping into the Slack channel again to answer your biggest DTC questions. And they’re not holding anything back this go-round.

Which SaaS platforms are, *pardon our French*, complete sh@#, and which ones are worth your time?

The guys break down exactly what you should be looking for when considering a software service and which red flags should leave you running like the plague. Nik and Moiz aren't afraid to name names, so yeah… Our lawyers are gonna love this one.

Return a purchase once, shame on me. Return a purchase twice, ok, we’ll let it slide. Return a purchase thrice? You’re only getting away with this if you’re one of our best customers. The guys pontificate on how best to handle nightmare returns—what should be your limit, how should you be thinking about customer service, and what does any of this have to do with a thwarted terrorist attack on Margaret Thatcher?

And stay tuned because later, the guys talk some more crap about SaaS (we’re gunning for you, ERPs) before explaining the difficulty of organic growth. How much should you invest in organic before leaping into paid? And why are apparel brands so risky? Can capitalizing on FOMO and image perception help these brands capture more top-of-funnel leads?

Tune in for that, and much, much more!

00:04:41 - Commonly Pitched SaaS Companies in E-commerce

00:14:10 - Overpriced Influencer Platforms: No Value

00:16:59 - Balancing Customer Service and Experience

00:25:09 - Overpriced Software: The Rip-Offs

00:29:12 - The Process of Creating a New Scent for Native Deodorant

00:38:03 - Organic Posting vs. Paid Ads for DTC Brands

00:44:35 - The Future of Websites in E-commerce

00:46:42 - TikTok Shop vs. Facebook's E-commerce

00:51:27 - Marketing Lifestyle and Apparel Brands

00:56:28 - How Collabs Make Your Brand Relevant

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.

See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

S6 E6: The Little Makeup Brand Who Could: How Jones Road Conquered DTC Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

What are the marketing ops like for one of DTC’s biggest beauty brands?

Cody Plofker, CMO of Jones Road Beauty, drops by the pod to chat with Nik and Moiz about how the brand doubled its Black Friday sales this year.

And *spoiler alert*, they used the EXACT same game plan they have for the past three years…. so what about this year’s sales made it so darn successful this time around?

Forget discounts and high-pressure Cyber Weekend sales tactics because Cody reveals exactly how Jones Road leveraged tactical exclusive offers, like their Miracle Balm Kit, to garner a whopping $25 million plus in sales over the four-day weekend.

And later, Cody discusses the importance of creative diversity in ads, the challenges of competing in the clean makeup and beauty space, and how to drive customer engagement using online quizzes. Plus what’s been the impact of email marketing on Jones Roads revenue?

Tune in to find out Cody’s best estimate and his predictions for the future of Jones Road!

00:00:49 - The Journey of Jones Road Beauty's Chief Marketing Officer

00:04:11 - Cutting Through the Noise: Jones Road's Competitive Launch

00:10:33 - The Shift to In-House Advertising

00:15:10 - How Quizzes Drive Sales for Jones Road

00:19:46 - Effective Full Funnel Approach for Black Friday Sales

00:28:16 - Black Friday Deal: Four Mini Miracle Balms for $68

00:33:38 - The Impact of Email Marketing on Revenue

00:35:17 - Boost Your List Growth with SMS Number Collection

00:36:29 - The Success of Miracle Balm

00:40:53 - Lessons Learned from a Million-Dollar Black Friday

00:42:08 - How to Maximize Facebook Ad Spend

00:45:44 - Deciding on the Perfect Tech Stack

00:49:19 - Black Friday Revenue and Brand Building

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Check Out Jones Road:

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-plofker-47a29b120/

Follow Cody:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-plofker-47a29b120/

Follow Nik:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Follow Moiz:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Take a year off from running your Shopify business and get paid monthly with OpenStore Drive. OpenStore’s experts handle everything, from marketing to logistics to customer service. Head to open.store/limited for details.

S6 E5: True Classic’s Secret Black Friday Playbook Revealed Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

True Classic’s mastermind strategist is back, so get ready to take notes, because you simply can’t afford to miss a single word DTC’s biggest disrupter has to say.

Ben Yahalom, President of True Classic Tees, joins Nik and Moiz to dissect the brand’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday performance. What was True Classic’s ad spend like? What channels did they see their biggest wins on? And what were the biggest challenges to planning their inventory?

Ben gives an insider’s look into True Classic’s performance, explaining the importance of creating personalized customer journeys and highlighting the power of profitability forecasting in managing your ad spend.

Plus, we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—if you aren’t creating bundles, you need to be. But don’t worry, because Ben’s here, revealing exactly how DTC’s top dog creates a game-winning bundle.

For that and much, much, more, tune in now because this episode’s pure DTC gold!

00:00:52 - Meta's Record-Breaking Black Friday Sales

00:06:32 - The Cost of Meta Ads

00:08:27 - Exploring Effective Advertising Channels for E-commerce

00:10:20 - Analyzing Customer Behavior During Black Friday

00:12:21 - Using Post-Purchase Surveys to Maximize Marketing Potential

00:14:11 - Analyzing Membership Performance During Black Friday

00:15:25 - Optimizing Your Black Friday Strategy

00:29:46 - Building a Profitable Finance Stack for Direct-to-Consumer Brands

00:33:08 - Maximizing Sales During Black Friday

00:36:35 - Ben Shapiro's Relentless Mindset: Saying No to Any Job

00:36:59 - The Challenges of Inventory Planning and Ad Spend

00:40:30 - Dealing with ADA Lawsuits: A Guide

00:41:32 - Achieving Profitability: The Real Challenge

Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.

Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ

And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected