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This is an opportunity calling as more and more e-commerce entrepreneurs and brands are transitioning to TikTok because the ads are cheaper. Not only that but depending on your target audience, TikTok might be the best medium to market. That's because TikTok has 386.6 million users aged 18 to 24, making up 43.7% of the platform’s users worldwide. 

If you can figure out creative ways to market your brand and products then you'll have a competitive advantage especially if you make the first move. For example, Roblox cultivates a lot of attention from a young audience that brands are looking to show off to. Brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Forever 21, and even Gucci have partnered up with Roblox. Marketing experiments like these may or may not work but if it works then that's gold. Especially if you, again, have that first mover's advantage Always be testing! Read the full article on brands partnering up with Roblox

You got to protect the customer if you want them to keep coming back, right? Etsy is a massive online marketplace where a lot of unique products, especially personalized products, are being sold. Because of its unique marketplace it really distinguishes itself from Amazon and Walmart. Even with this x-factor you still have to protect the customer so they can be happy and stay. Read the full article here

SKKN is set to launch on June 21, 2022 exclusively on skknbykim.com. Influencers, YouTubers, and celebrities with their personal brands and influence have the position to leverage that and create their own products. We are seeing this with Logan Paul and KSI with their drink Prime, Kim Kardashian with SKKN, and more along the way.

Buy Now Pay Later is a way for customers to buy a product through installments instead over a period of time (i.e.  4 installments every two weeks). If you want to buy an expensive item such as a grill or mattress then it might be less of a burden for you to spend that money all at once. Note: What is Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)? There are many platforms offering this such as Klarna, PayPal, and Sezzle to name a few. But now Apple is getting into the mix as it plans to integrate its own BNPL option into Apple Pay.

New technology will always propel a business and with AR, Amazon is utilizing it to help the customer buying experience. Note: article on how Amazon is doing this Retailers like Target have too much inventory due to supply chain issues, inflation, and consumer buying behaviors. Check out the CNBC article on this story Vitamin Shoppe owner amongst other investors looking to buy Kohl's. Can Kohl's really be revitalized or is it too late? Check out what is going on with Kohl's and the opportunity ROI of buying it 

Ever since the pandemic, the demand for activewear has soared 35% in a two-year period. Sales in the men’s and women’s apparel category rose from $52.3 billion in 2019 to $70.8 billion in 2021. It comes as no surprise that big-box retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Kohl's have launched private-labeled brands to enter this growing market. In today's episode, we go over this market demand and how Walmart has revealed another activewear line with fashion and fitness couple Michelle Smith and Stacey Griffith.

Etsy is a major player in the e-commerce world with custom and personalized products that you don't typically see on Amazon. I believe that Etsy businesses are doing very well with their unique products but can always scale by going on Shopify to get more control of their data. Not only can you get more insights by switching or adding a Shopify store but it creates a branded experience. Today we explore a couple of products on Etsy to give you inspiration on what from Etsy can potentially be used to create a Shopify brand. Here are some cool products on Etsy that were mentioned: Magnetic Wristband DIY toolNaughty Scratch Card for himDIY Hot Sauce Kit

Did you know you can actually dropship on Amazon and not just Shopify? Yes, Amazon is mainly known for wholesaling, private labeling, and retail arbitrage. You might ask, "Hey, I thought Amazon has really strict rules against dropshopping," but Shayne Cannell-Cohen explains that as long as you follow the guidelines you'll be safe! On top of that reassurance, Shayne explains the story of how he had his back against the wall when he lost his part-time job and had to figure out a way to make money. He eventually got into entrepreneurship and started to make serious bags via Amazon dropshipping. Today he will share his story and strategies to find winning products and how to get into the buy box on Amazon to generate sales!

Target is already selling clothes in its stores through the likes of: A New DayAll In MotionOriginal Use Goodfellow & Coand many moreWhenever I go to Target I actually like to see the clothing collection and got some hoodies myself. To my surprise, a good amount of people from my local Target were also checking it out so I thought to myself that Target must be doing pretty well in this department. Secondhand clothing is a massive market as many online selling platforms like Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Let Go, Mercari, and Depop are being used by people as a side hustle (not to mention thrift stores in general as well)! Others take full advantage of the platforms to make 4-5 figure months. The multibillion-dollar secondhand clothing market can be a great way for Target to make money via the ThredUp partnership. Here's a very interesting excerpt from the article via Retail Dive: "Retailers and brands, many with the help of ThredUp, are working to meet surging demand for secondhand clothing. Shoppers, including many younger ones, increasingly see used goods as a way to find a bargain and to limit consumption in the interest of sustainability. For Target, the pilot is a way to explore how to better serve customers, including what products to carry and how to offer value, along with furthering its sustainability goals."

It's always fun looking at the best sellers on Amazon. One of the things that I discovered surfing the best sellers is: spring product/decor is doing very well because everyone is going to want to remodel or make their outdoor space cute. Who doesn't want their lawn and patio looking good for the spring/summer right?There is definitely a trend going on when fidget or stress reliever toys. When I go on the Toys & Games Best Sellers on Amazon, somewhere in the top 20 there are at least 2 or more toys that relieve some sort of stress (at least it's marketed that way)I wanted to check out the best-selling products on Etsy around Mother's Day and came across this brand called Sweet Water Decor. This store has over 80,000 sales on Etsy and was trying to find a reason as to why or how that is. Turns out that the brand was founded by Melissa Horvath in 2014. The execution and branding of the motivational business are spot on. The social media content is very aesthetically pleasing on both Instagram and Pinterest not to mention the Facebook ads as well. Sweet Water Decor is actually in popular retail stores like Hobby Lobby,  HomeGoods, TJMaxx, Staples, and in over 4,000 boutique stores. This brand sells mugs, candles, and other home products. It's fun exploring brands and the execution across its social channels.

Physical retail is not dead especially if you're a bigger brand that can afford to have a brick & mortar in an active region where people can interact with your store. It won't just be about more foot traffic to buy products on the spot, but rather to engage and experience the brand to potentially share or buy later. The metaverse is still in its infancy but there are already cases where brands have used it to increase their brand awareness. Look at the example of Nike and Roblox. You can even take a look at the example of Forever 21 and Roblox where the retailer launched an exclusive partnership with Virtual Brand Group, a metaverse creation company, that allows users to buy and sell Forever 21 merchandise and customize their own stores on the Roblox video game platform. To get the full read on the article that was covered for this podcast episode you can check it out here!