Simon Driscoll is the founder and sole person at UXB Skincare a business he founded in 2018 with a mission to develop affordable skincare products that really make a difference to customers skin. The business runs on a Shopify store and mostly sells to the UK.
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Checking in at the End of Q2
Simon has been on Chloe’s show twice before and she is checking in with him near the end of his Q2. Simon says that Summer has been traditionally slower for him and this one has been no different.
With sales down, Simon’s been running a summer promotion and is looking to see how other skincare retailers are finding their sales rhythm. Seasonality is such a huge part of eCommerce and it feeds into more than marketing messages.
It also dictates the best times to merchandise and sell and the times its better to focus on manufacturing. Simon says that keeping the balance between sales and manufacturing is always front of mind.
Since Ian’s products are closer to a food product he must be careful to make sure he’s not going beyond the freshness dates.
Quiz and Email
Ian has been developing a skin care quiz that he’s looking forward to seeing the results of.
He has been pairing that with Klaviyo’s powerful email marketing tools and he feels that the infinitely segmentable nature of those emails will be a huge advantage come Christmas time.
Covid Impacts
Since the pandemic has driven customers out of stores, 85,000 retailers have gone online, the impact of which is difficult to foresee.
While the competition will be fierce come December, Simon also recognizes that there are more people buying online as well. With this kind of uncertainty, it is really crucial to understand what to do in different scenarios.
Considering what to do if sales slump, audiences move or something else unpredictable happens can make or break a business.
In addition to testing email strategies and in anticipation of the Holiday season, Simon’s been adding new products to expand his range and provide new opportunities for PR.
He says his favorite parts of the business are the high tech bits and product development.
Review Stats
Simon gets 80% of his products reviewed, something he achieves by adding thoughtful extras, offering a small discount, and leaving a handwritten note in each box asking for a review.
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eCommerce Book Top Tip
- Smart Retail: Practical Winning Ideas and Strategies from the Most Successful Retailers in the World by Richard Hammond
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Facebook has been working for Simon, but he’s predicting email as the future winner.
Tool Top Tip
- Slack. Simon has been working with a University team to develop skincare data and says that Slack has been a great tool to communicate.
Growth Top Tip
- Facebook, because of the abundance of traffic.
Interview Links
Related episodes
- Plotting a 3 month Growth Strategy with Simon Driscoll from UXB Skincare
- Simon Driscoll from UXB Skincare is Back to update us on his Growth in Q1 and plans for Q2
- Competitive advantage and selecting suppliers with Matt Edmundson of Jersey Beauty Company
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