Hi friends!
Happy Thursday. I hope you’re having an awesome week so far.
In just a few days, myself & a whole gaggle of FERMÀT-ers will be headed to Vegas for ShopTalk 2025. I am very stoked for this year’s conference. We’re co-hosting/hosting six events over the course of 2 days. Going to be absolutely wild.
If you’re also going to ShopTalk, we’d love to see you at one (or a few!) of the following:
(3/25 - 3/26) The Ultimate Vegas VIP Penthouse: This two-day penthouse party is the perfect escape from the Shoptalk madness. Enjoy a deep tissue massage, try your luck at the claw machine, and sip signature cocktails with some of the brightest minds at the conference. The penthouse will be open from 12-6PM each day.
(3/25) Operators Dinner at Cipriani: We’re taking over the fan-favorite Italian restaurant Cipriani with our friends at Nostra and Proxima! Confirmed guests will enjoy round-trip limousine transportation in addition to incredible food, delicious drinks, and delightful company.
(3/25) Creators & Conversions VIP Luxury Dinner at X Pot: Dig into luxury hot pot at X Pot in the Venetian. What’s on the menu? Japanese A5 Wagyu, caviar, uni, truffle, bone marrow, and more. This event is designed to bring expert DTC marketers, brand executives, and top creators/influencers (IG, TikTok, YouTube) together for a culinary and connection experience like no other.
(3/25) Ecomm Founders’ Add to Cart After Dark: More info coming on this one soon at the link, but let’s just say if you’re a fan of EDM, you won’t want to miss this epic exclusive event.
(3/26) Cocktails & Bites at Eyecandy Lounge: Need a break from the panels & pitches? Join FERMÀT, Tinuiti, Disco, & your fellow industry leaders for a relaxed evening of drinks, light bites, and great conversation.
(3/26) FERMÀT’s VIP Sphere Suite Experience: FERMÀT is bringing together 15 VIP industry decision-makers for a private networking experience in one of Las Vegas' most iconic venues — the Sphere! Join us from 7-9PM for gourmet food & drinks while catching an awesome show.
Can’t make it to ShopTalk but still itching for insights?
I highly recommend checking out this recent episode of FERMÀT’s Equation of Excellence podcast, featuring Arjun Rastogi! Arjun is Head of Growth at AsWeMove, a men’s performance underwear brand. In the pod, Arjun shares his strategies for maximizing customer retention, implementing membership and subscription models, and leveraging AI as a growth marketer. It’s a great one.
Onto this week’s newsie: an elite site breakdown of ELEAT, margin hacks for cash-strapped brands, catching Gen Z's attention with IRL brand pop-ups, and more.
Hope to see you at an upcoming event (or webinar) soon!
Cheers,
Lex 💚
🔥 Special Offer: FERMÀT Self-Serve is Here!
Grow Smarter with FERMÀT – Special Offer for Growing Brands!
We’re making it easier than ever for brands spending <$30K/mo on ads to unlock the power of FERMÀT. For a limited time, get full access for just $499/month for your first three months ($999/mo after).
With FERMÀT Self-Serve, you get:
✅ Full access to the FERMÀT platform, including Pierre, Offers, Bundle Builder & AI Advertorial Generator
✅ An onboarding call to get you set up for success
✅ Weekly office hours with our experts for ongoing support
❌ No designers and countless revisions
❌ No developers & missed timelines
🛒 Store of the Week
ELEAT
This week’s featured store comes from ELEAT, a UK-based “healthy food brand”. ELEAT was launched in 2022 with an mission to reinvent cereal as a performance breakfast food. In the past 3 years, they’ve expanded their product line to include protein oats and protein granola as well.
Here are some of the elements that I think make ELEAT so…well, elite!
Homepage/Hero → VERY strong hero here. High contrast, really engaging color. 4K+ strong verified Trustpilot reviews before the H1 + 2 different CTAs - one for a BYO bundle (excellent for maximizing AOV & subs) & another for their newly released protein oats.
Homepage/As Seen In → Scrolling social proof section with solid logos - Women’s Health, Daily Express, and more
Homepage/Get Started with ELEAT → Visual mini-nav that directs shoppers towards ELEAT’s various products (oats, cereal, granola) as well as their bundle builder. I like how much they push bundles.
Homepage/Trusted By section → Another excellent social proof section that highlights TrustPilot reviews, followed by shippable product cards for best-selling products
Homepage/Why Fuel with ELEAT? → Simple & easy to understand product features + benefits section.
Homepage/Trusted by the Best → See how they’re alternating their homepage layout between product education and social proof blocks? Nice work. This one features pro athlete testimonials.
Homepage/About Us → Classic founder story section; helps humanize the brand. Always a fan of these.
Homepage/Our Reviews Speak for Themselves → Surprise! Another social proof section. This one features customer testimonial videos. Even more compelling. (Personally, I’d put these up higher on the homepage).
Other parts of the site I dig:
Discount Capture Popup → Designed for email segmentation. Captures shopper product of interest before asking for their email in exchange for a discount code.
Build a Bundle page → Stunning layout here. Incredibly easy to navigate, add products to cart, and create a custom subscription order. I really really like this page.
Refer a Friend page → Say what you will, but simple referral programs work! One of your most valuable (and almost free) marketing tools is leveraging your existing customers’ networks. ELEAT’s “Give £10, get £10” is a no-brainer referral offer.
Overall, ELEAT keeps it clean & conversion-focused. One of my favorite types of stores to break down! Big fan of what they’ve got going on here.
🛍 Product of the Week
Akua Sonic Jewelry Cleaner
I know just what you’re thinking: FINALLY, someone made jewelry cleaning aesthetically pleasing!
Okay…maybe that wasn’t exactly top of mind for you today. But regardless, this is still a pretty neat product.
For those of y’all that wear wedding/engagement rings, necklaces, or bracelets daily, you know how easy it is for accessories to lose their shine.
Akua Sonic’s ultrasonic cleaner is designed to give your jewelry a gentle deep clean, getting gunk out of all the nooks & crannies in less than 5 minutes. It’s also easy on the eyes, so you can leave it atop your dresser or bathroom sink.
📖 Content of the Week
American Eagle’s CMO discusses its marketing playbook ‘amid an uncertain time in retail’
Ever wonder how major retailers like American Eagle are navigating today's challenging market while still keeping Gen Z engaged? This interview with AE's CMO Craig Brommers in Modern Retail offers a fascinating peek behind the curtain.
This year, AE is doubling down on experiential retail and pop-ups (see: Denim Deli in Nashville), even as other brands pull back. They're taking a long-term view while still being smart about where they invest their marketing dollars.
The most valuable nugget for e-commerce brands? Their platform strategy.
While TikTok and Snapchat remain their top performers, they're seeing "off the charts" results from Pinterest and are among the first retail brands experimenting on Bluesky. But Brommers emphasizes there's "not a one-size-fits-all content strategy" across platforms—each requires its own approach.
For anyone marketing to Gen Z (or just curious about how a legacy retailer stays relevant), this one's definitely worth your time.
🎧 Listen of the Week
Practical Ecommerce: Margin Hacks for Cash Strapped Ecom Stores
If you haven’t met Eric yet, you’re missing out. He’s one of my favorite guys in ecomm. Good news is, you can catch some of his best — and hottest — takes in this episode of the Practical Ecommerce pod.
In this episode, Eric (founder of Beardbrand) breaks from his usual interview format to share the actual tactics that have helped his company thrive for over a decade.
What I love about this episode is that it's not just theoretical advice—Eric shares specific, actionable strategies you can implement immediately. From negotiating shipping rates annually (seriously, are you doing this?) to creative approaches like the "white glove" return option that customers will happily pay extra for.
Did you know that BeardBrand sends birthday cards to their top 1,000 customers, and sometimes even includes Yeti mugs with their logo? A $20 investment for someone who's spent thousands is brilliant relationship-building, in my opinion.
🧰 Tool of the Week
GigaBrain
This week I’ve been playing with GigaBrain, and it’s pretty rad — especially if you’re looking to get raw, unfiltered feedback from your customers/consumer demographic.
GigaBrain scans billions of discussions from Reddit and other online communities to surface the most useful posts and comments about any topic you search. Think of it as a Reddit search that actually works…which anyone who's tried to find specific information on Reddit knows is a game-changer.
The platform automatically threads together the most relevant comments with source citations, giving you a TL;DR of what real people actually think.
They’ve also got a feature that lets you syndicate your own questions to relevant subreddits. This means you can gather fresh insights directly from your target audience without having to deal with various subreddit rules. Pretty sweet.
🎉 Upcoming Events
👉 PS: Want to secure your spot on the guest list for future FERMÀT events in your city? Add your name to the VIP guest list here.
The Ultimate Vegas VIP Penthouse
March 25 & March 26 // Las Vegas, NV
Step into the ultimate VIP penthouse experience at Shoptalk 2025—where luxury, relaxation, and once-in-a-lifetime moments collide. Mingle with the Mike Tyson & snap a pic, sip a signature cocktail, unwind with a pro massage, and try your luck at our claw machine packed with insane prizes. Escape the chaos of the conference floor and join PostPilot, Postscript, Nift & more for two days of pure Vegas magic. Space is limited—lock in your spot now! 🎉
Shoptalk Operators Dinner at Cipriani
March 25 // Las Vegas, NV
Calling all brand founders and operators - we’d love to have you join us this Shoptalk for a private dining experience at the world-famous Cipriani! Incredible food, drinks, and company will be flowing all night 🥂 For confirmed attendees, round-trip limousine transportation will be provided to the venue. And in true Las Vegas fashion, stay tuned for a very special guest appearance.
Ecom Founders’ Add to Cart After Dark
March 25 // Las Vegas, NV
If you dig EDM, this is a must-attend. Join us for a private show featuring 2 of the biggest headlining acts in Vegas. FERMÀT secured the 2 VIP tables right next to the DJ, so this one will be a night to remember.
Eyecandy Lounge Cocktail Hour with Tinuiti & Disco
March 26 // Las Vegas, NV
Need a break from the panels and pitches at Shoptalk? Join FERMÀT, Tinuiti, and Disco for cocktails and bites at the Eyecandy Lounge — right in the heart of the Mandalay Bay! Space is limited - please request a spot as soon as you can to secure your RSVP!
FERMAT’s VIP Sphere Experience
March 26 // Las Vegas, NV
Step into an unforgettable evening designed for top minds in ecommerce. On March 26th, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, FERMÀT is bringing together 15 VIP industry decision-makers for a private networking experience in one of Las Vegas' most iconic venues.
This event is a chance to connect with fellow leaders, exchange ideas, and gain fresh perspectives—all in an intimate, high-energy setting. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails, gourmet bites, and conversations that could shape the future of e-commerce.
