In this episode of Infinity Nation, host Al Keck and guest Tim Ahlenius from American Eagle dive deep into the status of the digital landscape impacting e-commerce growth and profitability, reflecting on Q4 2021 performance across the US, UK, and Europe. They discuss key challenges from supply chain disruptions, energy price hikes, packaging shortages to delivery driver issues, and how these factors shaped holiday shopping trends. The episode explores evolving consumer behaviour, the rise of BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later), emerging e-commerce technologies, and the exponential growth forecast to surpass $1 trillion in US e-commerce sales in 2022.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Supply Chain & Logistics Challenges Q4 2021: From cardboard shortages to rising energy costs impacting manufacturing and shipping, combined with a notable shortage and behavior issues among delivery drivers, e-commerce businesses faced multiple hurdles during the holiday season.
• Q4 2021 E-commerce Performance: Ecommerce growth ranged between 9%-14% year-over-year in the US, with a noticeable shift to earlier holiday sales starting in October to mitigate delivery delays. Black Friday saw a slight drop in one-day sales as promotions spread across weeks.
• Impact on Discounting & Margins: Lower stock availability led to reduced depth and frequency of discounting, helping brands protect margins despite rising container and energy costs. Many consumers prioritised availability over bargain hunting.
• The Rise & Risks of Buy Now Pay Later: BNPL usage continues to grow, particularly in the US, with higher average order values and improved conversions but ongoing concerns about missed payments, overspending, and the financial sustainability of BNPL providers.
• Customer Retention & Loyalty Programs: Retaining new customers acquired during the pandemic remains challenging; loyalty programs are increasingly vital to maintain repeat purchases. Privacy regulations and cookie changes are forcing marketers to rethink data-driven personalisation strategies.
• Data Privacy & the Future of Cookies: Google’s cookie phase-out is delayed but imminent. Brands must adapt by encouraging first-party data collection through account registrations and permission-based marketing channels like SMS to maintain personalised experiences.
• Metaverse & E-commerce Innovation: Early moves by brands like Nike, Adidas, and Walmart into metaverse marketplaces signal a new frontier for digital and physical product sales. Though still nascent and fragmented, the development of virtual shopping experiences will likely accelerate with upcoming VR device releases.

This episode was recorded in February 2022.

Useful links 

• Find out more about Infinity Nation 
• Learn more about American Eagle
• Follow Infinity Nation on LinkedIn: Infinity Nation LinkedIn
• Follow Infinity Nation on Instagram: Infinity Nation Instagram

If you found this episode useful, please subscribe to the Infinity Nation's Growth Conversations that Matter podcast.

Interested in working with Infinity Nation to create a successful digital experience for your company or product?

Get in touch to set up a meeting with our team.

[email protected]

In this episode, we dive into the booming world of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) with Rob Beattie, Partner Manager at Klarna UK. Discover how BNPL is reshaping ecommerce, boosting acquisition, conversion, retention, and average order values for retailers worldwide. Rob offers insights on the rapid growth of Klarna, its impact on consumer behavior, and the importance of trust and responsible lending in this space.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Introduction to Klarna
  Founded in 2005 in Sweden, Klarna aims to make online shopping easier and safer. Today, Klarna serves over 90 million shoppers worldwide through 250,000+ retailers across 17 markets.
  
  
• Impact of Buy Now, Pay Later on Ecommerce
  BNPL has seen tremendous growth, particularly in the UK over the past 2-3 years, driven by consumer demand for more flexible, interest-free payment options compared to credit cards.
  BNPL benefits the entire sales funnel - acquisition, conversion, retention, and loyalty with conversion uplifts commonly over 10%, and average order values increasing by more than 40% with Klarna Pay in 3 installments.
  
  
• Customer Demographics & Trust Building
  Surprisingly, the fastest growing BNPL user segments are aged 45-54 and 55+. Klarna builds trust through regulatory compliance, strict credit checks, buyer protection, and clear communication.
  Klarna also protects retailers by taking on fraud and default risks.
  
  
• Retailer Benefits and Case Study: Cox & Cox
  Cox & Cox saw 50% of Klarna checkout users as new customers shortly after implementation, promoting Klarna across advertising and direct mail to maximize impact.
  
  
• Advice for Retailers Considering BNPL
  Factors to consider include the preferred payment methods in your target markets, the ability to integrate easily with platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and PSPs like Checkout.com, and how BNPL can expand your customer base while improving conversion rates and customer experience.
  
  
• Morality and Responsible Lending
  Klarna actively works to ensure responsible lending, transparency, and consumer protection, differentiating itself from traditional credit card debt cycles.
  
  
• Future Outlook for Klarna
  International expansion, new market launches, and product innovations including in-store solutions like Hero, influencer marketing platform Apparel, and mobile wallet Stocard.

This episode was recorded in December 2021.

Useful Links: 

• Find out more about Infinity Nation 
• Follow Infinity Nation on LinkedIn: Infinity Nation LinkedIn
• Follow Infinity Nation on Instagram: Infinity Nation Instagram
• Klarna official website: www.klarna.com
• Klarna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/klarna/

If you found this episode useful, please subscribe to the Infinity Nation's Growth Conversations that Matter podcast.

Interested in working with Infinity Nation to create a successful digital experience for your company or product?

Get in touch to set up a meeting with our team.

[email protected]

In this episode of Infinity Nation, Founder and CEO of Infinity Nation Al Keck speaks to Iona Silverman, a Partner at legal firm Freeths and specialises in Intellectual Property & Media in particular with advertising and marketing law with a focus on influencer collaborations.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Influencer Marketing Insights: How influencers can accelerate brand growth by connecting with like-minded customers and building credibility. 
• Authenticity vs Control: We explore the balance between influencer authenticity and brand control, underscoring the importance of genuine connections.
• Micro-Influencers Rising: Discover why micro-influencers, often with niche, engaged audiences, are becoming increasingly valuable compared to mass-following celebrities.
• Digital Footprint & Risk Management: The need to review influencers' past online activity to avoid brand risk
• Contracts Are Key: Why contracts are essential in managing influencer partnerships—regardless of scale—to set expectations, rights, and safeguards. 
• Legal Requirements for #Ad: Understand the legal obligation for influencers to use #ad or #advertisement clearly at the beginning of posts to comply with ASA rules and protect brands.
• Contrasting Social Media & Print Rules: The episode contrasts editorial gifting rules in print vs social media, explaining why social media demands stricter transparency due to volume and quick consumption.
• Emerging Challenges: AI & Influencer Marketing: 94% of influencers reportedly use AI tools. The discussion covers potential future ASA regulations for AI-generated content and the complexities of monitoring authenticity and enhancement in advertising.
• "De-influencing": A growing phenomenon where influencers openly discourage use of certain products is explored, with advice for brands on contract clauses to manage negative publicity.

This episode was recorded in July 2023.

Useful links 

• Find out more about Infinity Nation 
• Learn more about Freeths freeths.co.uk 
• Follow Infinity Nation on LinkedIn: Infinity Nation LinkedIn
• Follow Infinity Nation on Instagram: Infinity Nation Instagram

If you found this episode useful, please subscribe to the Infinity Nation's Growth Conversations that Matter podcast.

Interested in working with Infinity Nation to create a successful digital experience for your company or product?

Get in touch to set up a meeting with our team.

[email protected]

In this episode of Infinity Nation and Beyond, Founder and CEO of Infinity Nation Al Keck speaks to Oli Spark, founder of marketing and analytics platform, Sweet Analytics, to explore the critical role of customer data in driving sustainable growth for direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses. They delve deep into how businesses can harness data to understand customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value, and discuss practical strategies for making marketing more effective and personalised.

About the Guest: 

Oli Spark has nearly two decades of experience as a CEO in retail brands such as The White Company and Multiyork. Sweet Analytics helps D2C brands unlock actionable insights from their customer data to improve acquisition, retention, and overall business growth.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The vital importance of data in modern business decision-making, especially for D2C brands.
• Common pitfalls businesses face in understanding acquisition vs. retention.
• The challenge of forecasting growth based on customer metrics.
• The significance of knowing the Cost of Acquiring a Customer (CAC) and Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).
• Why many companies focus too heavily on acquisition instead of building loyalty and retention.
• Behavioral changes needed in marketing to fully leverage customer data.
• The critical role of integrating customer data with product data for smarter marketing decisions.
• The concept of "show me that you know me" in segmented and personalised marketing.
• Practical use cases such as predictive analytics in membership businesses.
• Tips for startups and young businesses with limited historical data.
• Using segmentation tools to build audiences and amplify marketing efforts across platforms like Facebook and Google.
• Overcoming barriers such as fear and inertia about data adoption by emphasising easy-to-implement technologies.

This episode was recorded in February 2022.

Useful Links:

• Find out more about Infinity Nation 
• Learn more about Sweet Analytics: www.sweetanalytics.com
• Follow Infinity Nation on LinkedIn: Infinity Nation LinkedIn
• Follow Infinity Nation on Instagram: Infinity Nation Instagram

If you found this episode useful, please subscribe to the Infinity Nation's Growth Conversations that Matter podcast.

Interested in working with Infinity Nation to create a successful digital experience for your company or product?

Get in touch to set up a meeting with our team.

[email protected]