7-Figure E-Commerce Brands to Follow in 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic completely changed consumer behavior. Instead of walking into stores, people stayed home and used their phones and computers to order groceries, cleaning supplies, home goods, and clothing from their favorite e-commerce brands. Insider Intelligence reports that in 2022, e-commerce sales in the U.S. are estimated to be more than $1 trillion for the first time. Before the pandemic, experts thought we wouldn’t hit this milestone until 2024!
E-commerce is going nowhere but up, and with more brands emerging every day, standing out from the crowd and staying on top of e-commerce trends is no small feat. But observing other businesses and learning from experts can really help you see what’s working for e-commerce brands (and what’s not).
Today I’m highlighting four brands to watch in 2022. I’ll tell you why they’re successful e-commerce companies and what they’ve done to stand out in a saturated market (and how you can do it too).
Outdoor Voices (Clothing)
Founded by Tyler Haney, Outdoor Voices started as a line of colorful workout kits. Each kit included a matching set of leggings and a sports bra. Tyler’s company got its break when it was featured in J.Crew pop-up shops across the country.
How They’re Scaling and Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Outdoor Voices’ vision is “to build the number one recreation company and get the world moving.” Their triple-digit growth every year since their founding proves the company’s vision is working. While they hire professional models, they pride themselves on showcasing their clothing on “real” women with curves and imperfections. This obviously resonates with their audience and has been great for business!
Their retail stores also help them stand out from the rest of the athleisure crowd. Each store is designed to serve as a hub for millennials and blends the online and offline experience. Think of an Outdoor Voices store as somewhere you can do something physical with other like-minded people and post about it on Instagram. The Nashville storefront features a gold-plated Dance Dance Revolution machine, and the Georgetown store is home to a rec room complete with sports equipment and lockers. All stores host events (most of them free), like jogging with your dog or going on hikes.
Why They’re Successful
Outdoor Voices is an athleisure company that’s often called the anti-Lululemon. The company’s tagline, “Doing Things,” pushes the narrative of everyday movement rather than the hard-core workouts and athleticism advertised by other brands. This message resonates with consumers, and they’ve implemented a social media hashtag to strategically engage their customers. If you search #doingthings on Instagram, you’ll find a feed full of images of a diverse group of women hanging out, hiking, doing yoga, cooking, and dancing in Outdoor Voices' colorful gear.
DBL Jewelry (Accessories)
When she was 16 years old, Liv Portillo doodled an idea for some jewelry on a piece of paper. Three years later, her idea is a six-figure, successful e-commerce business venture.
How They’re Scaling and Standing Out in a Crowded Market
DBL Jewelry knows how to create and implement strong video content on the most popular social media platforms. These videos, and Liv’s designs, caught the eyes of a few famous influencers, who promoted her products in their Instagram Stories. Liv was then featured on Buzzfeed, Inc.com, and Shopify, and named one of Forbes’ “Next 1000 Future Billionaires.” Her natural charisma, hard work, and dedication to a strong emotional message keep this young entrepreneur quite busy. She recently moved to New York to better scale her business and promote her newest venture, Bossology, which teaches others how to increase sales through social media marketing.
Why They’re Successful
Liv credits the free, organic social media marketing on Instagram and TikTok for catapulting her sales during the pandemic. The inspiration behind her designs is her home country, the Philippines, and she documents her muses and business process in TikTok videos. Some of her designs raise money for causes close to Liv’s heart – sales from her diamond butterfly necklace help fix classrooms for special needs children in the Philippines.
Oat Haus (Food/Grocery)
Oat Haus is a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO spreadable granola butter. Ali Bonar, one of the three founders, says Oat Haus is a healthy alternative to peanut butter for anyone who can’t eat nuts and describes the original flavor as cinnamon graham crackers.
How They’re Scaling and Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Ali and her co-founders are from California but moved to Philadelphia in January 2021. They wanted to have access to a larger facility at a lower price so they could scale as quickly and efficiently as possible.
One reason Oat Haus stands out is Ali: She’s business savvy and authentic and has stayed the face of her company. While studying to become a nutritionist, Ali developed some serious disordered eating habits. In recovery, she created Oat Haus granola butter as an alternative to the almond and peanut butters her gut could no longer handle after years of restricting and binge eating.
She saw something missing in the market and created it, spreading disordered eating awareness and self-love along the way. It also doesn’t hurt that the product is delicious!
Why They’re Successful
Made in a factory where the only item produced is granola butter, Oat Haus alleviates the concerns of their allergen-free customers who can’t risk cross-contamination. And with an ingredient list you can actually pronounce, it’s no wonder this product sells at famously healthy places like Whole Foods, Thrive Market, Harmons Neighborhood Grocer, and Erewhon.
Ali was so passionate about her product that she landed a spot on Shark Tank after multiple attempts. She didn’t make a deal with any of the Sharks, but she did introduce her story and product to the market on a large scale, making the company “famous” overnight.
Olipop (Beverage/Grocery)
Possibly the most recognizable of the newly successful e-commerce brands, Olipop is on a mission to change our perception of soda. Maybe you’ve seen Olipop at your local grocery store – their cans feature a variety of tonal colors and have a vintage feel. The beverage comes in traditional and non-traditional flavors, like grape, root beer, and strawberry vanilla.
According to their website, Olipop is “a thoughtfully crafted tonic that found its taste in wholesome, hardworking ingredients instead of spoonfuls of sugar.” It’s made using plant-based fiber, other botanical ingredients, and prebiotics.
How They’re Scaling and Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Olipop created a scientific advisory board led by top researchers in the digestive health and microbiome fields. In 2021, they completed in-vitro clinical trials with Purdue and Baylor Universities and have a human clinical trial currently underway. They hope to adapt and improve their product in correlation with the scientific findings.
As they continue to gather data on prebiotics and gut health, Olipop continues to scale its mainstream marketing and distribution strategies, along with the supply chain structures essential to support their rapid growth.
Why They’re Successful
Founders Ben Goodwin and David Lester had been searching for a tasty and healthy future for over a decade. In the last three years, they’ve gone from being in 45 stores in northern California to more than 10,000 grocery stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Sprouts, and Safeway. During the pandemic, people were concentrating on their health even more than before. For some, that included getting serious about cutting their sugar intake and focusing on their gut and digestive health. Their marketing tactics, transparent and high-quality ingredients, and market conditions (the pandemic) helped accelerate the company’s growth by more than 3,000% in 2020.
Key Takeaways and E-commerce Lessons from Successful Brands
Your product and e-commerce brand can be unique and the absolute best in your niche, but today’s consumer is savvier than ever and they want more than that. They want:
Authentic and loyal customer connections
Story-driven, emotional, and relatable messaging
Powerful product descriptions
Clear business processes for customer-centered problem-solving
Enhanced user experiences
Sustainability and a clear mission
As your Virtual Sidekic, I can help you get clear on your business processes, buyer personas, and marketing/go-to-market strategies. I specialize in support services for businesses and growing successful e-commerce businesses through solid systems.
With my Operations Management retainer service, I help manage all of the systems, team and back end of your business processes, so you can focus on more important things, like tracking e-commerce trends and growing your e-commerce brand. Schedule a discovery call today, and let’s get to work turning your e-commerce brand into a seven-figure business that’ll make this list for 2023! Schedule a discovery call today, and let’s get to work turning your e-commerce brand into a seven-figure business that’ll make this list for 2023!