Ecommerce On Tap

Rothy's is known for sustainable shoes made from recycled plastic bottles. But that's not actually what they built.In this episode, Aaron and co-host Barb Almeida (Superbloom Insights) break down the real story behind Rothy's — a programmable knitting system that two outsiders spent four years and $2 million developing before they ever sold a single pair of shoes.They cover why footwear is one of the most waste-intensive consumer categories, how Rothy's designed waste out of the manufacturing process before they designed the product, why Nike never sued them despite using similar technology, and what Alpargatas was actually buying when they put $475M into a 49.9% stake in 2021.If you're building a physical product brand — or thinking about what makes a manufacturing-led business defensible — this one is worth your attention.Topics covered:Why footwear has more manufacturing waste than almost any other consumer categoryHow Rothy's programmable knitting system worksThe four-year, $2M development period before launchThe 2012 DTC playbook — and why Rothy's did the oppositeRothy's vs. Nike Flyknit: same technology, completely different objectiveGoldman Sachs and Alpargatas: what they were actually buyingWhat founders can take from a brand that built the system before the productThe Shopify origin story (tidbits segment)Tariff refund update: $20B paid out so farEcommerce on Tap goes deep on the operational and commercial story behind specific consumer brands and categories. Each season covers one industry. This season: footwear.

Why did a strange-looking running shoe with giant foam soles become a billion-dollar brand?This week on Ecommerce on Tap, Aaron Alpeter and Mark Riskowitz break down the story of Hoka—from its origins in the French Alps to becoming one of the fastest-growing footwear brands in the world.We cover:• Why Hoka ignored industry trends• The biomechanics behind running shoes• Manufacturing challenges most consumers never see• Why founders sometimes need to leave incumbents• How Deckers scaled Hoka into a powerhouse

Aaron and Nathan reveal how Bloom Nutrition went from a niche pre-workout brand founded by Mari Llewellyn and Greg LaVacchia to Amazon’s best-selling greens powder, all by tapping into untapped audiences and making strategic moves that AG1 missed. You’ll hear how Bloom leveraged social media influence, taste innovation, and multi-channel growth to win over wellness consumers, landing partnerships with big-box retailers like Target and Walmart, and securing a minority stake sale to Nutrabolt at an impressive valuation.

Aaron and Nathan dove into the fascinating growth story of Nutrafol, the supplement brand that’s redefining hair wellness. We explored how three founders, each with their own hair loss journey, built trust through clinical trials and strategic partnerships with dermatologists, then scaled to a massive Unilever acquisition. We unpacked lessons on positioning, subscription business models, and how to expand your brand by leaning into science-backed results. If you’re building in ecommerce or supplements, Nutrafol’s journey is packed with actionable insights.

Vacation was founded by a pair of beach-loving creatives who teamed up with the mastermind behind PoolSuite FM, an internet radio station obsessed with retro leisure vibes. Together, they built a brand that’s as much about playful escapism as it is about serious sun protection. From recreating the iconic Orange Gelee tanning gel to launching Instagram-worthy whipped sunscreen, Vacation’s journey is a masterclass on community-driven branding, product innovation, and leveraging cultural nostalgia for explosive growth.Nathan and Aaron break down the science behind sunscreen, the regulatory hurdles for global expansion, and how Vacation has gone from a DTC darling to the #1 sunscreen in Target. With $40 million in revenue and serious acquisition buzz, this episode peels back the layers on what it takes to disrupt a legacy category—and why the future of sunscreen just might look like the past.https://poolsuite.net/Vacation ad: https://www.tiktok.com/@vacationinc/video/7132998444548885802(00:00) - Intro (01:59) - Non-resident Import Record Loophole (03:24) - Customs Fraud (04:12) - Nutrabolt investing in Bloom Nutrition (05:27) - Skincare Review (07:15) - Sunscreen 101 (12:56) - Sunscreen around the World (18:05) - Sunscreen Market (19:22) - Vacation Founding Story (32:08) - Brand Identity (39:47) - Vacation Growth (41:55) - Exit Potential (49:27) - Closing

Glow Recipe. From their origins as ambitious executives at L'Oréal to becoming founders who redefined how the West thinks about skincare, Christine Chang and Sarah Lee's journey is packed with bold decisions, cultural insight, and some seriously impressive growth.Nathan and Aaron unpack Glow Recipe’s evolution—from a K-beauty curation website born out of a mere $50,000 investment, to a fruit-forward, community-driven skincare powerhouse that’s become a best-seller in Sephora and pulled in over $300 million in revenue. They break down what made Glow Recipe stand out (hint: it’s not just watermelon masks) and discuss the smart supply chain maneuvers, viral community campaigns, and the huge brand pivot that fueled their rapid scale.

Starting from a college dorm room, Topicals quickly evolved into Sephora's fastest-growing skincare line, selling a product every minute at its peak. This isn't just a story of impressive growth—it's about challenging the historic blind spots of the beauty industry, championing cultural representation, and the tenacity of two founders determined to serve overlooked communities.Nathan and Aaron walk us through Topicals' rapid journey: their unique approach to brand-building, the grit required to raise funds, how they cracked the code to a coveted Sephora partnership, and what happens when hypergrowth meets the realities of scale. Beyond Topicals, they also unpack broader trends in ecommerce, recent acquisitions shaking up the space, and the future of culture-driven holding companies.Dr Squatch Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-alpha-why-dr-squatch-unilevers-next-flagship-mens-aaron-alpeter-nt5reKellogg Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/quiet-candy-empire-thats-eating-your-breakfast-aaron-alpeter-isuse