Since Covid entered the U.S. beginning around March 2020, the operating environment for  consumer brands has been volatile and difficult: shocks, setbacks, and continuous change,  particularly for digital brands. Despite the myriad of difficulties experienced over the last few  years, today’s operating climate is starting to look much more stable.   SUMMARY  Starting in 2020, a...Read More

SUMMARY TAKEAWAYS: The current environment is difficult for digital consumer brands. An edgy consumer, higher costs everywhere, and a rapidly shifting, more difficult targeted ad spend environment has impacted most consumer brands negatively into 2022.We believe strongly that this is a cycle and will present opportunities i) for brands that have focused on fundamentals including...Read More

“Big Blanket Co designs, markets, and sells the ‘biggest, best blankets in the world.’ Founder Bryan Simpson and his team have built a great company rooted in phenomenal products that are supported by an authentic and compelling brand. When combined with the loyal fan base they’ve cultivated, the Big Blanket Co story really resonated with me and my...Read More

Consumer product business owners and entrepreneurs pursuing growth face a number of important decisions. Often, the product path seems clear: an idea for a product (or family of products) that the entrepreneur knows is an “item”, one that he or she is certain has significant market potential. And the market response, whether early in the...Read More

Now over a year into the Covid pandemic in the United States, everyone is weary of Covid related news.  Covid has severely impacted every aspect of our daily lives.  Now, with hope on the horizon in the form of increased availability of vaccinations, there is also cause for concern, with Covid variants and new infections...Read More

Is your new partner the right partner to take your business to the next level? A founder who is considering a potential acquisition partner in the sale of his/her growing eCommerce brand usually needs to answer the question “which partner will invest in my business, help me make tough decisions, and grow it to its...Read More

This is another in a series of Altacrest Capital articles on relevant topics for consumer brands that sell on eCommerce channels (please see Altacrest Insights). In the fall of 2014 (centuries ago in eCommerce terms), my then-business partner and I were hustling to find selling channels for our high quality price point minibikes and go karts.  ...Read More

Many eCommerce investors and entrepreneurs fear a change in the search engine algorithms of Google or Amazon. Rightly so, a brand’s position in search engine results can have a material impact on sales. This is analogous to selling a product in Walmart with a prime display location and having it moved next to the restrooms....Read More

Both within our own portfolio companies, as well as within the eCommerce brands we have been in discussions with, we have observed some themes during these difficult times.  We would like to share these themes, from the unique (understatement!) challenges faced, to mitigants and solutions that clever entrepreneurs are implementing on the fly.  These themes...Read More

Through sweat, tears, hard work, and perseverance, you’ve built a great small business. It’s continuing to prosper but the next level of growth will bring new challenges. Is it time for a partner? Is it time to take some “chips off the table” and sell all or a significant portion of your business? The decision...Read More