Happy Sunday!
As someone who’s reading this right now, you are probably still catching your breath from BFCM. The madness is far from over… if anything the craziness is just getting started. Catch your breath, because after this, we have December (which should be 15-35% greater than your November) and then we go into NYNY (IYKYK). … “New Year, New You” if you’re “new” here. Anywho, today’s newsletter is going to be a fun one. I don’t want to overload your brain with thoughts, I want this to be a fun read. So get comfortable and let’s get into it.
Vendor of the Week
Portless — Direct Fulfillment from China (factory) to doorstep in the US, or anywhere.
The first time I heard about Portless, it was when the Jolie CEO was telling me how they found an efficient way to produce water filters, have them trucked to a 3PL in China, and then they ship it to US customers, via air freight, using Portless.
Portless buys fractional air freight better than anyone, and they can ship a package to the US, landed at the doorstep, without anyone knowing it came from China, in less than 6 days. As a result, you cut down lead times to sell product, and can improve cashflow, while still giving customers a fully “domestic experience” with local labels.
If your brand ran into stockouts or cash crunches this BFCM, this is how you fix your 2026 supply chain. With Portless, you can also make international expansion as simple as launching a new Meta campaign. They already ship to 55+ countries from one central hub.
Portless is one of my favorite companies in our space because of how much they innovate to make supply chain and shipping easier for brands. If you’re interested in saving costs with direct fulfillment, or to see if it's right for you, book a call with them on this special link!
Limited Supply
This past week on Limited Supply, I went in with a DTC marketer who shared what he thinks worked well, what didn’t work well and what he is going to do different going into December and 2026.
Take a listen on Apple, Spotify or YouTube. If you subscribe or drop a review, it would mean the world to me.
If you really wanna help me out, email me (you can just reply to this email), and tell me what you like about Limited Supply or hate about it, so I can make it better and more valuable for 2026.
Plan for Snap
Next year, I expect Snap to be a larger part of everyone’s media mix. One of my friends runs a 9-figure apparel brand, and for them, Snap is an underrated performance channel. I’ll be hosting a lunch & learn with myself, Ari Murray (CDO @ SALT&STONE), and other experts on Snap Ads. Sign up here to join!
The Catalog Coaster
For this Sunday newsletter, I am doing something I’ve only ever done twice before because it was so valuable. I am sharing content that a close colleague of mine, Dan Pantelo, the CEO of Marpipe, put together and shared with his newsletter base. It’s going to be a fun one to read, so grab a beverage, put your feet up and let’s dive in. Handing it over to Dan…
Each year, Shopify publishes in-depth data and analytics from the biggest weekend of the year.
And each year, we foolishly take on the task of trying to interpret it - and sometimes, we learn something!
Here's what catalog advertisers need to know…
2020: The Lockdown Economy
During COVID-19 fashion face masks were up 31,933%, electric bikes spiked 367%, and jigsaw puzzles grew 387%.
E-commerce penetration saw a 32% year-over-year increase, the biggest single-year jump in a decade.
Interest in DIY beauty and grooming rose sharply. People turned to screen-free hobbies and home fitness solutions.
For catalog advertisers, this meant prioritizing bundled product sets, DIY beauty tools, and home fitness gear.
Brands that segmented catalogs by confinement-related use cases saw stronger delivery.
2021: Controlled Reentry
When the travel ban was lifted in November 2021, Poker chips were up 4,468%, checked suitcases jumped 300%, and Dutch ovens surged 673% as consumers left their homes immediately.
TSA checkpoint screenings on November 28 were more than double 2020 levels.
For catalog advertisers, this meant prioritizing travel gear, hosting essentials, and social gathering products in product sets.
Brands that segmented their catalogs by use case (travel, entertaining, outdoor adventure) saw better delivery and ROAS during this period.
2022: The Optimization Era
At this time, people were mobile but still working remotely. Boxing equipment grew 417%. The IPL hair removal devices jumped 217%. Power adapters surged 583%.
Consumers settled into hybrid lifestyles.
Digital nomadism was up 131% from 2019 levels.
Catalog advertisers needed to shift product segmentation toward portability, self-care, and home fitness.
Lifestyle imagery showing products in travel or remote work contexts performed better than static product shots.
2023: Speed AND Slow
Consumers revealed two opposing impulses, both a craving for speed and optimization, and a desire to slow down and reconnect with the physical world.
Instant coffee surged 342%, crochet hooks were up 431%, and 3D printer filaments grew 275%.
For catalog ads, this meant testing two distinct creative approaches.
Fast-convenience products (instant coffee, teeth whitening strips) required urgency-driven messaging.
Slow-hobby products (crochet, embossing tools) needed calm, hands-on lifestyle imagery.
2024: Analog Rebellion
Compact digital cameras exploded by 2,345%.
Embossing stamps were up 1,119%.
And party games grew 306%.
The lo-fi aesthetic of point-and-shoot cameras aligned with a broader Y2K revival, but the appeal ran deeper.
These cameras offered control over photography and got people off their phones.
In an era saturated with AI-enhanced imagery, imperfect results felt refreshingly human.
For catalog advertisers, this is critical.
Products positioned as analog alternatives to digital tools (cameras, embossing stamps, handheld recorders) should use creative that emphasizes tactile experience, craftsmanship, and intentional friction.
Avoid overly polished, AI-enhanced product imagery. Raw, human-feeling creative performs better.
My 2025 Predictions:
Red light therapy masks are going to surge.
Biohacking is mainstream now, and people want to do it at home.
Sleep and recovery optimization products are growing as wellness status symbols, smart mattresses, bedroom lighting, and red light therapy devices are potential breakout categories.
Blue light blocker glasses are going to spike.
People are searching for ways to get off screens, but since we still have to work on them, at least they'll be protected.
Expect products that mitigate digital harm to grow significantly.
Lab-grown diamonds are going to reshape jewelry catalogs.
Gen Z is entering prime engagement years and cares about ethical sourcing.
This shift will create a massive opportunity for brands that position themselves around sustainability and transparency.
For catalog advertisers:
Q4 strategy should be more than discount depth and email cadence.
You need to factor in consumer behavior if you want to be on the trending list.
Segment catalogs by wellness optimization vs. indulgent escape.
Test two creative approaches, both optimized (show the benefit) vs. indulgent (show the experience).
Prioritize "analog alternatives" and "embodied experiences" in product positioning.
And use lifestyle context aggressively. White-background product shots underperform for categories tied to experience.
THE CATALOG PULSE
We have access to thousands of product catalogs from the world’s biggest brands - here are our weekly observations on the latest trends in ecommerce.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z68OIPyKGMY
Male beauty spending is up 77%, but not in the categories you might expect.
Nail care and fake tan are the fastest-growing categories, followed by skincare.
This is largely thanks to celebrities like Harry Styles and Bad Bunny modeling a more fluid approach to gender norms.
We're moving away from hyper-masculine branding (like Warpaint) toward gender-neutral, inclusive approaches.
Rode did a campaign with Harris Dickinson.
The Ordinary is capitalizing on gender-neutral branding.
At Marpipe, we're seeing this shift play out in real time.
Brands are marketing their product catalogs in a more inclusive way.
That's all for this week
Alright, that’s a wrap for this Sunday. December is where great operators separate themselves from everyone else, so keep pushing, keep testing, and don’t let off the gas. And if you picked up something useful from this newsletter, share it with a friend who could use a boost heading into the final stretch of the year.
See you next week.