Joonas Gebhard shares his unique journey from brick-and-mortar retail in Finland to successfully launching the online subscription box service, KawaiiBox. This episode offers critical insights for ecommerce operators contemplating or undergoing a similar transition, detailing the strategic shifts, operational adjustments, and competitive advantages of moving an established physical business to a digital-first model. Learn how to navigate challenges and leverage lessons from traditional retail in the online space.
Key takeaways
Understand that transitioning from brick-and-mortar to online requires a complete re-evaluation of customer acquisition, operations, and logistics, not just setting up a website.
Leverage past retail experience in understanding customer behavior and product appeal when moving online, as these fundamentals remain crucial in a digital environment.
Be prepared for significant operational adjustments, including inventory management and supply chain, which differ greatly between physical and online sales channels.
Explore subscription box models as a viable e-commerce strategy, particularly for niche products, to build recurring revenue and customer loyalty.
Stay informed about global events (e.g., Coronavirus, tariffs) and their potential impact on international sourcing and supply chains, especially when importing products.
Welcome to the Ecomcrew Podcast and greetings from Irvine, California! We're still here, establishing some roots and it's very different compared to last year where we were all over the place, doing our travelling but now that the new year's come, it feels really good to be able to stay in one spot for a while and leave the hectic travelling lifestyle behind us for a bit. For today's episode, I was actually emailed by today's guest about buying his business when I put out an episode listing the criteria of the next business I was looking to buy. And all of that back and forth has led to today's episode where I'm with Joonas Gebhard of KawaiiBox -- a subscription box brand that sells cute toys from Japan. Joonas is a Finland native, and his path to becoming an online seller is definitely one of the most interesting. From being a concert organizer, Joonas transitioned into being a local seller with a brick and mortar store in Finland before suddenly jumping ship, and taking everything online. This path definitely isn't the most common, so listen in and hear about the lessons he's learned from running a brick and mortar store to transitioning everything into online. Before I forget, Dave and I are hosting a free webinar on March 11th, 10am PST where we'll be talking about Importing from China in 2020. We'll be talking about how the Corona virus is definitely going to affect your business, Amazon Dragonboat, and the new updates on tariffs in 2020. Register now! If you've got any questions or any comments, feel free to leave us a comment down below. We'd love to hear any of your feedback, especially with the new format of the show.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Understand that transitioning from brick-and-mortar to online requires a complete re-evaluation of customer acquisition, operations, and logistics, not just setting up a website.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Leverage past retail experience in understanding customer behavior and product appeal when moving online, as these fundamentals remain crucial in a digital environment.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Be prepared for significant operational adjustments, including inventory management and supply chain, which differ greatly between physical and online sales channels.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Explore subscription box models as a viable e-commerce strategy, particularly for niche products, to build recurring revenue and customer loyalty.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Stay informed about global events (e.g., Coronavirus, tariffs) and their potential impact on international sourcing and supply chains, especially when importing products.
