Super interesting! I have some Toteme items from prior years that I like a lot. Recently ordered some items in the sale and was disappointed. Sent it all back but 1 item. They did not spark joy. I was also taken aback that every single item was made in China. So many independent brands are able to make their garments in Europe and the US at that price point.
I totally feel you—I dug into a similar feeling with the brand (and others) in a recent post reflecting on the homogeneity of clothes these days. It's great finding those treasured pieces, but as much as toteme carries the promise that it can replace your whole wardrobe, its rarely the case...and so we keep searching!
A helpful and valuable map to understand where an informed consumer is both converting and what is spreading via word of mouth. Thank you! One item I’d consider putting less value on is using retailer rankings as a metric--most often with larger retailers like Net and Matches brands are paying for these placements in the top navigation. Same thing for “best sellers” there’s probably varying KPIs that inform this ranking across sites too--some could use a sell through % but that depends on the depth of the buy or what is going to receive the most clicks and drive the customer to cart elsewhere on the site. It also could be an item that’s moving slowly and it needs to be merchandised in a way to appear more desired than it actually is. It’s a lot less organic than it would appear, all that said the other metrics you used have greater weight for brand equity since it’s in the hands and minds of the customer.
Yes! This was what I came to the comments to mention. Not always paid necessarily, but often used as a place to drive consumer behavior. Sometimes it is updated by an algorithm by the team and sometimes more manual and not always updated frequently. So it is “saying” something but hard to tell from the outside is if it is trending/best seller, if the retailer wants it to be, or if it just hasn’t been looked at in awhile. Similarly - some brands aren’t carried at all places list (High Sport is still limited) etc. but oh my, I love love love this.
thank you @maddie and @sarah! these are all very valid points and definitely cases we want to control for. we're reassessing for our february send and will be including new, less fungible data sources to improve the integrity of our findings. any suggestions you might have of where we could pull objective outside data will definitely be considered!
Additionally, just adding that I love that you created this dialogue and we can talk about the insights and measurements as a like minded community interested in this (I mean, others get to chat Football stats and rankings. This is my Super Bowl!!)
Laura I think you did an excellent job with the data and explaining how you weighted it. I think you can keep digging into it but everything will be tainted a little in one way or another. It is the same for so many retailers and brands. (ex omnichannel - tracking the same customer whether they shop Toteme directly on their ecom site, buy from a retailer like NAP or resale via TRR, Poshmark etc.)
def on the eileen fisher train! got 2 gorgeous sweaters from them for xmas and they're all I want to wear rn - such interesting yet wearable colors (the perfect milk chocolate and this really great swampy dark green), great fabrication w/great little knit details, 100% wool but so light. if they hold up as well as my EF linen I think they'll be staples for a long time 🙌
Ordered 3 Toteme items in the Matches sale section, but sending back 2 out of 3. I’m sending back the City Boots and the washed black kick flare denim jeans. Boots are difficult to go in and out, and the suede looks sensitive. Denim jeans is a bit too stretchy for me! A keeper is the double pleated organic cotton trousers in black!! I absolutely love them.
Love stats! Love this intel! The index we didn’t know we needed 💪💥
This was so good
you are doing the lord's work over here <3
Super interesting! I have some Toteme items from prior years that I like a lot. Recently ordered some items in the sale and was disappointed. Sent it all back but 1 item. They did not spark joy. I was also taken aback that every single item was made in China. So many independent brands are able to make their garments in Europe and the US at that price point.
I totally feel you—I dug into a similar feeling with the brand (and others) in a recent post reflecting on the homogeneity of clothes these days. It's great finding those treasured pieces, but as much as toteme carries the promise that it can replace your whole wardrobe, its rarely the case...and so we keep searching!
A helpful and valuable map to understand where an informed consumer is both converting and what is spreading via word of mouth. Thank you! One item I’d consider putting less value on is using retailer rankings as a metric--most often with larger retailers like Net and Matches brands are paying for these placements in the top navigation. Same thing for “best sellers” there’s probably varying KPIs that inform this ranking across sites too--some could use a sell through % but that depends on the depth of the buy or what is going to receive the most clicks and drive the customer to cart elsewhere on the site. It also could be an item that’s moving slowly and it needs to be merchandised in a way to appear more desired than it actually is. It’s a lot less organic than it would appear, all that said the other metrics you used have greater weight for brand equity since it’s in the hands and minds of the customer.
Yes! This was what I came to the comments to mention. Not always paid necessarily, but often used as a place to drive consumer behavior. Sometimes it is updated by an algorithm by the team and sometimes more manual and not always updated frequently. So it is “saying” something but hard to tell from the outside is if it is trending/best seller, if the retailer wants it to be, or if it just hasn’t been looked at in awhile. Similarly - some brands aren’t carried at all places list (High Sport is still limited) etc. but oh my, I love love love this.
thank you @maddie and @sarah! these are all very valid points and definitely cases we want to control for. we're reassessing for our february send and will be including new, less fungible data sources to improve the integrity of our findings. any suggestions you might have of where we could pull objective outside data will definitely be considered!
Additionally, just adding that I love that you created this dialogue and we can talk about the insights and measurements as a like minded community interested in this (I mean, others get to chat Football stats and rankings. This is my Super Bowl!!)
Laura I think you did an excellent job with the data and explaining how you weighted it. I think you can keep digging into it but everything will be tainted a little in one way or another. It is the same for so many retailers and brands. (ex omnichannel - tracking the same customer whether they shop Toteme directly on their ecom site, buy from a retailer like NAP or resale via TRR, Poshmark etc.)
Toteme looks great in their own styling and photography, but I am always underwhelmed when I see the product in real life.
def on the eileen fisher train! got 2 gorgeous sweaters from them for xmas and they're all I want to wear rn - such interesting yet wearable colors (the perfect milk chocolate and this really great swampy dark green), great fabrication w/great little knit details, 100% wool but so light. if they hold up as well as my EF linen I think they'll be staples for a long time 🙌
Just curious - any best guesses as to why Eileen Fisher rounds out in second place?
Genius! 🫶
Wow!!! I’m loving this.
Ordered 3 Toteme items in the Matches sale section, but sending back 2 out of 3. I’m sending back the City Boots and the washed black kick flare denim jeans. Boots are difficult to go in and out, and the suede looks sensitive. Denim jeans is a bit too stretchy for me! A keeper is the double pleated organic cotton trousers in black!! I absolutely love them.
My experience with the brand has also admittedly been hit or miss, but I have those pants, too, and I wear them a lot!!