How brands like Whisker and SharkNinja are shoring up their growth plans as consumer confidence declines

“We want to make sure our growth is sustainable,” he said. “We have a tried and true method that we’ve been using over the last decade through our significant growth, and we’re going to stick to what we know works.”

As consumer expectations plunged to their lowest levels in a dozen years, more than 10,000 brand, retail and e-commerce professionals gathered in Las Vegas for Shoptalk to game out their growth strategies in what often feels like a constantly-changing business climate. Part of that comes down to how companies are using their capital to drive new sales or preserve market share.

Steve Sadove, longtime retail consultant and former chair of the National Retail Federation, said during an early morning session that the uncertainty of the current climate is one of the biggest obstacles for brands. And it could get worse before it gets better, he said.

“You’ve got to navigate, and you’ve got to be nimble,” he said. 

Sadove said some brands he has spoken with are focused on holding onto their capital and not over-spending. He also said there’s a bigger focus on building brand value, and that brands nailing customer expectations and experiences will be poised to survive the challenging environment. 

“The winners are the ones that are winning on what I call a frictionless experience,” he said.

For Whisker’s part, that looks like finding different ways to serve the more than 1.25 million Litter Robot devices connected to its platform. The company continues to sell parts for older models that are no longer manufactured, and it rolls out frequent updates to its app. “We’re able to keep learning and to make it smarter and more tuned in with what the consumer is experiencing,” he said

This year in particular, Whisker did a major overhaul of its app that included improving the timing of sensors in the device. Zuppke said Whisker has hired at least 30 engineers since the start of the year to fine-tune existing operations and look into future research and development. “Our double-down investment this year is really around product, not just marketing,” he said.

From a brand perspective, Zuppke will be leaning into the value of automating what can be a dirty job and highlighting the overall quality of an American-manufactured item. “We’ve [been] doing this for 25 years,  so we are leaning into that messaging right now, which I think helps the consumer understand the value that they’re getting as well,” he said.

Using messaging and storytelling is also a cornerstone way for American Eagle Outfitters to continue to win shoppers over, said CMO Craig Brommers. The company said in its earnings report earlier this month that it’s seeing a slower start to the year than expected. But Brommers said the company will lean into brand-building and storytelling to help keep their customers and draw more in. “The best brands win mind share and market share in these environments,” he said.  

Brommers said the company is also looking to invest in new technology to beef up its marketing. That includes more AI-generated marketing materials. It’s also working with Google on a pilot that lets shoppers self-select virtual models. And the brand is looking to improve its visual search tools, as, Brommers said, it is becoming a more popular way of looking up products for its core demographics of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. “Gen Z is searching in every different ways, and technology is going to have tools that unlock opportunities,” he said. 

SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas said getting the consumer excited is one of the biggest inhibitors to growth. The company saw 30% growth in the holiday season and had a strong start coming into the year, But between budgetary constraints and competing priorities, the company has to think more critically about what it takes to get customers interested, he said. 

“If the consumer is not excited, they fall into a break-fix model: ‘Something breaks, we have to go get a new one,’” he said. “It’s our job to give consumers a better reason to invest in our product than to go out to dinner, take a vacation or buy something else.”

One of the biggest ways SharkNinja generates that excitement is with new products, Barrocas said. This year that includes the soft-serve machine Ninja Swirl, a new iteration of the small appliance the Ninja Creami. When that launched, the company had a waitlist of around 30,0000 people. It also recently rolled out the outdoor cooking product Ninja Flex Flame.

“You can get a Shark or Ninja product at $59, or you can get a Shark or Ninja at $999,” he said. “It’s our job to make sure we’re delivering value, with great excitement.”