Brands Briefing: How connected products companies like Whisker and Loftie are crafting their app strategies as smart homes take over

“We had people in Reddit saying, ‘It’s really sad for me to delete from the app my pet that, unfortunately, passed away. And I don’t want to open the app every single time and see their name because it’s sad,'” he said. “So we created a memorialize feature, and they never have to click the word delete.”

Getting the app experience right is a major focus for brands that work in the connected home space. From smart thermostats to digital picture frames to litter boxes, so-called “smart home” products, or appliances that come with an app, are poised to become even more commonplace as tech companies make their product moves. Last week, Google announced it will be introducing Gemini to its Google Home products, replacing Google Assistant beginning in October. Apple is also looking to get into the smart home arena, per a new report from Bloomberg.

Overall, Verizon’s 2024 Consumer Connections Report found that 42–45% of U.S. internet households now own at least one smart home device, with about one in five having a smart doorbell.

But demand is hardly universal, and some customers are averse to connected products. In turn, it falls on designers and engineers to make apps that truly serve the needs of their users and don’t disrupt their process of using the product. Sonos, for instance, received major criticism for a 2024 app update that caused its products to malfunction and frustrated a large portion of its users. The situation even triggered a proposed class action lawsuit. New CEO Tom Conrad, who took the helm this summer, said on an earnings call in early August that the company is at “a turning point.”

Zuppke of Whisker said the company’s overall goal is to give people limited interaction with the litter box itself. The Litter Robot app can be used to get notifications about a cat’s usage, sensor issues, or when the waste collection tray needs cleaning. It’s also added more fun “If we do our jobs incredibly well with our hardware, the user is barely interfacing with the hardware, and the app becomes the product for the consumer,” he said.

But at the same time, it’s not mandatory for people to use the app to use a Littler Robot, Zuppke said. Whisker has sold more than 1.5 million units. But it has around 750,000 people who use its app monthly, Zuppke said. “Not everyone may want that app on their phone or even use a smartphone well enough to be able to work with it,” he said. “So, [the Litter Robot] has to be able to work just as a manual product, and we have to design our experiences to be seamless for both users.”

Internally, Zuppke said the hardware and app teams coordinate closely to help figure out how to deliver the best of both worlds. Zuppke said the team schedules one update a month to incorporate any fixes or planned add-ons. When it rolled out a homepage redesign earlier this year, it started with a beta group of users.

“We took our time. We rolled it out carefully and methodically, and then, from there, we rolled it out to all of our users,” he said. “Our current staggered approach has gone really well for us, to where, if something were to not appease a large group of users, we’re catching that early so we can revert if needed.”

Part of the challenge for companies that make app-connected products is ensuring that the app isn’t required for the product to work, as some people may be put off by having to integrate it. American Home Shield, an insurance company, surveyed over 1,000 U.S. adults last December and found that 46% say they have experienced device failures because of Wi-Fi or internet issues, and about one in five have dealt with issues like dead batteries, frozen screens or product pairing issues. Anecdotally, Reddit threads are filled with app users sharing their experiences with connectivity issues — not to mention reporting frustrations with the overall proliferation of separate apps required for daily operations.

SharkNinja, the makers of popular home appliances like Shark vacuums and Ninja Slushis, is in the midst of a bigger internal push to release more connected products this year. Already, it has products like the Shark Robot Vacuum, the Ninja Woodfire ProConnect XL Outdoor Grill and Smoker, and the Ninja ProChef Wireless Thermometer that can be controlled with apps.  That also includes coming up with ways for app-controlled products to be more centralized, addressing the concern that people have too many apps on their phone across too many processes.

Mike Harris, chief innovation and technology officer of SharkNinja, said in an email to Modern Retail that app best practices come down to a focus on delivering consumer value through the app, rather than connectivity for its own sake. “Too often, companies will lose track of that focus and fall in love with the technology, rather than the value it brings,” he said.

Under the hood, companies must take a no-compromise approach to security and privacy, Harris said. That can usually be taken care of with the required updates brought on by new operating systems from smartphone providers. And while there’s no “right” cadence for other updates, Harris said the goal is to bring “new delightful features” to enhance the experience.

For its part, Loftie, a company that makes alarm clocks and lamps designed to help people keep their phones out of their bedroom, has an app people can use to set their devices up with bedtime reminders and sleep coaching. Most recently, founder and CEO Matthew Hassett said, Loftie rolled out an app-blocking feature that people can use to help train themselves to put their phone down during certain hours.

But all Loftie products work independently of the app, and Hasset said the app more of a companion to help people make it work.

“We’ve never wanted to make the clock dependent on the app. You can always use the clock on its own, and that’s a big differentiator for us versus our competitors,” he said. “Our app isn’t something you want to just scroll for hours. It’s very functional.”

Given the extent of the Chinese tariff costs affecting Loftie’s bottom line, Hassett said the company is even thinking of making the app a standalone product, available to people who don’t own its hardware.

“We’re really invested in the app this year above other [products], because making physical products is very hard right now with tariffs,” he said. “Historically, the app was just a sidecar to the clock and the lamp, but now we’re working to make the app good enough on its own to be a standalone product.” — Melissa Daniels

Earnings to watch

This week should give a wide insight into the state of the consumer, with Dollar General, Ulta Beauty, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Affirm, Best Buy and Bath and Body Works all reporting earnings on Wednesday. During its last earnings report, Dollar General said it was winning over more high-income customers and that retaining these customers would be a key focus going forward. Ulta, meanwhile, is in the midst of its “Ulta Unleashed” turnaround plan, and saw green shoots last quarter as sales were up 4.5% year-over-year. At the time, CEO Kecia Steelman stated that “many consumers indicate that they are leaning into beauty as a comfort and escape from the stress of macro uncertainty.” We’ll see if that’s still the case –Anna Hensel

What we’re reading

• Urban Outfitters is tapping Levi’s for the next iteration of its in-store pop-up series, called On Rotation. 
• Rent the Runway is handing over a controlling stake to a group of three investors who, in turn, will inject $20 million into the business, as the rental service looks to cut debt and further growth. 
• Business of Fashion has dubbed 2025 “the summer of scandal” and looks at how brands like American Eagle and E.l.f have navigated backlash to recent marketing campaigns. 

What we’ve covered 

• Bragg is looking to own more of the wellness market by moving into new categories like ready-to-drink beverages and supplements. 
• Rivian wants its electric vehicle charging stations to be the rest stop of the future — and to create more opportunities for brands to sell to EV owners. 
• How SharkNinja designs new products.