DTC810: Songmont's Shopify Apps Tech Stack

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

🛍️ How Songmont Drives Repeat Purchases
We dive into the bag brand’s tech stack.

🏆 Gmail vs Apple Mail: Which Wins for Sends?
One platform dominates for deliverability.

📦 Tariff Tracker: Today’s Key Update
The latest shift in trade news.

💸 LesserEvil’s $750M Exit
How a snack brand pulled off a 3,000x ROI.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Kingsmen Premium, Sense Outside, and TheraTrue. 👋

🌎 The World Is Moving Fast. Keep Your Brand From Falling Behind With This Tool

Tariffs and de minimis changes are causing major concern for ecommerce brands—8 in 10 international merchants fear proposed tariffs will disrupt their global strategy. 😬

🚨 With regulations and costs shifting rapidly, staying informed is critical to protecting your bottom line.

📰 That’s why Passport’s in-house global trade experts are constantly sharing timely news and insights, helping brands navigate new rules, optimize their operations, and keep growing—whether shipping cross-border or fulfilling locally in markets like the US, UK, or Canada.

Don’t let uncertainty slow you down.

👉 Stay ahead of the latest changes with TrumpTradeTracker.com, Passport’s real-time news aggregator for global trade updates and expert guidance.

Visit now and bookmark it to keep your international strategy on track. 🌐

💡 How Songmont Keeps Customers Coming Back

Last month, Songmont brought in an estimated $1 million through its Shopify store.

Their well-made bags are currently having a moment on TikTok, and they are scaling quickly, winning over customers with their stylish designs and high-quality materials.

They have also created a great online shopping experience.

As they continue to grow their product assortment, they are using these Shopify apps to help shoppers discover the perfect product, set expectations when it comes to orders, and accelerate repeat orders.

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Here are the Shopify apps they are using to win over customers:

1️⃣ GLO Color Swatch & Bundles: With this plugin, you can present your product and color variations visually appealingly.

This is a great way to increase customer satisfaction and conversions.

You can see this app in action when you click through Songmont’s PDPs.

2️⃣ Qikify Mega Menu & Navigation: This tool lets merchants with large inventories create a mega menu with zero code required.

Songmont’s mega menu is a great way to target bag lovers looking for a specific style.

The site gives users multiple navigation options, either through a general category, such as best sellers for first-time customers, or more niche categories, such as ‘crossbody bags’, for customers further down the purchasing pipeline.

3️⃣ 17Track Order Tracking: This order track keeps customers informed about real-time shipping updates and delays.

You can also create a branded tracking page and include elements like smart product recommendations to get customers primed to repurchase.

Want us to spy on another brand? Reply back and let us know!

🫨 Tariffs, Budget Cuts, Recession... The Economy’s Experiencing Some Turbulence. Here’s How To Keep Your Marketing On Course

In today's volatile economic landscape, the pressure to cut marketing budgets is intense.

But what if that's exactly the wrong move? ❌

👉 On May 14th at 2:00 PM EDT, join Mike Chiasson of Keen Decision Systems as he reveals:

• ➡️ Real data showing how one brand's "responsible" budget cut led to a $17M revenue disaster
• ➡️ Practical approaches to scenario planning when tariffs and recession loom
• ➡️ How to identify which marketing tactics will still perform when consumers tighten their belts
• ➡️ Tools to defend your marketing investments when finance comes knocking

You'll leave with actionable frameworks to protect your budget and guide your marketing decisions through today's economic uncertainty.

📦 Your Daily Tariff Check-In

Whether it’s a minor tweak or a major shift, we’ll keep you posted on the latest tariff changes—so you’re always in the know.

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May 7, 2025 update:

• U.S. and Chinese Officials To Meet This Week
  • It is reported that both sides are looking to de-escalate the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies during a meeting this weekend in Switzerland.
  • U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shares, "The current trade war isn't sustainable. We don't want to decouple [with China], what we want is fair trade."
• Canada’s Prime Minister Meets With President Trump
  • On Tuesday, Canada’s newly elected PM Mark Carney visited the White House to engage in trade talks.
  • While Carney insisted it was a constructive meeting, Trump told reporters afterwards there was nothing Carney could say that would make him lift tariffs on Canadian imports.

🎧 TWBERP 32: Apple Mail vs Gmail App: The Inbox Wars That Matter to DTC Brands

Jordan Gordon from Pilothouse breaks down the hidden differences between Apple Mail and Gmail, and how they impact the way your emails actually show up for customers. (And why he’s personally switching to Apple Mail.)

Using Frye as the benchmark, he explores how brands’ emails appear in different environments and reveals the hidden pitfalls of Gmail dark mode, annotations, and clipping that can undercut your entire retention strategy.

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What you'll learn in this episode:

• Dangers of dark mode: Why Gmail dark mode breaks your design—and how to fix it.
• Why Apple is better for brands: Apple Mail’s clean design boosts click-through and brand perception.
• Are customers seeing your whole email? How email clipping in Gmail hurts UX and performance.
• Creating a better email experience: How to analyze mobile vs desktop open rates for better UX targeting.

👉 Listen to the full episode with Jordan here.

⚡ QUICK HITS

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📰 NEWS

• U.S. and Chinese officials will meet this weekend to try to de-escalate the trade war.
• Trump tells Prime Minster Mark Carney he won’t lift tariffs on Canada.
• Google Ads launches AI Max for search campaigns.
• Crocs partners with Swarovski on its most glamorous footwear collection yet.

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🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE

Discover how healthy snack brand LesserEvil scaled their business and created mass market appeal (even with premium prices) before selling for $750M.  

Give Kyle a follow on LinkedIn and grab the playbook!

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📅 EVENTS

Social Media Week - A premier event for marketers, creators, and media professionals exploring the future of digital communication. The 2025 edition highlights innovation in social strategy, storytelling, community building, and creator partnerships, offering valuable insights from top industry leaders.

📅 May 12-14, 📍 New York, NY 💰 $1,299

Retail Fest Australia -  An immersive three-day conference designed for everyone from the biggest brands to emerging ecommerce startups. The event focuses on education, fun, and community, bringing together top retailers and solution providers to explore the latest trends and strategies in the retail industry.

📅 May 28-30, 📍 Queensland, Australia 💰 695 AUD

📥 Got a B2B Biz?

Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 150k brand leaders and founders this year. Talk to our team to learn more.

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Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• ⛳ How Pins and Aces Built a $25M Golf Brand with Limited Drops
• ⚡ AKNF 504: 6 Reasons Why Your Meta Ads Aren’t Scaling
• ⭐ TWBERP 31: Behind Frye’s Emails: Design and Strategy
• 🛍️ Inside Shein’s $30B Global Fashion Machine (Live from ShopTalk)
• 🧠 AKNF 502: DTC Survival Guide To Increase Marketing Efficiency
• 💡 TWBERP 30: GlockApps on Opens, Clicks and Privacy Myths
• 🍫 How Mid-Day Squares Scaled to $36M with Costco and More

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Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

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