Website Closers® presents a brand born from a passion for high-fidelity audio. This 6-year-old, widely recognized, high-performing eCommerce Brand operates solely in the Vinyl Audio Niche. The company has the largest and most comprehensive catalog of precision-made, high-fidelity audio accessories and unique vinyl display solutions on the market. The company’s products are all marked with the company’s in-house brand and sold on Amazon, their Branded Website, eBay, Walmart, and Etsy.
Its growth is driven and inspired by its customers, but it all starts from a close collaboration among musicians, engineers, producers, designers, and Hi-Fi enthusiasts. Crafted in New York City, these products aim to share the passion for Music the City instilled in the owner with audiophiles worldwide. They all dig it – and you will too!
The owner started up this brand at a time when only OEM turntable accessories were available on the market. He began designing and manufacturing accessories for his home audio setup. Initially, only one locally manufactured product was offered, but once it made its way to the Amazon.com platform, the company jumped up on steroids and all of a sudden, he was utilizing all available CNC machines in the Tri-state area to satisfy holiday demand.
It became clear, early on, that the products filled a void in the turntable accessories market at a time when one did not exist, and the business quickly grew to become the most comprehensive accessories catalog offered on Amazon.
That comprehensive catalog now creates a cross-promotional strategic advantage for offensive and defensive ad campaigns, launching new products, and upselling products.
The high-fidelity audio and turntable accessories currently encompass 6 principal categories, including:
- LP cleaning products necessary to clean, restore and preserve turntables and LPs.
- Sound isolation, including innovative and proprietary silicon hemisphere bumpers that reduce resonance and improve the sound quality of any audio setup.
- Vinyl storage and displays featuring all shelving solutions, suitable for anyone from aspiring collectors to avid enthusiasts.
- All measuring instruments essential to calibrate a turntable for optimal playback. For example, the deluxe cartridge alignment kit is a go-to item and a necessary component of any turntable setup.
- Platter mats of every medium allow collectors to match them to their preference and optimize playback.
- Small, medium and heavyweight record weights to improve sound quality.
- Panels for 500 series devices.
All products are designed in-house and with an industrial designer on a perproject basis to fine-tune CAD designs. Most manufacturing was moved to Asia, but the designs still originate here, in the states. The company has excellent relationships with its manufacturing partners and its trade agent, who performs quality control on all shipments out of Asia. 2 products are manufactured domestically in the USA.
The purchasing and manufacturing process is automated, and the system will predict and notify management when to place purchase orders and plan and track shipments to 3PL partners. From there, shipments are automated into Amazon warehouses and elsewhere.
Due to a highly dependable and trustworthy full-time sourcing agent and supply chain manager based in Shenzhen, China, with whom the owner has established a long-term relationship, the brand can produce most new products in R&D within this network. When necessary, the process of finding new partners is straightforward … with the assistance of the sourcing agent. All products are manufactured exclusively for the brand and sold under its trademarked name. Contracts are in place to ensure that these manufacturers will not sell similar products to competing brands. This intellectual property makes this brand stand out above the rest – couple that with its strong growth since inception and we’re expecting a very strong demand for this offering.
The company makes use of a 100% inventory model. This includes FBA, 3PLs in LA, the UK, and Europe, and a small batch of goods stored locally for replacement parts to keep hot sellers stocked when necessary. Amazon FBA fulfills around 99% of all sales.
Management aims to maintain 6-12 months of inventory at its 3PL and 1-2 months at Amazon warehouses. The cost value of stock varies depending on seasonality and global inventory stock level targets.
The customer demographic is relatively broad. Customers are at different stages of their journey, from novices to experts, as well as loved ones gifting products to LP enthusiasts. Each customer is solving a unique problem. For example, someone with a new turntable will purchase an alignment kit, while someone with an established listening room is interested in the sound isolation collection. A few popular products, such as the cleaning kit and record sleeves, serve as honeypots that everyone desires. Once a user interacts with the brand, a web of cross-promotion between products is built and marketed to them. Brand messaging indicates that all products used in conjunction create the optimal sound and set up for a listener. The typical customer is a male in their 30s or older. Customers consistently enter the sales pipeline and purchase subsequent complimentary products. It’s not uncommon for a buyer to build out shelving displays and then expand their art walls over a year. Due to the highly engaged email list, the brand can launch new products and expose them effectively to customers.
The estimated LTV of an engaged customer is $1,000 over the course of two years. Some SKUs have highly consistent and recurring spending patterns as they are vinyl essentials and replenishable. In contrast, others are more seasonal items correlated to turntable sales.
Sales pick up during the back-to-school season and remain high through the holiday season. January and February are particularly strong as many of these items are purchased using gift cards people receive or in response to vinyl gifts they have obtained during the holidays. Management has observed that the holiday season, up until February, is when people shop for vinyl players and accessories as gifts.
Lead generation comprises PPC campaigns on Amazon and a monthly email marketing campaign to subscribers. Periodic posting on social media accounts and access to a popular YouTube channel that enjoys reviewing the brand’s products are also influential.
The owner works only 10 hours weekly on the business, primarily focusing on strategic growth. Additional staff includes the Chinese sourcing agent, an operations manager, a customer service and social media employee, an Amazon account specialist, and a PPC campaign expert.
