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Case Study — Shark Wheel

Case Study — Shark Wheel

Introduction:

Shark Wheel, a California-based company that developed a proprietary new skateboard wheel design, partnered with eCommerce distributor Phelps United to accelerate its Amazon business. The collaboration has strengthened Shark Wheel’s presence on the Amazon marketplace, leading to exponential growth and a 25-percent year-over-year increase in sales.

 
 
 

 

Background:

Shark Wheel was founded in 2012 and gained notoriety after being featured on ABC’s Shark Tank in 2015, resulting in an investment deal with three “sharks” and catching the attention of pro skateboarder Tony Hawk. Invented by lifelong Skateboarder and company CTO David Patrick, Shark Wheels boast better speed, grip, and all-terrain adaptability than its traditional counterparts due to its unique, sine-wave shape. Shark Wheel’s adaptive design comes as the result of years of university, lab, and physical world testing. The company has received three government grants through the National Science Foundation for its unprecedented contribution to solving pain points in the farming industry, its design lending itself to a wheel that virtually eliminates the issue of rutting.

 
“Nature’s design lends itself to infinite iterations,” said Shark Wheel CEO and former pro tennis player Zack Fleishman. “Once we perfected the sinusoidal wheel design, we realized it could enhance user experience across various industries. Farming tires, wheelchairs, ambulance beds, luggage – pretty much anywhere you find a traditional wheel, Shark Wheel can eliminate issues and enhance performance.”

 

Problem:

Shark Wheel wanted to remain focused on developing and manufacturing specialized products without sacrificing excellent customer experience but needed assistance managing its Amazon store.

 

Solution:

Shark Wheel turned to Phelps United to manage its Amazon store. Phelps United offered a turn-key solution for Shark Wheel to accelerate their sales through Phelps United’s proprietary OPTIX software platform that manages multiple aspects of online vending, from advertising and logistics to store management and reconciliation.

Here is a recap of what we did:

    • We took over management of their store and got access to Shark Wheel brand registry.
    • We put them on our BUY and SELL model whereby we buy the products in bulk from Shark Wheel and market and sell their products on the Shark Wheel Amazon store.
    • We purchased their products at FBA while ordering more products in bulk from them.
    • We managed all aspects of their Amazon business, from advertising to logistics to store management and reconciliation.
    • We meet regularly to discuss strategy and results while they continue to have access to the seller central account.
    • We streamlined logistics, ensuring their products were always in stock.

Results:

Overall, the partnership between Shark Wheel and Phelps United enabled the company to achieve growth, cost savings, and improved customer experience while protecting its brand integrity. “Phelps United has been a crucial component of our success,” said Zack Fleishman, CEO of Shark Wheel.

Here are some results:

Increased Sales
The partnership led to a significant increase in sales on the Amazon marketplace, with a 35% year-over-year increase in sales reported.
Cost Savings
By working with Phelps United, Shark Wheel decreased the costs associated with advertising, reducing ACOS by 50%.
Growth
The success of Shark Wheel products on Amazon has allowed Shark Wheel to work with Phelps United on expanding its inventory from 40% to 100% of its products available on Amazon and mapping out a launch strategy in Mexico and Canada, and eventually Europe.
Improved Customer Experience
The partnership allowed Shark Wheel to focus on product development while Phelps United effectively managed the eCommerce store, which helped to improve the overall customer experience for Shark Wheel's buyers on Amazon.
Brand Protection
Phelps United also helped Shark Wheel to protect its brand integrity and eliminate channel conflict by orchestrating eCommerce, marketplaces, broadline distributors, and direct-to-retail sales channels.

Conclusion:

Shark Wheel’s partnership with Phelps United has been a success, resulting in increased sales and cost savings. Phelps United has proven to be a valuable partner for Shark Wheel, allowing the company to focus on product development while effectively managing its eCommerce presence. “It’s exhilarating for us to partner with a company of such entrepreneurial and inventive magnitude,” said Adam Shaffer, President of Phelps United. “Shark Wheel demonstrates the promise of eCommerce by combining a winning sales strategy with an innovative product to accelerate growth. We’re honored to play a role in their success.”

 

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