Barrel

Excited to moderate a conversation with Loren (Brill) Castle of Sweet Loren's and Meredith Lawson Norrie of Mattel, Inc. at #ExpoWest! On Tuesday, March 4, we’ll be at Bowers Museum as part of THE WELL’s Women in CPG event, discussing how thoughtful partnerships can drive real impact for brands. Sweet Loren’s has built an incredible connection with its customers by staying true to its mission—while exploring new ways to engage and grow, like their recent partnership with Barbie. This panel is a chance to dive into what makes collaborations like this work and how they can fuel long-term success. The Barrel team has had a blast partnering with Sweet Loren’s; looking forward to digging into this topic together. Grateful to THE WELL for bringing together such an inspiring community and to our sponsors, Rebuy Engine & Subtotal, for supporting this event! ??Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eS-34_hE ??Attend: https://lnkd.in/eDXrT7RT

Helloooo Shopify Winter '25 Edition—a release unlike anything we’ve seen from Shopify. Nothing new. Everything improved. When I first learned that this Edition would focus on refining what exists—rather than promising 12312482035 new features—I knew it had the potential to be a win. Something merchants would appreciate and immediately find useful. Then this morning, it dropped, and...whoa. Past editions were cool and interactive but could be overwhelming and confusing to navigate. This time, it’s all about simplicity. A clean, editorial-style view keeps things straightforward to browse and explore. And if you want to sit back and take it all in? The BoringTV takes things to a whole new level. I'm just digging in but have never had this much fun exploring a product release before. Nice work Glen Coates & team. Check it out here—https://lnkd.in/ejsApu_n

One of my wife’s favorite t-shirts is from a pizza shop we visited on a road trip with friends. We had a great time, and the t-shirt designs felt more like art than merch. Merch has this unique ability to carry a brand beyond the moment. For CPG brands, it’s a chance to connect with customers in unexpected and meaningful ways. The goal isn’t massive sales—it’s about brand building. Creating something customers want to wear, use, or share because it resonates with them. The best merch doesn’t just slap a logo on a cheap t-shirt. It tells a story and feels personal. Even better, it's in partnership with a like-minded brand and makes an impact. Take our client Cabot Creamery Cooperative, for example. They teamed up with Darn Tough Vermont? Vermont to create vibrant, farm-inspired hiking socks. These aren’t just socks—they’re a celebration of shared Vermont roots and values, made with Merino wool for durability and comfort. Not to mention— 10% of sales go to Vermont Adaptive Veteran Ventures. Cabot has also brought their personality to other merch favorites, like the CHEDDAR hoodie, a dog doy collab with P.L.A.Y. Pet Lifestyle And You, and the soft cow snuggler "stuffie."

It doesn’t matter how delicious a product is on its own... If the brand isn’t inspiring customers with new ways to enjoy it, they’re missing out on serious loyalty and repeat purchases. Recipes are one of the best ways to drive product discovery, usage occasions, and customer retention. Showing customers how to mix up weekly dinners or snack ideas means they’ll consume more, buy more, and keep coming back. And for brands with a broader catalog, a recipe blog can connect customers to other products and even show them how different items work together to create something new. Investing in a recipe section—whether selling online or offline—and promoting it on-pack, in emails, and on social channels can go a long way for customer engagement. I’m biased ?? but loving this recipe blog we created for Sweet Loren's. After migrating them from WooCommerce, we started with a simple Shopify blog. As their product line grew, we gave it a full redesign to inspire more tasty ways for customers to experience their products.

Excited to be included in Okendo’s latest blog on ecommerce reviews! Reviews and user-generated content have been game changers for the brands we work with at Barrel—helping build trust and drive conversions. Long-term success is about more than boosting sales; it’s about deepening connections with customers and understanding what matters to them. Appreciate the feature, Okendo! Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/gNPWdXMB

Today at 12pm ET, while on earth? is launching their Move Trainer and I couldn't be more excited. When I caught up with Todd Meleney, Alexis Callahan, Jedediah Magnusson, and the team earlier this year and learned about what they were building, I knew it was something special. What resonated most was that while on earth? isn’t just about performance gear—it’s about a commitment to becoming a better version of yourself. Their perspective on wellness is about meeting people wherever they are in their journey, and reinforcing the belief that anyone can become who they want to be. This is something I’ve felt deeply in my own personal growth, both in fitness and life, learning to challenge limiting beliefs, continue showing up, and pushing myself to achieve new heights. The Move Trainer, their debut shoe, is built for serious movement and versatility. It’s designed for high performance in the gym and wherever life takes you. Proud of the work we did at Barrel to bring this story to life on Shopify and to be part of this project. Kudos to everyone involved, and here’s to the beginning. Learn more at: https://whileonearth.co #startsomewhere