Crocs is an American footwear company best known for its popular but divisive shoes of the same name. The company was founded in 2002 by Scott Seamans, Lyndon Hanson, and George Boedecker Jr. who initially wanted to produce and distribute foam boat shoes.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Crocs business model
The Crocs business model is based on creating innovative and comfortable shoes that appeal to a wide range of consumers. The company also utilizes a combination of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and wholesale partnerships to distribute its products.
In early 2021, Crocs renewed its focus on DTC and slimmed down its commitment to wholesale partnerships after Nike did the same.
This move was partly facilitated by soaring demand, enabling the company to control its brand image by being more selective of the type and amount of inventory it allowed in the marketplace.
The company favors a “digital-led route to market” with DTC and a marketing framework supported by influencers, celebrities, and various other collaborations.
To some extent, this strategy was enabled by the pandemic as more consumers purchased online and desired comfortable shoes they could wear around the house.
However, the success of the strategy has also come from a renewed focus.
In 2021, the company trimmed its product range by 30-40% to emphasize its unique clogs and also announced that 160 of its 558 retail stores would be closed to support the DTC push.
Celebrity endorsements and partnerships
In 2020, the company partnered with Latin pop superstar Bad Bunny to release a pair of white Crocs. The shoes were so popular that they sold out in a matter of minutes. Justin Bieber is another brand ambassador and long-term Crocs wearer.
In a somewhat bizarre crossover, the company also partnered with KFC to develop a pair of shoes covered in fried chicken. In an interview with The Drum, chief marketer Terence Reilly explained the reasons for the partnership: “We launched a campaign that was focused on making the classic silhouette an iconic symbol. Because we know it’s always been a polarizing brand. But remember, when you’re polarizing, there’s one side of the population that loves you.”
These sentiments were echoed by CEO Andrew Rees, who explained that the company’s objective with the KFC deal was not to convince the haters to like its brand. Instead, Crocs wanted to create PR and media interest and cater to existing fans who continually seek new variations of the company’s core product.
Limited distribution
Like Nike with Michael Jordan and Adidas with Kanye West, Crocs limits the supply of new styles only to expand distribution in the future. This strategy, known as scarcity marketing, creates FOMO among consumers and urges them to buy a product or risk missing out.
The company once more made its shoes available for free in 2021. The philanthropic initiative allowed Crocs to market its shoes to healthcare workers as a clean, comfortable, and cheap to replace alternative to traditional footwear.
Distribution Strategy:
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC): Crocs has a strong focus on DTC sales, which includes selling products directly to consumers through various channels. This approach allows the company to control its brand image and customer experience.
Wholesale Partnerships: While emphasizing DTC, Crocs also maintains partnerships with wholesale retailers. These partnerships involve selling Crocs products through third-party retailers, such as department stores and footwear shops.
Selective Inventory Control: Crocs exercises control over the type and quantity of inventory available in the marketplace, ensuring that its products remain in high demand and align with the brand’s image.
Marketing Strategy:
Influencer Marketing: Crocs collaborates with influencers, celebrities, and artists to create buzz and generate interest in their products. Partnerships with personalities like Bad Bunny and Justin Bieber have significantly boosted brand visibility.
High-Profile Collaborations: Crocs engages in unexpected collaborations, such as the partnership with KFC to create a pair of shoes covered in fried chicken. These unusual collaborations generate media interest and cater to the existing fan base.
Scarcity Marketing: Crocs uses scarcity marketing to create a sense of urgency and desire among consumers. Limited-edition releases and partnerships often lead to quick sellouts, creating a fear of missing out (FOMO) and driving demand.
Philanthropic Initiatives: Crocs leverages philanthropic efforts as part of its marketingstrategy. Donating shoes to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the company to market its products as clean, comfortable, and affordable alternatives for frontline workers.
Organizational Structure:
Global Presence: Crocs operates globally and has a presence in multiple countries. The company manages regional operations and marketing efforts to cater to diverse markets.
Focus on DTC: Crocs has strategically shifted its focus towards DTC sales, aligning its organizational structure with this emphasis. This shift allows for better control over brand image and customer experience.
Product Range Management: In support of the DTC push, Crocs trimmed its product range by 30-40%, emphasizing its core clogs. This streamlined approach simplifies operations and messaging.
Brand Ambassadors: The company maintains a network of brand ambassadors, including sponsored athletes and artists, who play a significant role in promoting the brand’s values and lifestyle.
Scarcity Management: Crocs implements a scarcity management strategy to regulate the supply of new styles, creating a sense of exclusivity and driving demand.
Key takeaways:
Crocs is an American footwear company best known for its popular but divisive shoes of the same name. The company was founded in 2002 by Scott Seamans, Lyndon Hanson, and George Boedecker Jr.
The Crocs business model is based on creating innovative and comfortable shoes that appeal to a wide range of consumers. The company utilizes a combination of DTC sales, wholesale partnerships, and high-profile collaborations to drive sales.
Like Adidas and Nike, Crocs also uses scarcity marketing to create FOMO among consumers. It also donated shoes to healthcare workers during the pandemic to coincide with increased consumer interest in the shoes.
Key Highlights
Introduction and Foundation: Crocs is an American footwear company known for its distinct shoes. Founded in 2002 by Scott Seamans, Lyndon Hanson, and George Boedecker Jr., it initially aimed to produce foam boat shoes.
Business Model Overview:
Crocs focuses on creating innovative and comfortable shoes with broad consumer appeal.
It employs a combination of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and wholesale partnerships for distribution.
Crocs underwent a shift towards emphasizing DTC sales, controlling brand image and inventory in response to rising demand.
DTC and Marketing Strategy:
Crocs follows a “digital-led route to market” using DTC sales and influencer partnerships.
Pandemic-related online shopping trends benefited Crocs, as consumers sought comfort and versatile footwear.
Crocs reduced its product range and closed retail stores to focus on its core clogs and support DTC efforts.
Celebrity Endorsements and Collaborations:
Collaborations with celebrities like Bad Bunny and Justin Bieber have boosted Crocs’ popularity.
Unusual collaborations, such as one with KFC, aim to create media interest and cater to existing fans.
Scarcity Marketing and Limited Distribution:
Crocs employs scarcity marketing by limiting new styles’ supply, creating a fear of missing out (FOMO) among consumers.
Limited edition collaborations, like with Bad Bunny, have driven high demand and quick sellouts.
Philanthropic Initiatives:
Crocs donated large quantities of shoes to frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This philanthropic effort also aligned with marketing efforts to promote Crocs as clean, comfortable, and affordable footwear.
Key Takeaways:
Crocs’ business model centers around innovative, comfortable shoes appealing to a wide audience.
DTC sales, wholesale partnerships, and high-profile collaborations drive sales.
Scarcity marketing and limited edition releases create consumer FOMO.
Philanthropic initiatives align with marketing strategies, enhancing brand image and consumer interest.
Element
Description
Value Proposition
Crocs offers a compelling value proposition for its customers, including: – Comfortable Footwear: Crocs are renowned for their comfort, making them suitable for long hours of wear. – Unique and Recognizable Design: The iconic clog design sets Crocs apart and makes them easily identifiable. – Versatile and Practical: Crocs are versatile, serving as everyday footwear suitable for various activities. – Affordability: Crocs provide affordable footwear options for a wide range of consumers. – Wide Range of Styles and Colors: Customers can choose from a diverse selection of styles and colors to suit their preferences. – Durability: Crocs are known for their durability, offering lasting value. – Lightweight and Water-Friendly: They are lightweight and water-resistant, ideal for beach and water activities.
Core Products/Services
Crocs’ core products and services encompass: – Crocs Clogs: The signature Crocs clogs in various styles and colors. – Sandals: Offering open-toed options for casual and outdoor wear. – Flip-Flops: Comfortable and easy-to-wear flip-flops for warm weather. – Slides: Slide-on options for convenience and comfort. – Jibbitz Accessories: Customizable Jibbitz accessories to personalize Crocs. – Apparel and Accessories: Expanding beyond footwear with apparel and related accessories.
Customer Segments
Crocs targets a diverse range of customer segments, including: – Men, Women, and Children: Crocs offer products for individuals of all ages. – Casual and Active Individuals: Appeal to both those seeking comfort and those with active lifestyles. – Healthcare Professionals: Known for being comfortable for long shifts, they are favored by healthcare workers. – Outdoor Enthusiasts: Suitable for outdoor activities and adventures. – Fashion-Conscious Consumers: Some customers appreciate Crocs for their unique design. – Water and Beachgoers: Water-resistant properties make them popular for water-related activities. – Comfort Seekers: Attracting those looking for comfortable footwear options.
Revenue Streams
Crocs generates revenue through various revenue streams: – Footwear Sales: The primary source of income, including clogs, sandals, and more. – Jibbitz Accessory Sales: Customizable accessories enhance revenue. – Apparel and Accessory Sales: Expanding product lines with apparel and related items. – Online and Offline Retail: Sales through e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores. – Licensing and Collaborations: Partnerships and licensing agreements with other brands. – Wholesale and Direct-to-Consumer: Revenue from selling to retail partners and direct sales to consumers.
Distribution Strategy
Crocs employs a comprehensive distribution strategy to reach customers: – E-commerce: Selling products through its official website and online marketplaces. – Brick-and-Mortar Stores: Operating physical retail stores and outlets worldwide. – Wholesale Partnerships: Collaborating with various retailers and partners. – Licensing Agreements: Partnering with other brands and entities for co-branded products. – Marketing and Branding Efforts: Promoting products through marketing campaigns and brand recognition.
Slow fashion is a movement in contraposition with fast fashion. Where in fast fashion, it’s all about speed from design to manufacturing and distribution, in slow fashion, quality and sustainability of the supply chain are the key elements.
Patagonia is an American clothing retailer founded by climbing enthusiast Yvon Chouinard in 1973 who saw initial success by selling reusable climbing pitons and Scottish rugby shirts. Over time Patagonia also became a fashionable brand also for its focus on slow fashion. Indeed, the company sells high-priced clothing items built to last which it will repair for free.
Patagonia has a particular organizational structure, where its founder, Chouinard, disposed of the company’s ownership in the hands of two non-profits. The Patagonia Purpose Trust, holding 100% of the voting stocks, is in charge of defining the company’s strategic direction. And the Holdfast Collective, a non-profit, holds 100% of non-voting stocks, aiming to re-invest the brand’s dividends into environmental causes.
Fash fashion has been a phenomenon that became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as players like Zara and H&M took over the fashion industry by leveraging on shorter and shorter design-manufacturing-distribution cycles. Reducing these cycles from months to a few weeks. With just-in-time logistics and flagship stores in iconic places in the largest cities in the world, these brands offered cheap, fashionable clothes and a wide variety of designs.
With over €27 billion in sales in 2021, the Spanish Fast Fashion Empire, Inditex, which comprises eight sister brands, has grown thanks to a strategy of expanding its flagship stores in exclusive locations around the globe. Its largest brand, Zara, contributed over 70% of the group’s revenue. The country that contributed the most to the fast fashion Empire sales was Spain, with over 15% of its revenues.
The Ultra Fashion business model is an evolution of fast fashion with a strong online twist. Indeed, where the fast-fashion retailer invests massively in logistics and warehousing, its costs are still skewed toward operating physical retail stores. While the ultra-fast fashion retailer mainly moves its operations online, thus focusing its cost centers on logistics, warehousing, and a mobile-based digital presence.
ASOS is a British online fashion retailer founded in 2000 by Nick Robertson, Andrew Regan, Quentin Griffiths, and Deborah Thorpe. As an online fashion retailer, ASOS makes money by purchasing clothes from wholesalers and then selling them for a profit. This includes the sale of private label or own-brand products. ASOS further expanded on the fast fashion business model to create an ultra-fast fashion model driven by short sales cycles and online mobile e-commerce as the main drivers.
Real-time retail involves the instantaneous collection, analysis, and distribution of data to give consumers an integrated and personalized shopping experience. This represents a strong new trend, as a further evolution of fast fashion first (who turned the design into manufacturing in a few weeks), ultra-fast fashion later (which further shortened the cycle of design-manufacturing). Real-time retail turns fashion trends into clothes collections in a few days or a maximum of one week.
SHEIN is an international B2C fast fashion eCommerce platform founded in 2008 by Chris Xu. The company improved the ultra-fast fashion model by leveraging real-time retail, quickly turning fashion trends in clothes collections through its strong digital presence and successful branding campaigns.
Zara is a brand part of the retail empire Inditex. Zara is the leading brand in what has been defined as “fast fashion.” With almost €20 billion in sales in 2021 (comprising Zara Home) and an integrated retail format with quick sales cycles. Zara follows an integrated retail format where customers are free to move from physical to digital experience.
Wish is a mobile-first e-commerce platform in which users’ experience is based on discovery and customized product feed. Wish makes money from merchants’ fees and advertising on the platform, and logistic services. The mobile platform also leverages an asset-light business model based on a positive cash conversion cycle where users pay in advance as they order goods, and merchants are paid in weeks.
Poshmark is a social commerce mobile platform that combines social media capabilities with its e-commerce platform to enable transactions. It makes money with a simple model, where for each sale, Poshmark takes a 20% fee on the final price for sales of $15 and over and a flat rate of $2.95 for sales below that. Its gamification elements and the tools offered to sellers are critical to the company’s growth as a mobile-first platform.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
