[Voiceover]: Welcome to the checkout. We catch up with previous add to cart guests and ask them five quick questions to get to know them better and leave you with a little extra inspiration to get you through your Friday.
Nathan Bush: Today's checkout features Sam Shuman, founder and director of outdoor Adventure company Alton. An ex tax and consulting professional, Sam developed the Alton brand in 2015 and now has over 50 SKUs, a warehouse that's bursting at the same distribution in Paddy Palance and the most goddamn beautiful Instagram page you've ever seen. Sam, thank you for joining me on the checkout.
Nathan Bush: We are still here. Amazingly, months later, we are still here in our beautiful hideaway.
Sam Schumann: We are indeed.
Nathan Bush: Been a beautiful time to spend together.
Sam Schumann: The rules in the hut, you always, if you take food out, you put some food back for those that get stuck for a month. So that's us and we're gonn replenish what we've taken from this site.
Nathan Bush: I'm all for it, man.
Nathan Bush: I'm. I'm staying here.
Nathan Bush: I don't know about you, but I'm not going anywhere. We have five quick checkout questions to get through to learn a little bit more about you. We've heard all about Alton and the plans for the future, but we're going
Sam Schumann: to learn about you.
Nathan Bush: Number one, what's the weirdest thing that you've ever bought online, actually pretty recently?
Sam Schumann: Well, I mean, this is not online in Australia. This is off Taobao.
Nathan Bush: So this is going to be good.
Sam Schumann: This is off Taobao in China. So I we're bringing out a new fabric. We've been developing a pretty cool, highly technical fabric and I'd seen on like some other brands, sort of social media and video stuff that they had these like, devices to test. What you do is you put air through, you put a waterproof fabric in, you show that water can't get through, and then you show that air can get through. So the idea being the fabric can breathe even when it's raining and the water can't get in.
Nathan Bush: You explained a lot better than I did on the main episode, but yeah, carry on.
Sam Schumann: So I saw these testing devices and I was like, well, you know, we're going to need one of these to promote, you know, the campaign and that sort of thing. So I started looking on the Internet in Australia. No luck America, no luck uk, no luck. And I landed on somehow finding this link to a Taobao page where they were selling similar to what I needed. So, yeah, I can't speak Chinese and I don't even Know if we can access Taobao in Australia. So I actually had to get a friend over in China to get in contact with the seller and it was a bloody nightmare. But a month later and 500 bucks later, I've got one.
Nathan Bush: It's impressive. I love it.
Sam Schumann: Yeah. Very weird product to order online.
Nathan Bush: It is a very good product.
Nathan Bush: Okay.
Nathan Bush: Very good.
Sam Schumann: Who's your favorite retailer or Aesop.
Nathan Bush: Yeah.
Sam Schumann: Why? Miles ahead of anyone else. So, yeah, like I said in the main episode, I started my journey in the workforce working in Maya selling fragrance and aftershave. And every day I would sit across looking at that ASAP counter and I just became so interested in the brand. It was just so beautiful. The aesthetic was just incredible. They like, back then, they never advertised so they didn't spend a dollar on advertising. And their emphasis was just a high quality product that like achieved what the customer needed to achieve. So lots of that in the brand that I've created. I think I just, I love that brand and I love purchasing those products. So it's the sort of brand I wanted to create. But yes, such a great story. Just like two normal dudes, you know, hairdressers from Melbourne, I'm pretty sure. And I think it sold for like six or seven billion dollars the other day. And yeah, they've just stayed true and mastered their craft and made an incredible brand.
Nathan Bush: Yeah, beautiful. And I think they're a great example of how to add value in the retail experience, justify product price rather than getting on the merry go round of.
Sam Schumann: Absolutely. And yeah, like so much of that we, our sort of unboxing experience and all that is like, we've put so much effort into that. Right. And a lot of that comes from that inspiration from the ASO guys. Like the way they, they spray the fragrance into the, into the bag before they do it too. There's like, there's a smell added to the experience. They present it to you with two hands in front of the counter. Like all this sort of stuff just, it just improves the customer experience and keeps you coming back. So I love what they do.
Nathan Bush: Beautiful. What's one e commerce practice that you wish was history or dropshipping?
Sam Schumann: Yeah, it doesn't add any value. Yeah, we get people reach out to us all the time asking if they can drop ship our products. Yeah. I don't get it.
Nathan Bush: All their brand.
Sam Schumann: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
Nathan Bush: Beautiful. Can you recommend a book or a podcast that our listeners should immediately get into?
Sam Schumann: Book. True dog.
Nathan Bush: Yeah.
Sam Schumann: By the Nike founder. If you're like, I don't know for me, it was really good because he was like an accountant. He was a professional services person. And, yeah, he went on that whole journey of, like, going overseas, meeting manufacturer. So relatable. Yeah, I loved that.
Nathan Bush: Have you seen Air yet?
Sam Schumann: No.
Nathan Bush: No.
Sam Schumann: Neither.
Nathan Bush: Oh, that'd be good.
Sam Schumann: Keen.
Nathan Bush: Yeah. Yeah. Dude.
Sam Schumann: Date.
Nathan Bush: Yeah.
Sam Schumann: Let's get a movie together and another one. Capture the decade.
Nathan Bush: Yep.
Sam Schumann: Like to. So much of the content in this space is like, us centric. Right. So to get something that's an Australian success story, you feel like you can really relate and it could be you. I mean, that's why I love this podcast.
Nathan Bush: Yeah.
Sam Schumann: In terms of podcasts, there's, you know, you want. For me, I love to hear stories of people that I can relate to. So you gotta listen to the Add to Car podcast.
Nathan Bush: Thank you, mate. But Gabby and Hezi are so generous with their knowledge and practical.
Sam Schumann: That's what I love about that book is, like, it's actually practical.
Nathan Bush: It's not fluffy or trying to reinvent history. And in the back of my head, I'm kind of wondering whether one day soon they might be owners of Catch once again.
Sam Schumann: Oh, yeah, you'd hope so. I think it would make a lot of sense. I don't think. I think they might get it at good value at the moment.
Nathan Bush: I think there's a bit of that
Sam Schumann: going on, isn't there?
Nathan Bush: All right, last question I have for you, Sam. Finish this sentence. The future of retail is live selling. Yes. More so.
Sam Schumann: I built this studio.
Nathan Bush: Yeah.
Nathan Bush: Okay.
Sam Schumann: I want to give it a shot. I reckon it's. Yeah. I think that live selling could be something that we're seeing a lot more of in the next five to 10 years. I know that's really big in other parts of the world, and it sort of closes that gap that E Commerce sort of can't address right now, that sort of interaction and being able to ask questions in, like, a live setting and display product.
Nathan Bush: So shopping is entertainment kind of thing.
Sam Schumann: Yeah. Yeah. You're sitting on the sofa and you got the AirPods in and you're shopping away asking questions. I think. Yeah, I think we could see a bit more of it. I'm keen to experiment with it. I love that.
Nathan Bush: I think it's perfect space. You could have a bit of character, have a bit of fun, but education as well. So when you can't be camping, you're on the couch watching about camping.
Sam Schumann: Yeah.
Nathan Bush: Oh, beautiful.
Sam Schumann: Love it.
Nathan Bush: Sam, thank you for joining us on the checkout.
Sam Schumann: Thank you.
Nathan Bush: To hear more from Sam, jump back into episode 299 where Sam shares his journey from the confines of the office to getting into the great outdoors. We get a sneak peek into the product innovation he is on the verge of getting to market and he talks through how his time as a perfume salesman helped him develop what he has today. Thanks for listening and until next time, keep adding to Carpenter.
