eCommerce success story: John Crazy Socks

There are online stores for almost anything you can imagine big horizontal portals like Amazon, and specialized niche e-commerce. In this case, we are going to talk about one of the latter, specifically the niche of decorated socks (which is more complex than we would think).

But John Crazy Socks' socks and business model have something that makes them truly unique. The story behind this eCommerce is truly inspiring and demonstrates how social responsibility can also be an ethical way of generating income (not little). 

Come with us to meet John and his crazy socks. 

There are some cases in which online stores have a strong social mission, clear corporate social responsibility cases such as Warby Parker, who gives a pair of glasses to groups and communities in need for each one bought, to give an example. 

In these cases, the impulse to collaborate arises after that of undertaking, but in John Crazy Socks it is in the very reason for being of the company. If it could be quantified, we would say that it is 50% entrepreneurship and 50% social. 

As with other companies, the motivation to create this company came from personal experience. 

John is a real person, not a brand. His last name is Cronin and, in addition to this, he is a co-founder of the company together with his father. Oh, two more details: she has Down Syndrome and he loves fun socks. John es una persona real, no una marca. 

If we consider that there is a high demand for socks with unconventional, funny or crazy prints and that, in addition, that is one of the samples of John's character, this is the perfect product. 

The problem that may exist with socks is that they are not a product with a recurring purchase too high. And its cost (and the margin it represents) is not too high either. 

If you are going to sell only this and you do not plan to expand the range of products, you had better have a plan to raise the ticket and the average value of the purchase, such as upselling or cross selling. 

We have already said that this is not a normal company: its social vocation is totally transversal to everything they do. 

First of all, the staff that is made up of 50% by people with different abilities. In this way, it helps the labor integration of workers who have many obstacles in the conventional market due to their intellectual disabilities. 

Another way to return to society part of what it gives them is to donate 5% of the profits to support Paralympic athletes and other national associations such as autism, Down Syndrome or the cancer association. 

Colorful and fun socks are perfect for conveying a message of positivity. This is another variable to highlight, both at communication and product level. 

The approach is very interesting, because they do not present the people they defend as victims or sick. In reality, they project solidarity and invite empathy from that good vibes that John himself transmits (absolute protagonist of the web). 

Images| John Crazy Socks.