Nomatic
An operator spotlight from a VP of Marketing & Growth on the ops side of a bulky, high-ASP category: tariffs, freight math, and the working capital a BFCM order really ties up.
Nomatic
Nate Benner
VP of Marketing & Growth
“With products as large as ours, air-freighting is our ‘break glass in case of emergency.’ The whole game is planning far enough ahead that you never have to do it.”
This brand is independent of the chapter’s sponsor and of every other brand in the playbook.
The Spike Was Real. So Was the Refund.
Landed cost jumped in 2025, almost entirely on tariffs, with IEEPA the bulk of it. Nomatic rode it out rather than re-regioning, and recovered the large majority through refunds in mid-2026. Chasing a new country to dodge a temporary duty would have cost more in lead-time and quality-ramp risk than the duty itself.
Half a Year of Cash, Fronted per Dollar of Inventory.
The PO deposit goes out in July; product builds and moves by sea, lands Sep–Oct, sells Nov–Dec, and the wholesale slice doesn't turn to collected cash until Jan–Feb. Receivables are fast, it's inventory that ties up the money.
Supplier credit is the one thing that shortens the cycle: folding in factory financing (payables plus goods received not yet invoiced) pulled 2025 from +6 months to roughly cash-neutral on paper.
Freight Is the Whole Game.
The moment you can't fill a container, or can't fulfill from the closest location, shipping cost can double or triple and take the whole margin with it. That's the math a luggage or apparel brand running BFCM never has to face at the same scale.
One lever that works: discounted product bundles nested into a single box. It adds real customer value (a slight discount on a higher AOV) while saving the cost of sending multiple parcels.
Protect the SKUs That Are the Business.
Stock bottoms out in December, right as demand peaks. The most exposed SKUs are the highest-velocity color and size variants.