Hey Fam!

Been a minute, huh? If this were a text thread, I’d be sending a “whoops” message right about now.

Life has been a lot lately but in the best way. I’ve been traveling, building Sweet Rem, working on some very exciting client projects with the OLC girl gang… and moving.

And if there’s one thing that will make you hyper-aware of every little CX and UX flaw in eCommerce, it’s needing to shop for important things all at once. From housewares to wedding fits, I’ve been deep in the trenches of online shopping.

So, what better way to jump back in than going shopping together and learning a thing or two about serving up better CX and UX, bestie? 

Some brands made it seamless—the kind of checkout flow that feels like they read your mind. Others? Let’s just say they made me work way too hard to give them my money.

So, let’s talk about it. Three shopping experiences that nailed it (or totally fumbled) when it came to CX, CRO, and keeping me from rage-quitting my cart.

Was this forwarded by a friend?

Click below to get the next one directly in your inbox.

CX is the Difference Between “Take My Money” and “Never Again”

1️⃣ The One That Won Me Over (A+ Experience)

You ever add something to your cart and feel like the brand is reading your mind? That was me with Urban Outfitters. Yes, I am almost 40 and yes, I am shopping UO to live out my maximalist vibes and dreams. Before you judge, UO, has their CX/UX and influencing (not influencer) marketing on lock. You have to when you are slanging 5000 products and they have to be all perfectly categorized.

From the second I landed on their site, everything was easy—and not just in a “well-designed website” way, but in a “wow, they actually thought about the way people shop” way.

Here’s what was in my cart:
I have an obsession with tiger rugs don’t @ me bout it, k?
We don’t like basic furniture in my house.
I have been eyeing her for forever and was finally influenced from Pinterest.

✨ What they nailed:

✅ Personalized recommendations that actually made sense. Instead of random upsells, they suggested exactly what I needed (and yeah, I added them to my cart).

✅ A frictionless checkout with full transparency. Pricing, shipping restrictions, and extra fees? All laid out before hitting purchase—no surprises, no frustration. Just boom, order confirmed.

✅ A post-purchase flow that kept me excited. My confirmation email had a shipping timeline, an easy way to modify my order, and a fun brand moment that made me feel like I was part of something, not just another transaction.

🔑 Lock in the Customer: Trust is built in the details. When customers know exactly what they’re paying for (e.g, no hidden fees, no last-minute surprises) they’re more likely to complete the purchase. 
Clarity = conversions. Confusion = abandoned carts.

2️⃣ The One That Got It (Mostly) Right

Shopping at Poplight was a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of home decor sites. They nailed a few key things that made my decision easy:

✨ What they got right:

✅ Tons of renter-friendly options. No drilling? No commitment? Say less.
✅ Super detailed product pages. They made it really easy to compare, understand the product, and make the right choice.
✅ An AI-powered “Ask Me” feature on PDPs. This was such a smart move, it felt like a personalized way to answer common questions without relying on a CX team or a chatbot that’s just going to tell me “I’ll escalate this.”

But, of course, no shopping experience is perfect.

🤔 Where it felt a little off:

• The product photos felt inconsistent. The lifestyle images gave off different hues than the studio shots, which made me slightly nervous about what color I was actually getting.
• The homepage felt like information overload. So many value props, social proof, and “as seen in” features stacked on top of each other—it got a bit overwhelming.
• The “Why Poplight Is Perfect for You” section was a scroll-fest. I get the value props, but they were kind of getting lost in the layout.

And then… the post-purchase experience fell flat.

🥲 Where I was let down:

I placed my order eight days ago from today. And the only reason I know it’s actually coming right now? The Shop app.

No order updates, no shipping confirmation, no “Hey, your Poplight is on the way!” email. Nothing.

I could have purchased at UO, but I am a brands girl and I like supporting brands directly where I can.

🔑 Lock in the Customer: A seamless PDP experience gets customers to checkout, but post-purchase communication keeps them coming back. Clear images, digestible info, and a quick “Your order is on the way!” email go a long way in turning first-time buyers into repeat customers.

3️⃣ The One That Made Me Rage Quit. Almost. (D+ Experience)

Nothing takes the fun out of shopping like a checkout process that feels like a college entrance exam. And unfortunately for Nood, they had me almost abandoning my cart faster than I filled it.

Yes, I know I am talking to you about bra tape, but we have to talk about this wild experience. Eyes on the prize!

Now, I want to clarify, I was shopping on mobile at the time of this incident, and what do we always say? OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE.

🛑 Where they lost me:

❌ Adding to cart took me five tries. Five. I genuinely questioned if they even wanted my money.
❌ The discount code debacle. It was a site wide 20% off birthday promo, but I had to manually enter the code (why?). Then, when I finally made it to checkout—poof. The discount disappeared.

❌ The upsell made no sense. Once I finally got my item into the cart, I was hit with a pop-up pushing me to… buy the exact same thing again. Look, I love a good upsell, but this is where brands need to personalize. Instead of selling me the same product, why not offer me the tape remover, a different style, or accessories that actually pair with what I’m buying?

❌ Finding customer service felt like a scavenger hunt. It took me three minutes to locate the contact button (hidden on the homepage, because why make it easy?). I finally found it after typing in “customer service” in the search bar, which resulted in no results BUT the chat button popped up. And ONLY on mobile, not desktop LOL (help.)

At this point, I was over it. But I needed this for an upcoming wedding outfit, so I gave it one more shot—this time on desktop.

Same issues. Just a bigger screen.

💀 The cart still fought me.
💀 The discount still didn’t stick.
💀 The checkout flow still felt like an obstacle course.

I persevered, but not every customer will.

🔑 Lock in the Customer: Customers shouldn’t have to fight your site to buy from you. Mobile should be seamless, discounts should apply automatically, and upsells should actually make sense. If your checkout process creates frustration instead of momentum, you’re losing revenue.

Thanks for coming on this shopping journey with me, bestie. Lots of things that we can all apply here to really build those relationships with customers and be there FIRST choice when it is time for those special purchases.

The brands that get it remove friction, make shopping effortless, and build trust at every touchpoint. The ones that don’t? Well, they just gave me content for this newsletter.

What’s the last brand that made you actually enjoy shopping? And more importantly—what’s one that made you rage quit? Hit reply and tell me, I wanna hear.

See ya soon!

💥 Jess
Founder of Open Late Collective

Have a Marketing and/or CX-related question for me?

Click the link below!

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. Headed to Shoptalk this month? Midcoast has something extra FUN and special planned for the eve of March 24th at Papi Steak in Las Vegas for brand leaders and operators ONLY. Only 10 more spots left! 
   RSVP HERE
   
   Yes, there is a ticket fee. Yes, you WILL get this back. This is to HOLD your spot at our tiny intimate dinner.
   

2. On March 10th (tomorrow), I am hosting an AfterHours Live on Linkedin with Ali Rose VanOverbeke. We are breaking down A LOT of ecommerce marketing tactics, and dropping some hot takes. RSVP HERE
   

3. The Sheinnovates Girl Gang and I are officially back on May 7th in NYC for our THIRD Sheinnovates summit!
   
   GRAB YOUR TICKET HERE
   

4. Recharge’s annual conference is back on April 14-15 in LA, bringing together 500+ experts in retention, subscriptions, and scaling smarter. Expect game-changing sessions, deep dives, and top-tier networking. And I will be filming a couple of LIVE podcast recordings there for ATF Pod, so come see me!

   Use my code Jess Cervellon for $100 off your ticket!

   🔗 Grab yours now: https://bit.ly/4iLIU5r

   More IRL events coming in 2025!
   Interested in working together? Hit me up.

   LET’S CHAT

BONUS CONTENT

Here’s a couple of MUST listen to episodes of Above The Fold:

1. This week, I dropped a DOPE AF episode with Caela Castillo, Head of CX at JAXXON.
   
   We drop the hot takes on:
   💡 Why CX isn’t just customer support—and how Jaxxon turns every interaction into a brand-building moment.

   👥 Hiring for personality over process—because great CX isn’t about scripts, it’s about connection.
   🤖 AI in CX: Tool or trap?—how to use automation without making your brand sound like a robot.
   📊 Getting leadership to care about CX—the data that actually makes execs pay attention.
   🔥 The future of CX—why it’s no longer just a department but a growth strategy.
   

   For my audio peeps, LISTEN HERE or view below!

2. The week before I sat with my SIX CX baddie girlfriends, from Caraway, Glossier, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Corso and Nestig, to chat ALL things CX and how we really feel when the sales tactics get a bit too out of control.
   
   Audio peeps, LISTEN HERE or view below!

A WORD ON THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR

Recharge is a leading subscription management platform that enhances customer retention and drives business growth. With advanced analytics, robust support, and innovative tools, Recharge empowers merchants to create personalized, engaging experiences.

By focusing on the OVERALL subscription journey, Recharge helps brands build lasting customer loyalty and deepen connections, ensuring customers feel valued and appreciated.