How RIO Became a DTC Unicorn in 2024 🦄

2024 solidified RIO as a unicorn brand in the DTC space. What started as a hobby brand, imagined by founders Trent & Sarah Anderson, has grown into one of the fastest-growing DTC brands in the world. Helping RIO launch their first Shopify site in 2022 and now supporting their Shopify and Klaviyo growth has been nothing short of an epic journey.

Now, let’s get to the reason you’re here—how did RIO hit eight figures in revenue in under two years, and how can you implement similar strategies for your brand? Let’s dive in.

1. Price Testing: +7% in Net Profit

You never really know the perfect price for your product until you test it. Sure, you have a general idea, but the true measure is how much your audience values your product—not how much you value it as the creator.

RIO sells a unique product with strong branding, so there was room to explore. In partnership with Timothy at Curvature, we ran an AI-powered price experiment. The product price was increased from $54.99 to $64.99—a 16.67% jump—over a few months of monitoring and testing. The results? A 7% boost in net profits while maintaining a stable conversion rate. A clear win.

2. Bundling and Offer Testing: +23% in AOV

With RIO expanding to new states and cities in 2024, we had the perfect opportunity to test bundling strategies.

To encourage bundling, we tested:

• Quantity-based discounts in the cart.
• Incentives directly on product pages to nudge customers toward buying more.
• A dedicated bundling section on the homepage to make it easy for high-intent buyers.

The result? A jump in AOV from $62.04 to $76.22—a 23% increase year-over-year.

3. Email Subscriber Growth: +333%

RIO’s email list skyrocketed in 2024, with subscribers growing from 107,855 to 466,913. Here’s what worked:

Pop-Up Signup Forms:
A balanced pop-up is key. RIO’s welcome pop-up hit a submission rate of 14%, far surpassing the industry average of 3%. Why? The offer was compelling, clear, and tied directly to the customer’s immediate needs.

“Coming Soon” Strategy:
When we knew a product was launching soon, we created a dedicated “Coming Soon” collection on the site. Visitors could sign up to be notified when it launched. This not only grew the email list but also fueled highly successful product launches.

The Numbers:

• Email subscribers: 466,913 (+333%)
• SMS subscribers: 127,460 (+404%)

4. Site A/B Testing

A/B testing was a game-changer in 2024, as we leveraged growing order volumes to roll out impactful experiments.

Some highlights:

• Social Proof Wins:
  Adding a “social proof” section below the fold on our primary landing page (the one driving most paid traffic) boosted conversions by 17.33% and added an estimated $40,300 in revenue per month.

• Seasonal Themes that Sell:
  During the holidays, the “How We Accidentally Created the Perfect Gift” angle performed exceptionally well. We created a holiday-themed brand story landing page applicable to all products, rather than focusing on individual ones. This agile approach increased conversions by 21.05%, driving an additional $319,321 in revenue compared to sending traffic to the homepage.

• Simplified Product Information:
  Consolidating three product sections into a dynamic, clickable “How It Works” section improved engagement. This test resulted in a 2.19% conversion increase, adding $176,230 in monthly revenue.

2024 in Review

• Surpassed eight figures in revenue in under two years.
• Maintained an industry-leading conversion rate of 4.34%.
• Grew the email list to 466,913 active profiles (+333%).
• Achieved a 23% increase in AOV, now sitting at $76.22.

The journey so far has been incredible, and 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger. Here’s to creating more growth—and more adventures 🚀

Cheers to your growth in this new year,

Austin Haugen

P.S. feel free to email me with any questions or interest in working together: austin@creatorsecom.com