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ABOUT THE BRAND
Credo sets the clean beauty standard—uncompromising, transparent, and trusted
Credo is the clean-beauty leader—full stop. They don’t just sell “clean”—they define it. With one of the strictest standards in the industry (2,700+ ingredients banned) and a relentless focus on transparency, Credo curates high-performing products customers can trust.
The result: a values-driven community that trusts Credo to make the hard calls on safety, sustainability, and performance—so shoppers don’t have to. Clean beauty, without the guesswork.
Lean by design and relentlessly customer-first, Credo’s ecommerce team bets on channels that deepen loyalty and compound LTV. Education is part of the brand’s DNA—from expert guidance to content that builds confident carts—so mobile isn’t just another storefront; it’s the most direct way to serve, surprise, and retain their best customers at scale.
The ecommerce team prioritizes experiences that deepen loyalty, lift LTV, and respect the customer’s time. That means showing the right products, at the right moment, with zero friction. Mobile isn’t a “nice to have” channel for Credo—it’s the closest connection to their most engaged shoppers.
The mandate: keep the brand’s high standard, make discovery effortless, and turn trust into repeat revenue at scale.
THE CHALLENGE
Launch fast. Keep ops light. Prove incremental revenue.
Credo needed a high-ROI mobile channel their lean team could run with no new headcount and no heavy dev—and leadership wanted proof of incrementality up front. As a beauty retailer, not having an app felt like a miss; customers expected a premium, on-brand experience that deepened loyalty and drove repeat revenue.
“Being a beauty retailer and not having an app was just such a miss—it’s what the customer expects,” says Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce.
The mandate was clear: focus on retention first, lift AOV/UPT, and tie results to business outcomes the exec team could trust.
Operationally, the team needed control without creative bottlenecks—scheduled drops, owned messaging (push), and simple merchandising they could iterate weekly. Email was softening; push had to do real work without 3 a.m. launches and still look on-brand from day one.
“We’re such a small team. Leadership was worried about how I’d get this live and manage it without any additional headcount, and without us spending a ton on development work.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce
To reduce risk, the app also had to plug into the tech stack—Yotpo, Nosto, Tolstoy, Abra—with tight brand control.
For finance, credibility came first. Rebecca set a conservative six-month OKR for incremental revenue, pressure-testing it with Credo’s actual inputs and a strict methodology: orders × AOV delta only—no conversion lift counted. The bar was intentionally high.
The outcome needed to be undeniable: a pre-configured, on-brand app that launches fast, keeps ops light, and proves incremental revenue.
THE SOLUTION
A content-forward app with owned messaging, smart merchandising, and a partner stack built to lift LTV
Tapcart stood up a content-forward mobile app that Credo could run with a lean team—no new headcount, no heavy dev. The experience is built for discovery and loyalty: Discover Feed + Journal for education, push for owned reach, and merchandising controls that make value obvious
“I probably spend about an hour and a half a week in Tapcart. I write the push, get a quick thumbs-up, schedule it, and we’re good—no creative, no 3 a.m. launches.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce
Solution at a glance
- Launch: April 2025 with a pre-configured, on-brand design (with Journal content at launch and Discover Feed added shortly after).
- Owned channel: Push notifications as a primary lever for early access, VIP, and app-first drops.
- Lean ops: ~1.5 hrs/week to run—drag-and-drop content, scheduled drops, quick tests.
- Stack fit from day one: Yotpo (loyalty/reviews), Nosto (search & recs), and Abra (for the first early-access promo).
How Credo built it (and why it works)
1) Content that converts
Credo’s app isn’t just a catalog; it’s an experience. Editorial Journal and story-driven Tolstoy videos bring education into the shopping flow—giving customers confidence and lifting basket quality. That shows up in the numbers: AOV +23% and UPT +30% on app vs. online store.
2) Push as an owned performance channel
Tapcart push became the team’s high-leverage, low-lift engine for install and revenue. Early-access and loyalty-tier messages consistently outperformed broad promo pushes, and during key promotions the app reached 28% of digital sales.
“I never expected early access to a product to beat some promos, but the app-only early-access push was more successful than most of our promo pushes—it changed our strategy.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce
3) Smart merchandising that moves product with GWPs + conditional logic
Conditional tags surface brand GWPs across home, brand pages, and nav—right where intent is highest. Outcome: gifts that once sat for months now move in ~30 days. Fewer “missed” incentives, more repeat behavior.
4) Loyalty + retention built in with Yotpo
With Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals embedded in the Tapcart app, shoppers can earn, track, and redeem points directly in-app, engage with VIP tiers and referrals, and keep momentum without hopping channels—fueling higher repeat rates and bigger baskets.
Since launch, retention rose from 41% → 44% and subscriptions are ~10% of the business. The app reinforces VIP behavior and brings the most valuable customers closer.
5) High-intent discovery at scale powered by Nosto
When shoppers search, they’re ready to buy. Nosto turns that intent into revenue inside the app—no extra engineering, just native search plus personalized recommendation carousels that keep discovery moving.
Nosto powers in-app search and recs with no extra engineering. Across Credo’s program (web + app), Nosto drives 8.65% Search CVR, $4.2M YTD from Search, $1M YTD from Recommendations, and 547K carousel clicks. These figures are cross-channel; inside the app, the same logic helps shoppers find drops fast and keep exploring.
The result: material revenue from high-intent traffic—captured where it matters most, inside the mobile shopping flow, with zero engineering lift.
THE STRATEGY
Launch to a moment. Lead with early access. Run a repeatable playbook.
Credo didn’t “launch an app.” They launched into demand. The team built a 10-day drumbeat (“download the app, surprise coming April 26”) and opened app-only early access into Friends of Credo—then doubled down on owned push as a performance channel. Journal content led education at launch; Discover Feed rolled out after Friends of Credo; Tolstoy video was added post-launch due to its easy, free integration and our site video tool not integrating with the app. Yotpo loyalty made value tangible; Nosto search/recs captured high-intent traffic without engineering lift.
Launch into demand (Friends of Credo) — and turn the moment into momentum
Credo didn’t launch in the dark. They built a 10-day prelaunch drumbeat (“download the app, surprise coming on April 26”) across site and email, then opened two days of app-only early access into Friends of Credo.
It was intentional: use a high-intent event to drive installs, prove value on day one, and establish the app as the best place to shop.
“We tied the launch to Friends of Credo—ten days of build-up, then two days of app-only early access. The success was unbelievable.” — Rebecca Armstrong
Why it mattered: A big moment + app-first access pulled in +15% net new customers and set the tone for future drops. It also accelerated proof: six-month incremental revenue goal hit in ~two months.
Make push your owned performance channel
Generic promo blasts gave way to early-access push and loyalty-tiered messages (Silver/Gold first, then all app users). This switch consistently outperformed traditional promo pushes and turned push into a reliable revenue lever—no heavy creative, no late-night launches.
Impact to watch: during key promos, the app climbed to 28% of digital sales; day-to-day, app conversion runs ~2–4× web.
By the numbers (what this strategy delivers)
- 18% of digital sales from the app since launch; peaks of 28% during promos.
- Hit the 6-month incremental revenue goal in ~2 months
- New customers: 15% of initial app orders came from new customers
- 2–4× higher conversion vs. web with a fraction of traffic.
- +23% AOV vs online store
- +30% UPT vs. online store—education and merchandising paying off.
- Retention up 3 pts; subs ~10% of business.
- Ops that scale without headcount—run the channel in about 1.5 hrs/week
Ready to wow your customers with an elevated mobile experience?
ABOUT THE BRAND
Credo sets the clean beauty standard—uncompromising, transparent, and trusted
Credo is the clean-beauty leader—full stop. They don’t just sell “clean”—they define it. With one of the strictest standards in the industry (2,700+ ingredients banned) and a relentless focus on transparency, Credo curates high-performing products customers can trust.
The result: a values-driven community that trusts Credo to make the hard calls on safety, sustainability, and performance—so shoppers don’t have to. Clean beauty, without the guesswork.
Lean by design and relentlessly customer-first, Credo’s ecommerce team bets on channels that deepen loyalty and compound LTV. Education is part of the brand’s DNA—from expert guidance to content that builds confident carts—so mobile isn’t just another storefront; it’s the most direct way to serve, surprise, and retain their best customers at scale.
The ecommerce team prioritizes experiences that deepen loyalty, lift LTV, and respect the customer’s time. That means showing the right products, at the right moment, with zero friction. Mobile isn’t a “nice to have” channel for Credo—it’s the closest connection to their most engaged shoppers.
The mandate: keep the brand’s high standard, make discovery effortless, and turn trust into repeat revenue at scale.
THE CHALLENGE
Launch fast. Keep ops light. Prove incremental revenue.
Credo needed a high-ROI mobile channel their lean team could run with no new headcount and no heavy dev—and leadership wanted proof of incrementality up front. As a beauty retailer, not having an app felt like a miss; customers expected a premium, on-brand experience that deepened loyalty and drove repeat revenue.
“Being a beauty retailer and not having an app was just such a miss—it’s what the customer expects,” says Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce.
The mandate was clear: focus on retention first, lift AOV/UPT, and tie results to business outcomes the exec team could trust.
Operationally, the team needed control without creative bottlenecks—scheduled drops, owned messaging (push), and simple merchandising they could iterate weekly. Email was softening; push had to do real work without 3 a.m. launches and still look on-brand from day one.
“We’re such a small team. Leadership was worried about how I’d get this live and manage it without any additional headcount, and without us spending a ton on development work.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce
To reduce risk, the app also had to plug into the tech stack—Yotpo, Nosto, Tolstoy, Abra—with tight brand control.
For finance, credibility came first. Rebecca set a conservative six-month OKR for incremental revenue, pressure-testing it with Credo’s actual inputs and a strict methodology: orders × AOV delta only—no conversion lift counted. The bar was intentionally high.
The outcome needed to be undeniable: a pre-configured, on-brand app that launches fast, keeps ops light, and proves incremental revenue.
THE SOLUTION
A content-forward app with owned messaging, smart merchandising, and a partner stack built to lift LTV
Tapcart stood up a content-forward mobile app that Credo could run with a lean team—no new headcount, no heavy dev. The experience is built for discovery and loyalty: Discover Feed + Journal for education, push for owned reach, and merchandising controls that make value obvious
“I probably spend about an hour and a half a week in Tapcart. I write the push, get a quick thumbs-up, schedule it, and we’re good—no creative, no 3 a.m. launches.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce
Solution at a glance
- Launch: April 2025 with a pre-configured, on-brand design (with Journal content at launch and Discover Feed added shortly after).
- Owned channel: Push notifications as a primary lever for early access, VIP, and app-first drops.
- Lean ops: ~1.5 hrs/week to run—drag-and-drop content, scheduled drops, quick tests.
- Stack fit from day one: Yotpo (loyalty/reviews), Nosto (search & recs), and Abra (for the first early-access promo).
How Credo built it (and why it works)
1) Content that converts
Credo’s app isn’t just a catalog; it’s an experience. Editorial Journal and story-driven Tolstoy videos bring education into the shopping flow—giving customers confidence and lifting basket quality. That shows up in the numbers: AOV +23% and UPT +30% on app vs. online store.
2) Push as an owned performance channel
Tapcart push became the team’s high-leverage, low-lift engine for install and revenue. Early-access and loyalty-tier messages consistently outperformed broad promo pushes, and during key promotions the app reached 28% of digital sales.
“I never expected early access to a product to beat some promos, but the app-only early-access push was more successful than most of our promo pushes—it changed our strategy.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Director of Ecommerce
3) Smart merchandising that moves product with GWPs + conditional logic
Conditional tags surface brand GWPs across home, brand pages, and nav—right where intent is highest. Outcome: gifts that once sat for months now move in ~30 days. Fewer “missed” incentives, more repeat behavior.
4) Loyalty + retention built in with Yotpo
With Yotpo Loyalty & Referrals embedded in the Tapcart app, shoppers can earn, track, and redeem points directly in-app, engage with VIP tiers and referrals, and keep momentum without hopping channels—fueling higher repeat rates and bigger baskets.
Since launch, retention rose from 41% → 44% and subscriptions are ~10% of the business. The app reinforces VIP behavior and brings the most valuable customers closer.
5) High-intent discovery at scale powered by Nosto
When shoppers search, they’re ready to buy. Nosto turns that intent into revenue inside the app—no extra engineering, just native search plus personalized recommendation carousels that keep discovery moving.
Nosto powers in-app search and recs with no extra engineering. Across Credo’s program (web + app), Nosto drives 8.65% Search CVR, $4.2M YTD from Search, $1M YTD from Recommendations, and 547K carousel clicks. These figures are cross-channel; inside the app, the same logic helps shoppers find drops fast and keep exploring.
The result: material revenue from high-intent traffic—captured where it matters most, inside the mobile shopping flow, with zero engineering lift.
THE STRATEGY
Launch to a moment. Lead with early access. Run a repeatable playbook.
Credo didn’t “launch an app.” They launched into demand. The team built a 10-day drumbeat (“download the app, surprise coming April 26”) and opened app-only early access into Friends of Credo—then doubled down on owned push as a performance channel. Journal content led education at launch; Discover Feed rolled out after Friends of Credo; Tolstoy video was added post-launch due to its easy, free integration and our site video tool not integrating with the app. Yotpo loyalty made value tangible; Nosto search/recs captured high-intent traffic without engineering lift.
Launch into demand (Friends of Credo) — and turn the moment into momentum
Credo didn’t launch in the dark. They built a 10-day prelaunch drumbeat (“download the app, surprise coming on April 26”) across site and email, then opened two days of app-only early access into Friends of Credo.
It was intentional: use a high-intent event to drive installs, prove value on day one, and establish the app as the best place to shop.
“We tied the launch to Friends of Credo—ten days of build-up, then two days of app-only early access. The success was unbelievable.” — Rebecca Armstrong
Why it mattered: A big moment + app-first access pulled in +15% net new customers and set the tone for future drops. It also accelerated proof: six-month incremental revenue goal hit in ~two months.
Make push your owned performance channel
Generic promo blasts gave way to early-access push and loyalty-tiered messages (Silver/Gold first, then all app users). This switch consistently outperformed traditional promo pushes and turned push into a reliable revenue lever—no heavy creative, no late-night launches.
Impact to watch: during key promos, the app climbed to 28% of digital sales; day-to-day, app conversion runs ~2–4× web.
By the numbers (what this strategy delivers)
- 18% of digital sales from the app since launch; peaks of 28% during promos.
- Hit the 6-month incremental revenue goal in ~2 months
- New customers: 15% of initial app orders came from new customers
- 2–4× higher conversion vs. web with a fraction of traffic.
- +23% AOV vs online store
- +30% UPT vs. online store—education and merchandising paying off.
- Retention up 3 pts; subs ~10% of business.
- Ops that scale without headcount—run the channel in about 1.5 hrs/week
