E-commerce is how people shop regardless of whether they are Boomers or Gen Z, and smartphones are a non-negotiable necessity for most people regardless of age. Unfortunately, Generation X, the forgotten generation, are largely aren’t being marketed to. Some marketers and PR spokespeople may say it’s all about numbers, with Gen X constituting a smaller part of the population than millennials, Generation Z, and baby boomers. When you consider smartphones and e-commerce were innovated by members of Gen X, it’s kind of ironic. Gen X spends more money on personal care products than any other generation in the US. Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X spends significantly more, selling out about 44 per cent more than baby boomers and 18 per cent more than Gen Z, while representing only 19·8 per cent of the US population.
Nicole Collins, Corey Weiss, and Julianne ‘Jules’ Camposano have teamed up to speak directly to Gen X with their just-launched 213Deli, a text-to-buy service that sends subscribers a weekly text message offering them the best in beauty and grooming. All a consumer has to do to purchase is text back the number of units they want: 1, 2 or 3.
The trio previously worked together at Ipsy, the world’s largest beauty sample subscription service. They are all experts in beauty and have had long careers working with the top beauty brands in the US.
Camposano explains that this service is bespoke for eagle-eyed and very particular Gen Xers who regularly use their phones to keep a pulse on need-to-know information.
‘Every week we drop the best-of-the-best beauty products,’ she says. ‘As many great beauty products are developed with this age group in mind, and we want to serve these brands and the audience we know they’re really after.’
‘Gen X spends more money on personal care than any other generation, and yet more than half of Gen Xers have expressed that they feel overlooked by brands in marketing and advertising,’ says Collins. ‘The objective of 213Deli is to provide an opportunity for brands to tap this affluent audience without changing their marketing approach. This small but powerful demographic provides brands an opportunity to tap into a goldmine of customers actively looking for innovative beauty products.’
During their July 2023 launch in Los Angeles, the trio laid out some cold, hard facts. Many women over 35, whether moms, married or single, are busy. Rather than scroll TikTok and other social media for hours like younger generations, they want direct, no-gimmick information about the best-of-the-best products.
Americans check their phones an average of 96 times per day—or once every 10 minutes. As 98 per cent of text messages are read versus 20 per cent of emails, the founders recognized that SMS marketing is a far more efficient way to reach customers, especially as most texts are read within three minutes and responded to within 90 seconds.
Registering for 213Deli is by invitation only. Simply go to 213deli.com and use the invite code LAUNCH to register. They then drop the best in beauty and grooming weekly via text. If the customer is interested, they will reply to the text and the product(s) will be shipped out immediately. Sign-up for this service is free and there is no obligation to buy anything except whatever speaks to the customer.
Product drops are limited in quantity. Once a product sells out, editorial content written by respected beauty editors will be published, explaining what makes it best in class. ‘For each drop, we collaborate with an influencer, celebrity make-up artist or æsthetician, and a highly experienced beauty editor who are reliable sources of information based on their expertise,’ says Collins. ‘They share what’s amazing about the product. The editors also write a story that lives in perpetuity on the 213Deli site.’
To learn more about 213Deli, visit the website and use invite code LAUNCH to register.
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