Leading global ecommerce and marketplace accelerator, Pattern has supported Australian athleticwear brand, 2XU to pivot its international business, solidifying its position as a leading specialist technical athletic brand in key markets, including North America.
This strategic partnership has enabled 2XU to achieve an 80% full-price sales rate and increase its average selling price by 25% to $200.
With pre-existing operations in North America through wholesale, D2C, and Amazon channels, 2XU identified the need to reimagine its sales strategy to regain control of its brand and product positioning. The shift was motivated by recognising that its complex distribution model and wide range of seasonal end-of-life products on Amazon had diluted the brand’s premium image.
The decision to overhaul 2XU’s Amazon strategy was driven by the fact that in 2024, over half (56%) of US consumers start their product search on Amazon, rather than other search platforms like Google.
2XU CEO, Marc Boelen said, “The international sportswear market is crowded and highly competitive. As a premium technical brand, we needed to take control and differentiate ourselves. This meant simplifying our distribution to focus on our unique selling point (USP) as a technical compression and triathlon brand, which 2XU is well known for and consumers are willing to pay a premium for.
“Our data further supported this, showing that content from 2XU’s athletes and ambassadors focused on the technical benefits of our range outperformed other products and content in the US.”
Moving from a multi-channel distribution model to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model is a major strategic change, according to 2XU vice president of digital, Lindsay Swaik.
“As a brand, we saw a critical need to build out our international DTC business, even if it meant accepting a short-term impact on sales, to achieve long-term control over pricing and positioning,” she said.
“Given Amazon’s dominance among US consumers, we felt it was necessary to showcase leading content and a smaller range of our best-selling premium products on Amazon as a first brand impression. This was crucial in enhancing our brand story and positioning us as the leading technical performance brand and the world leader in compression.”
As the number one global seller on Amazon, Pattern leveraged its expertise to drive 2XU’s transition from a 1P to a 3P account on Amazon, delivering greater control over the brand’s product listings and customer perception.
Pattern and 2XU closely collaborated to design A+ content aligning with brand guidelines, manage in-platform marketing strategies, and control stock replenishment and pricing strategies to maximise sales and meet key benchmarks. Additionally, Amazon’s delivery speed provided a benefit that 2XU’s own supply chain could not match.
Pattern Australia managing director, Merline McGregor said, “2XU had to transform its strategy to target a new customer base willing to pay full price for high-quality technical products. This shift was essential to drive profitable growth and achieve the brand’s business goals in international markets like the US.
“The results have been remarkable, with 2XU now achieving an impressive 80% full-price sales rate. This transition underscores the brand’s commitment to premium quality and demonstrates the effectiveness of a well-executed ecommerce strategy.”