How Knockaround uses Purple Dot with Split Payments to maximize pre-order sales

To maximize sales for pre-order products in an affordable and trusted way for customers.

Knockaround, the affordable sunglasses brand, has created practical, durable and stylish sunglasses since 2005. With a focus on customer service and a wide range of high-quality shades, Knockaround is proudly a trend-setting, leading brand for sunglasses globally.

Knockaround has an ambitious launch calendar, which features high-profile special releases such as Major League Baseball and U.S. Soccer sunglasses. To achieve maximum sales against a fast-paced schedule, product launch timing is mission-critical. Launching products on pre-order enables Knockaround to turn over inventory at the exciting pace required, as well as deliver a core part of their merchandising strategy. 

But, Knockaround felt that charging pre-order customers in full upfront wouldn’t stay true to their mission of affordability. They wanted a pre-order solution that would be affordable and trusted for their customers, as well as deliver high-conversion sales for the brand. 

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Knockaround turned to Purple Dot to operationalize their pre-order strategy for multiple high-profile product launches. 

With Purple Dot Split Payments, Knockaround charged pre-order customers only 10% upfront at time of checkout, with the remaining 90% charged automatically on shipment. This enabled a more affordable pre-order purchase for their customers, while giving Knockaround the confidence in paid commitment for the pre-order. And with the fully FTC compliant ability to charge customers a deposit for pre-orders, Knockaround was able to deliver this payment schedule in a way that also prioritized consumer trust. 

Knockaround delivered this end-to-end pre-order flow with less than a week of integration time, thanks to the Purple Dot platform managing the heavy lift of vaulting the card, charging the balance and facilitating a payment retry flow for customers. The solution worked seamlessly with Knockaround's enterprise infrastructure, including their ERP (NetSuite), Marketing Solutions, and Analytics (Ad Pixels, Google Analytics).

Knockaround achieved a game-changing 60%+ sell-through before stock arrives at the warehouse for pre-orders, which gives them the ability to be even more ambitious with their fast turnover launch calendar. 

The brand now has the powerful flexibility to put any product that’s in-motion to the warehouse on a split payment pre-order with operational ease, knowing that they are also staying true to their affordability promise to customers. This has been especially valuable for special releases, as customers can be first to have Knockaround’s highly anticipated limited edition products.

Selling earlier can transform your business. A pre-order strategy gives brands the selling flexibility they need to accelerate sales, never truly go out of stock, and optimize costs. We’re here to partner with you to help make your pre-order operations a strategic pillar towards your growth. Reach out to hello@getpurpledot.com