Poppi founder Allison Ellsworth says she has become a skilled shopper since starting her company. Fresh off her brand’s sale to PepsiCo last year, Ellsworth is constantly testing new products and looking for what’s hot in food, beverage, beauty and wellness.
“I am still such a big foodie and consumer and love trying all the new products, and people send me a lot of stuff,” she said, which makes it easier to discover new and under-the-radar brands.
Some of Ellsworth’s current personal care and wellness favorites include products from startups like Ritual and period brand care August. She also has lots of repeat buys on Amazon, like the cushion foundation by K-beauty brand Tirtir, Clean Skin Club’s face towels and Tatcha’s rice wash cleanser.
Replenishment is a major theme in Ellsworth’s shopping strategy. Take, for example, home goods brand Preston Lane. While she’s fond of gifting their European-made candles, “They are now doing cleaning products with incredible ingredients” that also double as room fragrances, Ellsworth said. “That’s something I have on subscribe.”
The first thing Ellsworth splurged on after the Poppi sale was a month-long trip to Europe. Prior to the exit, she said, it had been nearly seven years since her family had had a true vacation, where she could disconnect from phone calls and emails. “I actually think people should know that,” Ellsworth said. “That’s why we splurged and went to the best hotels and did stuff we usually didn’t get to do.”
Speaking of post-exit life, Ellsworth said she’s currently marinating on her next startup idea and will likely stick with consumer packaged goods. She pointed out that food and beverage brands have come a long way since she started Poppi nearly a decade ago. “There were really no brands on TikTok when I first started,” she said. “Now every brand is on TikTok, which I love, and they should be. It’s free marketing.”
At the same time, Ellsworth said there is a lot of saturation across the popular categories that’s making it difficult for new brands to stand out. “Everyone is trying to start like another better-for-you soda,” Ellsworth said. “But I have to say, I wish people would think of the next disruption and reframe what better-for-you can look like.”
Here’s more on Ellsworth’s current shopping obsessions:
Grocery go-tos
As a CPG founder, Ellsworth says one grocery item that everyone should splurge on is Kerrygold butter. “I’m gluten-free, and something I eat every single day is the O’Doughs bagels,” she said. “They’re sold at Kroger, they’re vegan, and I travel with them.” Another gluten-free repeat purchase is Walker’s shortbread cookies and Kettle’s salt-and-vinegar chips. “My kids and I also love the Solely mango fruit snacks, which are great because my kids don’t know they’re not traditional fruit gummies,” she said.
Ellsworth doesn’t let items linger in her cart. She said that being a busy mom and entrepreneur has pushed her to become an efficient online shopper. “I actually just recently went through and clicked ‘stop’ on brand texts,” she said. “But if I’m thinking about [an item], I will just get online and immediately buy it, because otherwise I will forget after five minutes.” With that, she still tries to “shop with intention” and always keeps a rotating mental list of what she actually needs, like replenishing grooming products or something to wear for an event.
“I have bought a pair of shoes or a purse to match an outfit for an event, and you should not do that,” Ellsworth said. That includes a pair of Saint Laurent heels so uncomfortable that she calls them her “TV shoes” — she switches right into them from Uggs for appearances. “I am annoyed I spent money on them, even though I do love them.”
Favorite wellness discovery
Ellsworth noted that, like many people, she’s also investing in longevity-geared products, whether it’s food or wellness solutions. Ellsworth said the buzzword can be confusing to many people, and it’s often difficult to know where to start. “I’m looking for products that make the entry point into longevity lower,” she said.
For example, a good night’s sleep is foundational for everyone’s wellness routine. “One of my favorite things I just bought was the mattress topper from Orion’s Sleep. It’s basically an Oura ring for your bed,” she said. It also helps regulate body temperature throughout the night and offers fun personalization tools like the “hangover mode.” “It’s just much simpler, because I found wearing my Oura ring to sleep difficult, and when I took it off, it guilted me,” Ellsworth said.
But with most of her shopping done online, Ellsworth admits she has also fallen for social media hype. A recent buyer’s remorse was a laser light therapy mask, which she returned immediately; Ellworth found that it wasn’t effective enough given the price point.
