John Accardi launched CRAVEBOX in 2014 from his apartment. At the time, he had just dropped out of a doctoral program at Georgetown University, had no savings, no investors, and no business experience.
Accardi says the decision to launch CRAVEBOX was risky and the chances of success did not look good. “At the time, I was so excited about starting my own business that I didn’t really recognize all the risks. I just wanted to work for myself and wake up every morning with the freedom to tackle my own to-do list rather than someone else’s.
For the first 3 years, CRAVEBOX operated out of John’s apartment and made no profit. John remained persistent and felt like he was making progress and success was just around the corner.
John said: “Those early years were frustrating because I felt like every day was a disappointment, but the constant failure kept me going. I got to the point where I told myself that I would always try. I was giving guitar lessons on the side to pay the bills and decided I would work on CRAVEBOX until he was successful or I was an old man. This long-term mentality worked because, of course, CRAVEBOX started to grow. John learned how to optimize his Amazon listings and CRAVEBOX moved to bigger and bigger warehouse spaces and his staff grew.
Now CRAVEBOX operates out of a 60,000 square foot warehouse in North Wales, PA with an impressive staff. “I never thought CRAVEBOX would be so successful. It’s been an incredible journey,” says Accardi.
To become one of Amazon’s best-selling brands, John first focused on creating great images. “I realized early on that your main product image on Amazon is the most important part of the listing, so I learned photography and most importantly, Photoshop, to shoot and edit fantastic images. CRAVEBOX Products now have the highest quality images in the category, giving ads an edge over competitors.
Accardi has also focused on price. John says, “To be a top-selling Amazon brand, you need to take a very hard look at your toughest competitors and make sure you’re providing better value. Either your product must be better or your price must be lower. This will determine your ranking and visibility on Amazon. The key to delivering great value is of course efficient business and operation.
Finally, to make CRAVEBOX one of Amazon’s best-selling brands, Accardi focused on reviews. “Amazon customers are tough and the only way to build a lasting product and brand is to sell quality products that naturally garner a high average review. It’s a challenge, but if you can deliver a better product than your competitors, you’ll get better reviews and rise to the top of the category.
John is excited to continue developing CRAVEBOX. He is especially excited about their holiday products: Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter. He is also excited about the new CRAVEBOX products they are introducing, for example: CRAVEBOX Kids, CRAVEBOX 110count and CRAVEBOX Cookies+Crackers.
