Friction Maxxing and What It Means for Modern Consumer Brands
Open with Joy ☼ July 2026
Your UGC is still “reeling” them in, but the exhausted consumers from June’s newsletter are creating their own hoops to jump through before pulling the trigger.
Vetted, community-endorsed purchases are replacing impulse, FOMO-driven conversions.
Friction Maxxing is the latest consumer flex of 2026: people are deliberately slowing down their own purchase process to protect themselves from another disappointing buy.
TikTok Shop exhausted the reflex. A generation of impulse purchases living rent-free in closets and consciences, training in the regret. AI gave consumers the tool to pause efficiently.
Premium brands with real community are winning the scrutiny test. Undifferentiated brands aren't surviving it.
This is Open With Joy, a monthly resource for leaders of premium, customer-centric, modern consumer brands. The latest on consumer behavior, DTC operations, supply chain, and tech from your fractional COO and hype girl.
Let’s go.
The stats are in for July
Impulse Purchases are Losing Steam
What happened: Per NIQ's latest consumer report, the “impulse aisle” is giving way to the “informed aisle.” 45% of consumers now make shopping lists before they buy. 37% compare prices between brands before deciding. The spontaneous first click is getting replaced by a deliberate second opinion from Chatty and trusted communities across socials and sub-reddits.
Why it matters: The customer who bought from a reel in under 8 seconds is now bookmarking it and opening ChatGPT for intentional decision-making. McKinsey's ConsumerWise data nails it: what changed most materially in 2026 wasn't consumer sentiment, it was how consumers gather product information before they commit. Your brand is being researched before it's purchased. The question is, are you optimized to meet them where they look?
Alexia's take: This is actually good news if you've built something credible and community-backed. The brands getting filtered out are the ones that were running on manufactured urgency and a good reel. That's not you. If it were, you wouldn’t be reading this.
Moreover, this space for a second opinion enhances a well-thought-out, confident conversion and reduces the chance of a first-time purchase being returned. This is a huge opportunity to attract high-value customers who make repeat purchases.
Your takeaway: Search your brand in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Not your website, not your socials, but the actual AI result. What does it say? What's missing?
The Brands Winning the Scrutiny Test
What happened: RBC Capital Markets flagged a counterintuitive shift: traditional luxury brands are losing revenue, while premium affordable brands are posting positive growth. The Lyst Index now has five premium brands in its top 10, which is the first time that's happened.
Why it matters: The intentional buyer is running every option through their filter. What they’re looking for isn't the cheapest or the most prestigious. Instead, it's the one that holds up under scrutiny. Clear product story, real reviews, a community they recognize, operations that actually deliver the promise. The undifferentiated middle fails this test on every dimension. Brands priced with intention and built with a point of view pass it. The trade-down from traditional luxury is working in your favor if you're ready for it.
Alexia's take: The customer trading down from a $400 purchase isn't going to Quince. They’re going to you. That's a huge opportunity and a real responsibility.
Side note: I find this so interesting in a space that is always announcing the resurgence of luxury brands. It really hasn’t been that.
Your takeaway: Pull your repeat purchase rate for the last year. How does it compare to the previous?
SMBs Are Finally Moving on Tariffs and Creating New Risk in the Process
What happened: 97% of SMBs are now deploying at least one active tariff mitigation strategy in 2026, per Netstock. After a year of watching and waiting, brands are diversifying suppliers, pulling inventory forward, and extending planning horizons. Nearly three-quarters have pushed out how far ahead they plan.
Why it matters: As we love to say, “why you stay ready, you don’t gotta get ready.” However, longer planning horizons without adequate data is just long-game guessing. For brands already struggling with inventory positioning, an extended runway with the same visibility tools creates a new version of the same problem. The brands getting this right aren't just planning further out; they're planning with cleaner inputs.
Alexia's take: Long-game planning needs real data. Retroactive data collection is not cutting it; you need to have reporting and forecasting baked into your weekly and monthly operations.
Your takeaway: Get clear on what you can adopt from the next wave of tariff strategies. Read more here.
From the Blog
Rhode sold for $800 million. Three years old. DTC only. 11% marketing spend. The visibility was real, and so was everything behind the scenes. What it actually takes to hold up when the scrutiny lands on you.
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With love, Best Buds
Open With Joy is brought to you by Best Buds CX, a fractional COO partnering with bold brands built on core values. We implement customer-retaining operations across the business that empower teams to operate at their highest potential so you can reclaim your time, energy, and ambition. Learn more.
