Unlocking Digital Success: An Interview with Xavi Matencio, Nude Project’s Strategy Guru

As a Shopify Development Agency, we’re often at the forefront of helping new stars emerge in the E-commerce industry. We meet many incredible people with brilliant ideas, and sometimes, we’re fortunate enough to watch them soar to success. Nude Project is a perfect example of this. Since 2019, Alex and Bruno evolved from a small two-person team to a thriving business with stores in Portugal and all over Spain, employing a significant team.

Remember in October 2021, we had the chance to interview Alex and Bruno, the founders of Nude Project? We asked them 10 insightful questions about their project, how it started, and their objectives. If you missed that article, you can check it out here.

Now, we’re pleased to share our latest interview with Xavi Matencio, who leads the digital strategy at Nude Project. We’ve worked closely with him for years, and it’s been an exciting journey.

I’m Marco Mattiello, Director of MM Shopy Devs and here is our interview Xavi:

Marco: “Hi Xavi! Can you share your story about joining Nude Project and your progression within the company? (Feel free to share your experiences regarding your initial interview, how you received the news of your job offer, and how your role has evolved over time within the company.)”

Xavi: “It’s been an incredible journey of almost two and a half years. I was completely fed up with my old job and decided that I would only accept a position in something that truly motivated me. I’ve always loved the world of clothing and e-commerce, so when I saw the offer posted, I didn’t hesitate.

At that time, the company consisted of seven people. There were no processes, and you couldn’t know the real potential of the project… so it was not an easy decision. But today, seeing how the company has evolved, it is clear that it was the best decision of my life.

Back then, my role was mainly focused on managing the paid media strategy, CRM, and e-commerce updates. With the growth of the brand, the workload has been increasing, so my position has evolved into being the head of digital strategy and online sales team, coordinating every specialist in each branch of customer acquisition and retention.”

Marco: “How many people are currently on the Nude Project team?”

Xavi: “Now we are a team of 123 employees, with 60 of them performing office work at the headquarters and the rest being store employees from all of our physical stores.”

Marco: “What aspect of your job do you find most challenging?”

Xavi: “I believe the most common and complex challenge is attempting to understand, “Why didn’t we sell more yesterday than we did?” But this is our daily task, allowing us to optimize every detail of our strategy and improve results every day.”

Marco: “For our audience of Shopify entrepreneurs, what’s your perspective on using Shopify? Do you think choosing Shopify was a good move for Nude Project?”

Xavi: “It’s great to start your business if you are going to have an e-commerce platform. It allows you to have a very clear structure of your online store, as you can manage your products, inventory, and website customization very easily.
However, the truth is that once you start growing, it’s not the best platform for analyzing your company’s analytics and creating reports of your results.”

Marco: “The design of your website has certainly captured the interest of our audience and clients. As a Shopify Agency with a diverse clientele, we truly appreciate your creativity and your willingness to consistently push the boundaries beyond what standard e-commerce typically offers. How did you manage to stand out in design, and what tips would you offer to Shopify store owners?”

Xavi: “Nude Project has always embraced a “think outside the box” mentality. This philosophy extends to all departments and is what enables us to make everything we do unique, excellent, and a true reflection of what the brand aspires to be.

This includes web design. We treat it like a physical store; if it’s the coolest on the street, it’s more likely to attract people and convert them into customers and part of your brand.

From day one, we have been a brand with many well-defined benchmarks in all aspects of a company.”

Marco: “What’s it like working alongside Bruno and Alex?”

Xavi: “It has changed a lot since the day I joined because they have evolved significantly as leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals.

But it’s always amazing. They have very different ways of being and working, yet both possess the ability to think globally in everything related to the brand. This enables all of us to objectively achieve the best for Nude Project in all areas and actions.

They have successfully built a team to which they have transmitted their motivation and dream, ensuring that no one at Nude approaches their work without passion.”

Marco: “How do you predict the evolution of the e-commerce sector in the coming years, based on your experience?”

Xavi: “I believe there is an evolution for each brand. During these more than two years running Nude’s e-commerce, I have observed various trends regarding user behavior and their reactions to new seasons, launches, and novelties.

For this reason, the perception of exclusivity you create around the products you launch at any given time is crucial. This isn’t just about the number of units for sale but also about how exclusive you make the person feel for wearing a product from your brand.

Currently, the key for a brand in our sector is to be prepared with a good assortment of key products that work for you, and to combine them with specific launches that add that extra layer of exclusivity and value to your brand. Following a strategy that adapts to your objectives and allows you to gradually increase the volume of users in your target markets is essential.”

Marco:”What advice would you offer to someone aiming to lead in digital strategy within the E-commerce area?”

Xavi: “To always put yourself in your potential customer’s shoes is crucial. From the moment they are unaware of the brand to the point where they consider making a second purchase.

This approach significantly enables you to adapt all your acquisition and retention strategies effectively. By putting yourself in the user’s position, you can tailor the message and content to spark their interest, enticing them to visit your website, find something that appeals to them, is attractive to use, prompts them to consider making a purchase, leads them to actually buy, and eventually makes them want to repeat the process…”

Marco: “Finally, have you ever had the opportunity to meet an artist you look up to during their collaboration on a Nude Project? If yes, who was the artist?”

Xavi: “The fact that I have had the opportunity to meet many artists I admired, such as Rels B, Duki, Tiago PZK, etc., has reached a point where the presence of such important figures in our office has become so common that it’s normalized. It’s astonishing, but it’s a very rewarding aspect for all team members.”