Q&A with Oskar Nyman, E-Commerce Manager at Acon

While we are big on sustainability, sometimes it is time to get rid of the old and bring in the new. Months were spent on analyzing customer feedback and understanding the pain points of our community when visiting our website to create a place that provides as smooth an experience as our bounces. But how does the team keep the site fresh and running well every second of the year? Read on to learn more...

Let's Get to Know You

Please Introduce Yourself

Hey, I'm Oskar Nyman, a thrill-seeker and tech-savvy guy in my mid-twenties. I live for taking on new challenges and pushing myself to improve, whether it's through ski-touring in the mountains, cycling through scenic routes or helping develop new capabilities for our e-commerce platforms and tools. It's exciting to see small ideas grow and evolve.

What's Your Role at Acon?

E-commerce Manager.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Probably a football player.

Which team are you part of at Acon? And what kind of work do you do?

I’m part to be a part of one of the most dynamic teams at Acon, also known as the Sales and Marketing Team. In my role, I focus on making sure that the development processes for Acon24.com, our flagship website, run seamlessly, from the planning stages to the final implementation. I work closely with my colleagues, designers, developers and other stakeholders, to ensure that the e-commerce platforms and tools are running efficiently, and that the customers have the best experience. So, a lot of teamwork but it's a privilege to work with such fun and like-minded people.

Transforming Acon's Digital Approach

You recently helped lead the transformation of the Acon website, please tell us about it. (Note for the reader: the new website was launched end of 2022)

The success of Acon launched our store's requirements to new heights, and it was an enjoyable ride to match this growth with improvements to our technology stack. Together, we’ve built a brand new front-end for our stores and enhanced the back-end tools that keep all our 7 stores running smoothly. It’s been a team effort and I’m proud of the results and progress we’ve made.

How does the new site better serve the Acon Community?

The new e-commerce site has been designed to better serve the Acon community by providing more comprehensive and user-friendly information about our products, as well as a wider range of visuals to help customers really get to know our products. We've also added new features to make it easier for customers to find the products they're looking for and recommendations to consider. Additionally, the new site has a sleek, modern design that makes browsing and shopping a more enjoyable experience. But that's not all, we have even more exciting things in the works, so stay tuned and keep an eye on our store.

What partners did you work with to produce the new site?

We are fortunate also to have a talented team of partners, including designers, developers, management and SEO consultants, who helped us bring the ideas of our new e-commerce site and tools to life. I can say that it was a true collaboration, as we brought together experts from different companies and the team worked as an oiled machine! (So shoutout to our numerous partners!)

In how many countries/regions does Acon operate a localized webstore?

Currently, Acon operates localized webstores in multiple countries and regions around the world, including the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, and a store for the rest of the European countries.

What were the biggest challenges of launching the new site?

Launching the new e-commerce site presented several challenges, but one of the biggest was the tight schedule. We wanted to ensure that the stores were ready in time for the holiday season, so we had to work efficiently and effectively to meet the deadlines. Despite the challenges, we managed to successfully launch the site with just a small delay to the original plan. It was a great feeling when the last stores were published.

What's your most favorable feature that was implemented to the site?

Choosing just one favorite feature from the new site is quite tricky, as I believe the entire site represents a significant improvement. However, if I had to pick one, I would say that the enhanced product pages with their various new features and clean look makes a positive impact.

What’s the one improvement to the site you wanted to get done, but couldn’t implement?

There are always more improvements and features that we hope to implement on the site, and I'm really excited about what we have planned for our current customers. Can’t reveal much but I would encourage everyone to become a part of our community to stay updated on the latest developments and how we can help provide fun and active things to do for all homes.

Inside the Mind of Acon's E-Commerce Guru

Would you consider Acon a Direct-to-Consumer brand? What lessons do you learn from other brands or what brands do you admire for their success?

Yes certainly, Acon is prime example of a Direct-to-Consumer brand. We have talented product designers and engineers, supply chain and logistics experts, warehouse specialists, the best customer service and experienced professionals in our e-commerce team that work together to bring joy and engaging things for families around the globe. So, all the way from manufacturing to delivery and customer support, it all culminates in joyful moments for our customers.

What lessons do you learn from other brands or what brands do you admire for their success?

As a brand, we always strive to learn from other successful brands. I personally like to observe and come up with ideas from popular sport brands like Nike, Lululemon, Patagonia, as well as some consumer tech brands like Apple and the new player in the block, Nothing. These brands have set the bar high for customer experience to draw inspiration from. It's important for us to try to improve in order to make an impact and exceed customer expectations.

How do you stay current on the ever-changing world of e-commerce?

Staying current on the ever-changing world of e-commerce is both a necessity and a pleasure. Twitter is my go-to for keeping up with the rapid changes in e-commerce and technology. I love to read threads, insights and ideas from there. Additionally, I have some kind of a need to think of how something has been done when browsing different e-commerce stores. Quite exciting to see what new things are being developed by others and how something could be applied to us.

How do you continue to innovate on behalf of the e-comm team?

I believe the key is to have a low barrier for sharing and discussing ideas and thoughts. It’s important to have an open culture where everyone can propose new ideas and have their voices heard – that’s a great asset that we have here. This approach ensures that we're considering a wide range of perspectives for what we will start developing.


How does the team work to ensure that the Acon consumer is at the heart of its decision-making?

Putting our customers first is what drives everything we do. We gather valuable insights through customer feedback, surveys, and requests. We use this information in our planning and decision-making, making sure to consider all requests and wishes that we receive. So, all requests and wishes that we receive are worth gold!


What keeps you up at night?

The sleep score of my smart ring is quite high, so can’t say that something is keeping me up at night 😉

Working at Acon

Describe what makes the team at Acon different from others around, please.

It’s the dedication amongst us to create fun and meaningful things. The atmosphere within Acon is like in a family or group of friends, where everyone is heard and respected. What is common is that even though we face challenges, we have a positive and supportive environment in the way we work to unlock things and reach our goals. We’re quick to lend a hand if needed.


How would you describe Acon culture in 5 words?

Passion, joy, respect, supportive, growth


How does the e-commerce team work with the other departments within the company?

We're bouncing ideas off each other whether it is at the office coffee break or cross-functional event. Working closely with other departments comes quite naturally, like with product development, logistics, IT or customer service. It’s easy with great people 😊 Sometimes we are invited to test products with the product development team and get feedback or at another time we work with customer service to make sure any issues are taken care of. So really an open-door policy so everyone can share their thoughts, work together and make sure things are working as expected.

Let's Get to know Oskar

Where can we find you when you’re not working away for Acon?

I enjoy being active so probably doing some sports ranging from running, cycling, skiing or playing golf. Or then just longing for the next trip somewhere.


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Somewhere in the Alps. Was absolutely stunned by the beauty of the town Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy so I could certainly move there.


What’s something surprising that your co-workers may not know about you?

I can play the piano

Bringing it back to Acon, what are your top three priorities coming into 2023?

The Acon Family is Always Growing

We will continue to bring you behind-the-scenes discussions with our teams to include you in the Acon Community.

Want to meet more of the team? Read our Q&A with our R&D Director Markus.

Or visit our recently launched Trampoline Finder to see how the website is working to help you get better answers.