What if Santa realized that landing literal livestock on every roof in the world before shimmying down every chimney in one night was not exactly cost effective? What if, instead, he took a page from Jeff Bezos’ book and traded the sleigh and silver bells for a truck and texting?
Although we’ll have to wait until December 24 and NORAD’s tracker to know for sure, one North Texas company already has the wheels rolling.
Launched by tech industry veterans Roee Adler, Menachem Katz, and Shai Wininger on September 23, the Santa truck brings specially curated products right to your door.
It’s “this idea that all of your favorite things magically show up at your home,” says Santa’s marketing head Stacey Britt Fitzgerald, who previously ran global marketing for Urban Outfitters.
So here’s how the magic happens: Download the Santa app, and fill out your preferences. When the truck arrives in your neighborhood, you’ll be notified via text from a personal shopper. You then open the app, browse the list of goods for sale, and make your selections. Within 30 minutes, the shopper will bring your purchases to your door.
While the truck might give you door-to-door salesman, Amazon driver, or even Tupperware party vibes, Santa doesn’t see itself as a delivery service. Rather, “a proper store that moves around,” Fitzgerald says.
Santa aims to be in each neighborhood of its service area twice a week year-round. When it first launched, the company only operated in Plano and Frisco. (According to Fitzgerald, the founders considered thousands of suburban areas experiencing rapid growth, from real estate to household income to population, and the Dallas suburbs won out.) Santa has since expanded into Richardson, McKinney, and Lewisville—to a total of 32 zip codes—as the word spreads.
Members are now in the thousands, says Fitzgerald, and they’re starting to see repeat customers.
“There’s a lot to come back to,” says merchandising head Christine Morris Bullock, who was previously vice president of merchandising at JCrew. The company carries a rotating roster of lifestyle categories, like home, wellness, beauty, apparel, and accessories, and each week includes new product drops.
As you shop, your personal shopper gets to know you and can more accurately tailor the goods you’re seeing to your needs and preferences. Santa also features local companies like Mod + Jo Jewelry, Ferrah,Farmhouse Fresh, and Fly Barbershop, says Bullock.
“The general idea is that we love finding these brands that feel very much like you would find them in a boutique,” she says. “They’re special. They’re meaningful.”
There’s something appealing about the instant gratification of an in-store purchase, Fitzgerald says, as well as the convenience of delivery. Santa is the “best of both worlds.”
And although there is not currently a set schedule for when Santa will show up in your neighborhood—Fitzgerald likes to compare it to the surprise and excitement of hearing the ice cream truck coming—customers can message their personal shoppers anytime.
Plus, the company is adding an “I can’t wait” feature on the app, for those of us who really can’t wait until December 24 for Santa to come.
