In episode 284 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mark Murrell, founder and CEO of Get Maine Lobster, a direct-to-consumer seafood seller based in Portland, ME, delivering the finest seafood in the world straight from the dock to its customers’ doorsteps. Listen in as Murrell discusses Get Maine Lobster's origin story and its sales channels, how the COVID-19 pandemic caused customer demand to explode, and the growth in both its direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels.

Murell shares how he doubled down on ad spend to capitalize on increased consumer demand, how Get Maine Lobster's product offering has evolved to meet changes in customer behavior during this time, and how the company addressed the operational challenges of meeting an over 7x increase in demand during the pandemic. Murrell describes how brand partnerships with MasterCard, RTIC, and others have been crucial to sustaining this growth and solidifying brand trust, as well as his outlook for the business and the industry in 2021. Lastly, he discusses what he's focusing on to continue growth and stay prepared for bursts in demand throughout the year ahead.

Mark Murrell founded Black Point Seafood, Get Maine Lobster’s corporate brand, in 2009. Get Maine Lobster acquired competitor company Maine Lobster Direct in 2019, whose business was 75 percent wholesale and 25 percent retail. This complemented Mark’s existing online D-to-C business and allowed him to manage more fulfillment in-house. Having lived in Maine most of his life, Mark is no stranger to the ins and outs of the lobster industry and has earned a reputation for excellent customer service and quality product. Mark regularly consults fellow small businesses on digital marketing and e-commerce initiatives.