Death Wish Coffee
Bold-positioned specialty coffee brand selling ground/whole bean, pods, cold brew, instant, and branded merch; $8 to $120 price band; targets caffeine-maximalist adults in the US
- Store
- deathwishcoffee.com
- Prepared by
- Sorted Agency
- Date
- September 2026
Start here
The shipping policy page is completely blank, yet the footer promises 'Shipping + Delivery' details every pre-purchase shopper expects to find there.
Three things stand out above everything else. First, the /shipping-policy page renders no content at all, it is password-gated or empty, so any shopper who clicks 'Shipping + Delivery' in the footer hits a dead end right before they decide to buy. Second, the subscription upsell uses two contradictory discount figures in the same session: the homepage hero says 'Save 30% off your first shipment' while the footer and a sitewide banner say 'Save 20% off your first order.' A shopper who notices that mismatch loses trust. Third, seven of eight catalog products carry no compare-at price, so sale badges and bundle savings claims have no visible anchor, weakening perceived value across the entire shop.
What we read
Every page below was loaded and read. Each one is a link, so you can check any finding against the page it came from.
- Homepage
- Product page
- Collection page
- Refund policy
- Shipping policy
- Cart
- Product feed (8 products)
What is working well
Strengths worth protecting, not fixing.
The refund policy states '60 day money back guarantee, no questions asked if this is not the boldest brew you've ever had.' That is a strong, brand-voice promise on a dedicated policy page. Do not bury or dilute it.
The line 'Formulated in 2018 for NASA, this is the very recipe that astronauts drank at the International Space Station' is a credible, specific proof point that most competitors cannot match. It earns its place above the fold.
The instant coffee page spells out exactly how to unlock subscription pricing: 'Select the size dropdown and change your quantity to 32 count or more to subscribe and save 30%.' That is rare clarity for a subscribe-and-save prompt.
The mega-menu organizes coffee by roast, brew format, flavor, certification, and bundle type. A shopper who knows what they want can find it in one click. This depth reduces pogo-sticking back to search.
Aroma, taste, acidity, body, and aftertaste are listed in plain language alongside visual sliders. This gives a first-time buyer enough sensory context to commit without a taste-test.
Naming the loyalty program ('Ritual Rewards') in the main navigation, not just the footer, keeps retention top-of-mind for repeat visitors. Do not move it deeper into the hierarchy.
A staffed chat tool is present, which reduces the cost of the blank shipping page and other policy gaps by giving shoppers a fallback to get answers. Keep it active and staffed.
'Here for a good time, not a long time' matches the brand voice and creates natural scarcity without manufactured pressure. It is a model for future LTO launches.
Fixes, in priority order
Highest return for the least work first. Tick them off as you ship them, and every row links to its detail below.
| Done | Fix | Why it matters | Effort | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping policy page is completely empty | Shipping cost and delivery time are the two questions shoppers ask immediately before checkout. A blank page sends them to a competitor who answers those questions. Every paid click that hits this page and bounces is wasted spend. | low | high | |
| Subscription discount is 30% on the PDP and hero, 20% in the footer and sitewide banner | A shopper who reads both figures in the same session will distrust whichever is lower and may distrust both. This is the highest-value contradiction on the site because it touches every page. | low | high | |
| No compare-at price on 7 of 8 sampled products, sale labels and bundle savings lack an anchor | Without a visible strike-through price, 'Sale' badges and 'Save up to 15%' bundle claims are unverifiable. Shoppers anchor on the price they see; a savings claim without a reference price reads as marketing noise. | medium | high | |
| Subscription mechanic is hidden behind a size-selector instruction, not a toggle | The standard Recharge / Ordergroove subscribe-and-save widget (static.ordergroove.com is loaded in the stack) renders via JavaScript and may not be visible to all users or search crawlers. More importantly, instructing the shopper to change a size dropdown to unlock a different purchase type is non-standard UX that causes drop-off. Shoppers who do not read that sentence miss the subscription entirely. | medium | high | |
| NASA story is duplicated with a copy error in the same product description | A credibility story about NASA is undercut immediately when the page contains a visible copy error. It signals low attention to detail to any shopper who scrolls. | low | medium | |
| 60-day guarantee lives only on the refund policy page, not on any PDP or cart | A 60-day guarantee is a powerful objection-killer, especially for a premium-priced product. Keeping it only on the policy page means the vast majority of shoppers never see it at the moment it would influence their decision. | low | medium | |
| Instant coffee subscribe-and-save excludes promotional offers but buries the exclusion | A shopper who signs up for a subscription expecting to stack a sitewide promo code will be frustrated when it does not apply. That frustration drives cancellations and chargebacks, not just refunds. | low | medium | |
| Early access banner targets non-members but links to no landing page or sign-up gate | If the product is genuinely gated to Society members, non-members who click land on the collection and can buy without subscribing, the upsell is lost. If it is not gated, the 'unlock' framing is false urgency that erodes trust when shoppers notice. | medium | medium | |
| Average 1.3 variants per product in the catalog sample, multi-size products may be split into separate listings | Single-variant merch listings miss the opportunity to show size options inline and force the shopper back to a collection page or a size chart. Low variant counts on apparel (the snapback, the beanie, the long sleeve) suggest sizes may be separate SKUs or are not selectable from the PDP, which increases friction. | medium | medium | |
| No free-shipping threshold is stated anywhere in the server-rendered pages | A visible free-shipping threshold increases average order value because shoppers add items to qualify. Without it, shoppers have no incentive to add a second bag or a piece of merch. | medium | medium | |
| Ordergroove is loaded but no subscription management language appears in the server HTML of non-instant PDPs | If Ordergroove is the subscription engine but the widget only renders via JavaScript on some PDPs, shoppers on slow connections or with JS issues may see an add-to-cart with no subscription option at all, leaving the 30% retention hook invisible. | medium | medium |
Your product feed, as it reads
Straight from your own catalog. These are the rows behind any finding about pricing, descriptions or shipping weight, so you can check them yourself.
Tier 1 Fix before you scale
Each of these items either contradicts another page, blocks a purchase decision, or actively erodes trust, all three are conversion killers that paid traffic will make worse.
01Shipping policy page is completely empty
Impact highEffort lowSeen on Shipping policy
The page at /policies/shipping-policy renders only the nav, the footer, and a password prompt reading 'Invalid password Enter', zero shipping information is visible to any shopper.
Shipping cost and delivery time are the two questions shoppers ask immediately before checkout. A blank page sends them to a competitor who answers those questions. Every paid click that hits this page and bounces is wasted spend.
- Publish a real shipping policy with domestic rates, free-shipping threshold, estimated transit times, and carrier names.
- If a free-shipping threshold exists (the nav mentions 'Free Shipping' for subscriptions), state it here too so it reinforces the subscription upsell.
02Subscription discount is 30% on the PDP and hero, 20% in the footer and sitewide banner
Impact highEffort lowSeen on Every page
Homepage hero: 'Start a coffee subscription to save 30% off your first shipment.' Footer email sign-up: 'SIGN UP AND SAVE 20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER.' The instant coffee PDP: 'subscribe and save 30% off your first order.' The sitewide email capture also reads '20%.'
A shopper who reads both figures in the same session will distrust whichever is lower and may distrust both. This is the highest-value contradiction on the site because it touches every page.
- Decide which offer is correct and update all instances to match, the footer email capture banner, the homepage hero, the PDP copy, and any Klaviyo pop-up (confirm in browser).
- If these are intentionally different offers (subscription vs. email), make the distinction explicit: 'Save 20% on your first order when you join our email list' vs. 'Save 30% on your first subscription shipment.'
03No compare-at price on 7 of 8 sampled products, sale labels and bundle savings lack an anchor
Impact highEffort mediumSeen on Homepage
The catalog feed shows 7 of 8 products with no compare_at_price on any variant. The homepage shows the White Chocolate Pistachio Ground Bundle with 'Regular price $53.99 Sale price $48.99' but the feed lists only $48.99, the compare-at is either missing from the feed or not set correctly.
Without a visible strike-through price, 'Sale' badges and 'Save up to 15%' bundle claims are unverifiable. Shoppers anchor on the price they see; a savings claim without a reference price reads as marketing noise.
- For every product marketed as a bundle saving or sale, set a compare_at_price in Shopify admin equal to the sum of the individual items or the original price.
- Audit the White Chocolate Pistachio Ground Bundle specifically, the homepage renders a $53.99 compare-at but the products.json feed does not, suggesting a data inconsistency.
05NASA story is duplicated with a copy error in the same product description
Impact mediumEffort lowSeen on Product page
The instant coffee PDP tells the NASA story twice. The first pass reads correctly. The second pass, lower on the page, reads: '...only to be served a weak cup of the pads by a well-meaning flight attendant', 'the pads' is a garbled phrase that appears to be a copy-paste error.
A credibility story about NASA is undercut immediately when the page contains a visible copy error. It signals low attention to detail to any shopper who scrolls.
- Delete the duplicate block entirely, the first version is complete and well-written.
- If a second mention is intentional, correct 'a weak cup of the pads' to match the first version's phrasing: 'a weak attempt by a well-meaning flight attendant.'
0660-day guarantee lives only on the refund policy page, not on any PDP or cart
Impact mediumEffort lowSeen on Product page
The refund policy page reads '60 day money back guarantee, no questions asked.' No equivalent badge, sentence, or icon appears in the server HTML of the homepage, the instant coffee PDP, or the cart page.
A 60-day guarantee is a powerful objection-killer, especially for a premium-priced product. Keeping it only on the policy page means the vast majority of shoppers never see it at the moment it would influence their decision.
- Add a one-line trust badge near the add-to-cart button on all PDPs: '60-Day Money-Back Guarantee, no questions asked.'
- Repeat it in the cart, near the checkout button, where purchase anxiety peaks.
08Early access banner targets non-members but links to no landing page or sign-up gate
Impact mediumEffort mediumSeen on Every page
The sitewide announcement bar reads 'UNLOCK EARLY ACCESS TO WHITE CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO' and links to /collections/white-chocolate-pistachio, which lists the product publicly. Anyone can reach it, the 'unlock' language is misleading.
If the product is genuinely gated to Society members, non-members who click land on the collection and can buy without subscribing, the upsell is lost. If it is not gated, the 'unlock' framing is false urgency that erodes trust when shoppers notice.
- If the product is truly member-only at launch, gate the collection page to logged-in subscribers and redirect others to a Society sign-up page.
- If the product is publicly available, change the banner to 'NEW: White Chocolate Pistachio, Shop Now' and drop the 'unlock' framing.
07Instant coffee subscribe-and-save excludes promotional offers but buries the exclusion
Impact mediumEffort lowSeen on Product page
The PDP reads: '*Unless otherwise specified, subscriptions may be excluded from promotional offers or additional savings.' This asterisk disclaimer sits below the subscription pitch.
A shopper who signs up for a subscription expecting to stack a sitewide promo code will be frustrated when it does not apply. That frustration drives cancellations and chargebacks, not just refunds.
- Move the exclusion note above the subscribe-and-save CTA, not below it.
- Rewrite it in plain language: 'Subscription discount cannot be combined with other promo codes.'
Tier 2 Next, once those ship
These are real revenue opportunities but they require either a design decision or a longer content project. Do not start them until the trust-breaking issues above are resolved.
09Average 1.3 variants per product in the catalog sample, multi-size products may be split into separate listings
Impact mediumEffort mediumSeen on Collection page
The catalog feed shows products like 'Hidden In Plain Sight Snapback' and 'Call of the Wild Mug' as single-variant listings. The White Chocolate Pistachio Coffee has 3 variants (bag sizes) but most merch items have 1.
Single-variant merch listings miss the opportunity to show size options inline and force the shopper back to a collection page or a size chart. Low variant counts on apparel (the snapback, the beanie, the long sleeve) suggest sizes may be separate SKUs or are not selectable from the PDP, which increases friction.
- Audit apparel PDPs in a browser to confirm size selection is available via a JS-rendered option.
- If sizes are separate listings, consolidate them into a single product with size variants to reduce catalog fragmentation.
10No free-shipping threshold is stated anywhere in the server-rendered pages
Impact mediumEffort mediumSeen on Cart
The shipping policy is blank. No homepage banner, cart page, or PDP in the server HTML states a free-shipping threshold for one-time orders. The only free-shipping mention is tied to subscriptions ('Free Shipping' in the subscription nav item).
A visible free-shipping threshold increases average order value because shoppers add items to qualify. Without it, shoppers have no incentive to add a second bag or a piece of merch.
- Once the shipping policy is written, extract the free-shipping threshold and display it in the cart page above the checkout button: 'You are $X away from free shipping.'
- Add the same threshold to the announcement bar or a cart progress bar (Rebuy, which is already installed, can power this).
11Ordergroove is loaded but no subscription management language appears in the server HTML of non-instant PDPs
Impact mediumEffort mediumSeen on Product page
static.ordergroove.com is in the third-party script list. The instant coffee PDP has subscription copy. The homepage best-seller PDPs (Power Surge, Dark Roast, Medium Roast) show no subscribe-and-save language in their server-rendered HTML.
If Ordergroove is the subscription engine but the widget only renders via JavaScript on some PDPs, shoppers on slow connections or with JS issues may see an add-to-cart with no subscription option at all, leaving the 30% retention hook invisible.
- Confirm in a browser that the Ordergroove widget renders correctly on Power Surge, Dark Roast, and Medium Roast PDPs.
- Add a server-rendered fallback line near the price, matching the instant coffee PDP pattern, so the subscription option is not entirely dependent on JS load.
What we could not see
This audit reads your public storefront. These are the questions that need your accounts open to answer, and they are where the bigger numbers usually are.
- Does the Ordergroove subscribe-and-save toggle render correctly on all coffee PDPs in a real browser, specifically Power Surge, Dark Roast, and Medium Roast?
- What is the actual free-shipping threshold for one-time orders? The shipping policy page is blank so we cannot confirm this.
- Is the White Chocolate Pistachio collection genuinely gated to Society subscribers at launch, or is it publicly purchasable? The banner says 'unlock' but the collection page is fully accessible.
- Is the subscription discount 20% or 30% off the first order? Both figures appear on the site and they need to be reconciled before any campaign drives traffic to a landing page.
- Are pixel events (Meta, TikTok, etc.) firing correctly? The page source shows no fbq calls, but pixels often load through GTM or Shopify customer events which are not visible in source. Confirm in browser with a tag debugger.
- Does the Rebuy upsell engine surface cross-sells in the cart drawer or on the cart page? The cart page server HTML shows no Rebuy widgets, but these commonly render via JS.
- Are Yotpo and Okendo both active simultaneously, or is one legacy? Running two review platforms can create duplicate widget conflicts and split social proof.