Whatever Happened To Plop Star After Shark Tank?
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ABC's hit business reality series "Shark Tank" has never shied away from the ins, outs, ups, and downs of products that help make one's time in the bathroom easier. Whether it's the Squatty Potty, the Toilet Timer, or the Crap Strap — or any other simple gadget that helps make things easier or simply passes the time in the powder room — the Tank is a notorious target for anything that promises to make dirty work a little more tolerable.
Tyler Jay founded Plop Star in 2019. Inspired by his own eliminations — which he considered to be embarrassingly smelly — he eschewed popular sprays that do little more than mask odors and may leak. For a better solution, he looked to a bath bomb-like formula at the suggestion of his daughter. It took Jay three and half years to formulate the right combination of patentable ingredients that make up the tiny, mighty tablets — and 37 different reformulations to make a product worth selling. On October 27, 2019, Jay appeared on "Shark Tank" to try to charm the sharks into helping him get Plop Star into brick-and-mortar stores and onto the lips — or, rather, cheeks — of the public. Here's what happened to Plop Star during and after its appearance on "Shark Tank."
What happened to Plop Star on Shark Tank?
Tyler Jay and Plop Star appear in Episode 4 of Season 11 of "Shark Tank." Jay entered on a motorized toilet bowl and explained how the tablets work. A combination of essential oils creates a protective layer on the surface of the water of the toilet bowl within a few seconds. The foul odor of the excrement in question is thusly trapped, while the Plop Star gives off a fresh citrus scent. Jay sought $150,000 for 10% of the business.
Jay explained that he was hoping to build his manufacturing forces. At the time of the episode's taping, Plop Star sold a six-pack of tablets for $4.99 and a 30-pack for $12.99. Then he revealed that he'd only made $12,000 in sales, and the high valuation of the brand versus the amount taken in sales gave the sharks pause. Jay correctly noted that the boutique bathroom deodorization brand Poo-Pourri was his strongest competitor and said he was not afraid to take them on.
Lori Greiner was instantly charmed by the product — and after championing Squatty Potty to mainstream success, she knows her way around the marketing of a bathroom-based product. But Greiner cited the highly competitive market when she said no to Jay's offer. Guest shark Rohan Oza also said he liked Plop Star but thought a business-to-business model would benefit the company and noted Jay seems to have no plan in place. Mark Cuban, meanwhile, said he's immediately out, joking that he likes to "leave his mark" in the bathroom. Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O'Leary also didn't see the need for the product and noted its comparatively large cost. That meant Jay and Plop Star left the tank without a deal.
Plop Star after Shark Tank
Though he couldn't get a deal from the sharks, Tyler Jay and Plop Star stayed afloat after their "Shark Tank" appearance. The product benefitted from the "Shark Tank" effect directly after appearing on the program, selling out shortly after the episode aired. But interestingly enough, despite that initial surge in demand, from 2019 to 2021, the company's social media went silent. Both the official website's storefront and Amazon page were sold out for a long while.
Rumors of Plop Star's demise, however, were greatly exaggerated; the company returned in 2021 with a new toilet deodorizing spray as well as restocks of the old formula. Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted Jay's business. It appears that he and Plop Star continued to keep abreast of orders since then; while the company's social media is largely frequently inactive, it has continued to supply products to Amazon over the past few years.
Is Plop Star still in business?
Plop Star doesn't seem to need a "Shark Tank" investor to keep the company above water. The company's official website is regularly updated, and it appears that bottles and tablets of the company's formula continue to roll out. While the company doesn't appear to be selling the product on its website anymore or in any brick-and-mortar stores, it continues to sell both its deodorizing spray and its tablets through Amazon. The product's price has increased despite sharks' worries that it was too expensive. The 30-tablet box is the only tablet box on offer, selling for $14.99. The bathroom spray retails for $9.99. Amazon Prime subscribers can also add both Plop Star products to their subscription list, getting weekly deliveries of the product with a nominal shipping fee tacked on. Reviews for the spray sit a 3.9 out of 5 stars, with some consumers questioning its effectiveness in favor of the tablets. The tablets themselves maintain a 4.0 and generally favorable ratings, with many consumers saying it works well.
While the company's Facebook and Instagram aren't frequently updated, they have recent posts promoting holiday sales that took place in December 2023. All of these facts point toward a moderately healthy company, with no sign that it's going down the drain quite yet.
What's next for Plop Star?
Since adding the spray formula to its line-up, there haven't been any further product updates from Plop Star. The company still appears to be afloat, however, which may simply mean it's just going to capitalize on what it does best. Tyler Jay, meanwhile, stays busy with Tandem, Inc. — a marketing and production company he founded and runs in the Chicago area. Tandem Inc. provides video editing, production, and other services to those who require a little splash of creativity to get eyeballs on their project. The company also provides graphic design services. He also has a family with two young children, as he explained on "Shark Tank."
While Plop Star didn't win any fans in the tank, it looks like the company is doing fine. It just goes to show that even if the sharks think you have a crappy idea, all you need to float a good idea on is a little bit of exposure, business acumen, and a sense of humor.