We started off with an idea of selling name brand clothes on our website. The next thought was to rather sell our own brand instead.
We thus got a few thousand shirts of extremely high quality made and tried selling them through forums. Did not do very well but got excellent feedback.
We also tried selling the shirts at heavy discount but no success. It taught us that discounting does not always work.
We then setup a manufacturing unit in Bangalore, India and started making custom shirts. Gradually the product base increased and now we make a whole variety of mens clothing.
We do a lot of studies to make sure that we offer only high quality products. Customer feedback is so valuable that if someone says something about a product not being good, it is immediately shelved.
The quality that we try to make is difficult to source. Reason being that there are not a lot of companies around the world doing such high quality work.
We thus hire the right people and train them to make quality products.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
From day one, our focus has been on social marketing. We thus do not spend any money on ads. We educate people on different forums about why our products are better and have always seen good response.
We got our first sales through a forum called Styleforum. It still is one of our major sources of traffic.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
We created a fully equipped tailoring unit in Bangalore, India. We employ more than 50 people, manufacture all our clothing items and have the complete operations under one roof.
We also stock a large quantity of fabrics, giving the customer maximum choice.
What are your top recommendations for new ecommerce entrepreneurs?
Stay focused on quality
Keep it affordable
Engage with your customers and listen to them
Outpricing the competitor does not always work