Website Closers® presents a remarkable eCommerce brand based within the Streetwear Fashion market, which has used their 3D print-on-demand (POD) model to create over 10,000 unique, stylish, and ultimately meaningful apparel products. Their exclusive designs and purposeful messaging have led them to develop a strong following over the last 5 years, rallying customers everywhere to support a good cause through their brand and products.
The company’s designs are supplied by their own in-house designers, as well as the designers they have partnered with around the world that are able to use the company’s brand to elevate their artwork and ideas to new heights. In fact, some of the designers that they partner with are prominent names and artists in various fields, who enjoy the publicity of having their designs worn by millions globally. Though they have grown to be undeniably successful, the company has never lost sight of their dedication to ethical values and their message, which centers around sustainability and eco-friendly practices. They strive to exist as an apparel chain with minimal environmental impact, as their made-to-order model cuts back on resources while still letting customers enjoy highly fashionable products.
As the products are only made after a customer places an order, almost no inventory is held, and there is little to no waste produced. They primarily rely on a DropShip model, which makes up for approximately 90% of all orders, with the remaining 10% being current best-sellers that are stocked out of necessity. The company currently holds only about $5,000 to $10,000 of stored inventory.
One of the main advantages that the company holds over their competitors is the fact that they have full control over each part of the supply chain, from fabric and manufacturing, to order and shipment. Their products can also be shipped through UPS and FedEx globally for a lower cost than any company in the US or any other English-speaking country, giving them an edge over many businesses that operate out of these regions.
Because the costs of shipping, manufacturing, and inventory are lower, their products are more fairly priced. Their business model also makes the production process much faster and gives them a far greater range of products and designs to have up for purchase. Unlike other, more traditional eCommerce stores, which often see 20% of SKUs accounting for 80% of revenue, they have a low dependency on specific products to drive their sales. No one product accounts for more than 2 to 3% of total sales at any given time, and given that the business owns all of their designs made for them by some of the biggest names in their space, it’s not difficult to see why. The current owner has found success by marching to the beat of their own drum instead of following trends and creating their styles through the input they receive from their in-house and collaborative designers. Their unique approach has given them a thriving cult following of art and fashion enthusiasts who enjoy what the brand has to offer.
Their lack of SKU concentration and wide variety keeps there from being any individual top-selling products, but that hasn’t stopped certain products from being particularly popular from time to time before consumer interest shifts. Typically, products see the most demand when they have just been released, which is to be expected when their customers are excited to see the latest art pieces that their clothes have to offer. By product type, however, hoodies account for 50% of all sales, followed by sweatshirts and bomber jackets.
Though the business was focused exclusively on growth in the first 3 years of their lifetime, they made the decision to pivot to a profitability-first model to save on resources and money in the long term. They decided to raise their prices by 25 to 30%, which proved to be an excellent move to make. This change drastically improved their profit margins, making it possible for the company to offer more personalized care to their customers, and generally offer a superior user experience.
Their products are sourced from two main suppliers, with one working closely with a factory, and the other directly manufacturing the products. Once an order is placed, it’s sent to one of these suppliers, who then either forward it to the factory or immediately initiate the printing process. It takes about three to five days for the printing and sewing to be completed, and once the products are ready, they are then either shipped directly to the customer or, if it’s an inventory order, sent off to the European or US warehouse. The shipment process takes one to two weeks, and as customers are made aware of this beforehand, it keeps conversion rates high and gives the brand a closer relationship with their customers.
The company achieves most of their leads through paid marketing on Facebook and Instagram, as well as through the thriving online presence they have on these platforms through their social media accounts. They also have staff that collaborates with influencers on TikTok and Instagram, who, in exchange for free products, give the business fantastic brand promotion to a vast collection of potential new customers. By showcasing the brand’s products to their followers, the company is able to reach people that they may have struggled to access before, and, as such, influencer partnerships have proven to have an excellent return on investment. Email marketing is also used to connect with the over 1 million subscribers in the company’s database, letting them actively engage with existing customers.
Their sales are consistent throughout the year, though they do see the peaks around the holiday season of Q4 that are typical for the market they operate in. Additionally, their average customer is a man in his mid-twenties looking to treat himself to a nice piece of clothing now and again. The company is continually making an effort to increase the lifetime value of customers by giving them an unforgettable positive experience, which has paid off in the form of their ever-growing 25% Repeat Customer Rate.
While the company is undeniably successful, their popularity hasn’t led to too heavy a workload for their owner. The current owner needs only 8 hours a week to handle operations, with their primary tasks consisting of looking at KPIs, giving instructions on strategy, and handling bank account transactions.
