jefferson
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- Oct 10, 2007
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So, I've been a little hesitant about posting this but finally figured that the more information I can get, the better decisions I can make. First, please understand this is not a "come shop with us" post. (Of course, you can if you want
) I am simply asking for opinions from 1) people in our target demographic and 2) people who have launched similar products.
A little about us: We recently opened a men's by-appointment boutique for shirtings in San Francisco, CHALK (sfchalk.com). The genesis of the concept was basically "can we provide a better option for (young) men currently buying Thomas Pink and Cafe Cotton shirts?" Our market advantage was that we were not looking to make a large profit margin (we both have day jobs). This project is purely driven by personal interest and the desire to provide an alternative to over-priced ready to wear shirts. We considered this a significant advantage.
Anyhow, after substantial market and product research, and more than a little help from certain forum members, we decided that our product should be viable in the San Francisco market. To tap into a younger market, we spent time thinking about how to brand our product and got rid of minimum orders. Our price points (~$120 to $210, ~$250 for Thomas Mason and Loro Piana) are as good as we can set them given that everything is done in the U.S. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Hong Kong stuff, we just chose not to go that route. Also, we are not trying to capture the super high-end crowd. If they can afford higher quality shirts, than more power to them.
We began by selling to friends and family to work out any kinks and had very good response and numerous repeat business. However, people only need so many shirts, and word of mouth marketing (our preferred method) is not generating enough interest to meet our operating expenses. We still believe in our product, but belief in our marketing abilities has wavered. haha.
So, that leads me to here. It seems that a lot of people here have started similar ventures targeted at similar demographics (TaT, etc...). Do any of you have any suggestions? What have you done that was effective for marketing? Do you keep a retail store (our biggest money drain)? Also, as a consumer, what would draw you to try a product like ours? Now, this last question may not really be on point as I think the people here generally have access to either 1) better, more expensive shirts or 2) traveling tailors that they are more comfortable with.
I could go on and on about what we have been through and the approaches we have taken, but I think I will end my (lengthy) post here. Any comments are greatly appreciated. It is our hope to make this a community effort, as this really is meant to be for those of you who (we think) want a local alternative. If it's not needed, it's certainly better to find out earlier than latter.
Thanks.
A little about us: We recently opened a men's by-appointment boutique for shirtings in San Francisco, CHALK (sfchalk.com). The genesis of the concept was basically "can we provide a better option for (young) men currently buying Thomas Pink and Cafe Cotton shirts?" Our market advantage was that we were not looking to make a large profit margin (we both have day jobs). This project is purely driven by personal interest and the desire to provide an alternative to over-priced ready to wear shirts. We considered this a significant advantage.
Anyhow, after substantial market and product research, and more than a little help from certain forum members, we decided that our product should be viable in the San Francisco market. To tap into a younger market, we spent time thinking about how to brand our product and got rid of minimum orders. Our price points (~$120 to $210, ~$250 for Thomas Mason and Loro Piana) are as good as we can set them given that everything is done in the U.S. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Hong Kong stuff, we just chose not to go that route. Also, we are not trying to capture the super high-end crowd. If they can afford higher quality shirts, than more power to them.
We began by selling to friends and family to work out any kinks and had very good response and numerous repeat business. However, people only need so many shirts, and word of mouth marketing (our preferred method) is not generating enough interest to meet our operating expenses. We still believe in our product, but belief in our marketing abilities has wavered. haha.
So, that leads me to here. It seems that a lot of people here have started similar ventures targeted at similar demographics (TaT, etc...). Do any of you have any suggestions? What have you done that was effective for marketing? Do you keep a retail store (our biggest money drain)? Also, as a consumer, what would draw you to try a product like ours? Now, this last question may not really be on point as I think the people here generally have access to either 1) better, more expensive shirts or 2) traveling tailors that they are more comfortable with.
I could go on and on about what we have been through and the approaches we have taken, but I think I will end my (lengthy) post here. Any comments are greatly appreciated. It is our hope to make this a community effort, as this really is meant to be for those of you who (we think) want a local alternative. If it's not needed, it's certainly better to find out earlier than latter.
Thanks.
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