Sachin & Babi, traditionally known for eveningwear, pivoted their product strategy and sales channels in response to the pandemic, expanding into "all things occasion" wear and shifting from 60% wholesale to 60% DTC e-commerce. This episode offers valuable insights into how established fashion brands can adapt to market disruptions, diversify product lines, and successfully transition to a DTC model during challenging times, even launching a new company mid-pandemic.
Key takeaways
Diversify your product offerings to reduce reliance on a single category; Sachin & Babi expanded beyond eveningwear to 'all things occasion' before the pandemic hit, which proved crucial for their survival.
Actively shift your sales channels towards a DTC e-commerce model to gain more control over your brand and customer relationships; Sachin & Babi went from 60% wholesale to 60% DTC during the pandemic.
Be agile and ready to adapt your business strategy rapidly. The co-founder noted, "every month is a different game," highlighting the need for continuous evaluation and adjustment.
Consider launching complementary ventures during economic shifts, as Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia did with The Good Kloth Company, leveraging existing expertise and infrastructure.
Re-evaluate the relevance of traditional industry events and marketing channels; the episode discusses the 'dwindling importance of fashion week' and the need for new engagement strategies.
Often worn by influential women including Michelle Obama on the red carpet, 12-year-old fashion brand Sachin & Babi is best known for its eveningwear. But luckily, prior to the pandemic and the mass cancelation of formal events, founders and married couple Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia had started to expand their product focus.
“For the last three years, we've been looking at the business to see how we can make it a little bit more 'all things occasion,' [for] day or evening,” Babi Ahluwalia said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We made a deliberate attempt at [around] the start of 2019 to showcase how you could wear certain pieces of clothing during the day. [So] that gradual shift had started. And the pandemic helped us to push it a little further, faster.”
Now, Sachin & Babi customers can shop styles from linen shorts to peasant blouses.
What also changed during the pandemic was the brand’s sales-channel split, moving from 60% wholesale to 60% DTC e-commerce sales. “It's [all] such a shift at the moment, and every month is a different game,” said Babi Ahluwalia. “So here we are, weathering the storm of fashion.” In addition, she spoke about the dwindling importance of fashion week, as it stands; the future of formalwear; and the way she and Sachin Ahluwalia were able to get a second fashion company, The Good Kloth Company, off the ground mid-pandemic.
Diversify your product offerings to reduce reliance on a single category; Sachin & Babi expanded beyond eveningwear to 'all things occasion' before the pandemic hit, which proved crucial for their survival.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Actively shift your sales channels towards a DTC e-commerce model to gain more control over your brand and customer relationships; Sachin & Babi went from 60% wholesale to 60% DTC during the pandemic.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Be agile and ready to adapt your business strategy rapidly. The co-founder noted, "every month is a different game," highlighting the need for continuous evaluation and adjustment.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Consider launching complementary ventures during economic shifts, as Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia did with The Good Kloth Company, leveraging existing expertise and infrastructure.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Re-evaluate the relevance of traditional industry events and marketing channels; the episode discusses the 'dwindling importance of fashion week' and the need for new engagement strategies.
