Basic Outfitters isn’t your average clothing brand. Though they offer basic pieces, the company was founded to solve a very specific problem. In fact, the husband and wife team behind the company, Laura and Michael Dweck, even brought their idea to Shark Tank. Read more about the company and its story in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Offers clothing basics for men.
Laura Dweck told Small Business Trends, “Create-a-Drawer is our flagship service. Men can replenish their wardrobe of basics in less than 2 minutes with a fashionable, high quality and customizable collection of socks, underwear, t-shirts and jogger sweatpants for an unprecedented value.”
Business Niche
Offering ease and affordability.
Dweck says, “We provide unbelievable quality and unbeatable value while making the shopping experience easier for men (and women).”
How the Business Got Started
Out of frustration.
Dweck says, “In 2014, we moved into our first cozy apartment in New York City together. Like most in the city, it had very limited closet space and Michael’s overstuffed underwear drawer needed a serious overhaul.”
Michael Dweck added, “The process of shopping for all of these basics became extremely frustrating. The shopping experience was stressful and expensive when looking to replace everything at once. That’s when we realized there was a need for men to be able to refresh their basics in an extremely convenient and affordable way.”
Biggest Win
Appearing on “Shark Tank.”
Laura Dweck says, “We were able to tell our story to over 6 million viewers and saw orders come rolling in. We’d invested in extra inventory before the show, which is very risky. It ended up being a smart decision because we were able to accommodate our sudden influx of orders , build brand trust and loyalty that led to positive customer feedback and retention and overall catapulted the company to new heights”
Biggest Risk
Changing their website.
Dweck explains, “We recently migrated our CRM system and re-designed our website to be mobile-first. E-Commerce sites like ours rely heavily on their store-front and customer experience. By doing so, we were letting go of such a huge part of the business to date with HOPE that it would give the customer an even better experience. If we didn’t get it right, we could upset our loyal customers and throw a wrench in attracting new ones. Even though the entire process was a little scary with transferring data and interrupting the customer journey as it had been since the beginning, it ended up really enhancing the shopping experience without deviating too far from what our loyal customer base was used to and was definitely worth the risk.”
Lesson Learned
Embrace mistakes.
Dweck says, “Looking back, the mistakes we made were vital to the evolution of our brand. They were all hard but important lessons we probably could’ve only learned through experience.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Creating more brand partnerships.
Dweck explains, “We love collaborating with like-minded and exciting brands as we have in the past with JetBlue. Having additional budget would give us the ability to execute these projects on a larger scale.”
Team Tradition
Sharing big wins.
Dweck says, “During our weekly team meeting, we each have to share a “win” from the week prior. Whether it’s a big or small, personal or professional win doesn’t matter. The process is a great way to rally and excite the team.”
Favorite Quote
“When they zig, you zag”
Dweck explains, “My dad always taught me to find the white space and go after it.”
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Images: Basic Outfitters, Laura and Michael Dweck
