Enter Bonobos.com, the first 100% web-driven premium men’s brand, co-founded and run by thirty-year old CEO Andy Dunn. The website is meant to cater to a man’s evolved sense of need from the retail world, both in terms of product quality and service. By that, the company means free returns and shipping services, a college-educated, personable “ninja” (that is, the customer-service dude. We agree that ninja sounds better), and better-fitting pants. Even more, according to Andy, “Bonobos takes men out of the brick-and-mortar shopping experience better suited for women.” Bonobos-named tongue-in-cheek after the primate most related to human beings (and the most sexually promiscuous within the animal kingdom)-stands for more evolved clothing for a more evolved type of shopper.
Bonobos co-founder Brian Spaly designed the revolutionary pants in early 2006 to better suit his own figure, and began selling them to Stanford classmates. His roommate and classmate Andy recognized an opportunity to sell the pants to a larger contingent when he saw students come back again and again for their second and third pairs. “We thought to ourselves, we’re onto something here,” Dunn reflects. The curved waistband, fitted seat, tailored thigh and slight, bootcut flare seemed to flatter most of the young, professional-type men to whom Spaly and Dunn intended to sell. In fact, 95% of men who try the Bonobos pants keep them-and 5,000 of them came back for more in the first year.
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Dunn recalls, In fact, virtually word of mouth alone brought Bonobos to the attention of various publications, including New York magazine, which awarded the website “Best of Men’s Pants in 2009.” The secret to all of the raving?
As with any business, there were hurdles along the way. It took six long months to raise 0,000 for the venture; the duo underestimated the power of capital in transforming a company Dunn admits. Additionally, problems while fundraising taught the entrepreneur that
As if the pants and passion weren’t enough, the future for Bonobos is just as bright. New additions of swimwear, belts and t-shirts aren’t quite enough; Spaly will also introduce polos in the near future, and he wants customers to come away with entire looks from his website alone, all items flattering the male body in ways that traditional retailers either do not or cannot. For Andy, his favorite parts of the day involve designing a personalized Web store that speaks to customers, specifically based on the kinds of things they’ve bought before and developing a site that customers enjoy and keeps them coming back for more.
Now that is evolved.
Written by: Hannah Kang (for uwemp.com)
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