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Checking Out: Eileen Mockus

Home goods brand Coyuchi’s CEO shares her thoughts on its evolution from wholesale to DTC via e-commerce and stores

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Coyuchi has a unique positioning in the home goods category. Could you explain?

We were the first [home goods] brand to offer organic cotton, and it’s still a huge commitment, focusing on both the fiber and the processing. We follow the Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) for processing as well. There are a lot of people who are involved in making textiles, so any of the fiber and processing methodology that we follow also has that human benefit, which then carries through to the end user.

Is there consumer demand for organic cotton?

We’ve seen apparel become more casual, in the workplace, for example, and I think we’ve seen the same thing happening in homes. Using organic cotton means we’re also able to create this very relaxing – I like to refer to it as a ‘rejuvenated’ – space.

Describe the brand’s overall look and feel.

In terms of the aesthetic inspiration, we [have a] very Californian look and feel. The way we refer to it is ‘design for coastal living.’

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How’s that aesthetic expressed at retail?

This past fall we created a pop-up in our office space, actually; we opened in a warehouse-type space. It needed to be simple because it may or may not be permanent, but on top of that, we wanted to really focus on what the customer would look at, at any given time. It ended up being very much a ‘test and learn’ situation, and it exceeded our expectations.

What did you learn by launching the popup?

[We found] it’s really helpful to invite the customer in so we get to learn a little bit more about them. It may not be about any specific bedding or bath item right now. It really is about engaging the brand. Because we have this deep knowledge in sustainability, it opens the door for us to educate our customers. If you really want to shift your lifestyle to this kind of ‘clean’ living, then how can we be a part of that?

Coyuchi started out as a wholesale brand, but that’s changed as you’ve grown and evolved. How?

We’ve gone from being primarily a wholesale brand to one with our own retail stores. We also did a shop-in-shop at ABC Home for years. Now our business is also online through our own e-commerce site.

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Which channel holds the most promise?

I look at many of the retail spaces in the home goods category, and I think there’s a lot of opportunity to improve. In physical retail, you can talk about experience, but I think it’s much bigger than that. It is really about changing what it’s like to shop in stores. There will be some missteps along the way, but this time period is making a huge difference in what people want from stores. There is just so much opportunity right now, and it really is an interesting time.

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