Growing a baby clothing subscription service with Eve Kekeh of Bundlee (episode 360)

by April Buencamino-dy

Eve Kekeh is the founder of Bundlee – the UK’s first baby clothing rental subscription service. Founded in 2018 NEW subscribers are increasing at 53% YoY.

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Getting Started

Eve says the reason she ended up in this space is because she has seen firsthand how babies quickly outgrow their clothes, being the eldest child in the family.

When she lived in the U.S. she found out about Rent the Runway, which was a rental service for women’s designer clothes. She combined that rental business model with the problem of outgrown baby clothes, and that’s how she got started in the world of eCommerce.

About Bundlee

  • Based in London
  • Serves customers all over the U.K. where Royal Mail delivers
  • Uses Shopify

Bundlee uses a subscription plugin, but Eve says this new business model is a challenge since there are no platforms specifically created for this. 

Aside from subscription, they also have to think about the rental side and inventory. They’ve had to make do with what Shopify offers, and also created their own inventory management software.

The Team

Aside from Eve, there are two people who work full-time on the Bundlee team.

There are also freelancers on board who do design, marketing, and web development.

They also work with a fulfillment partner that specializes in clothing rental, which Eve says has been a great help to the business. She used to do fulfillment by herself out of a Big Yellow rental space, so having a partner doing it now has definitely helped ease the work load.

How Does It work?

Parents can join Bundlee’s monthly subscription service that enables them to rent a bundle of clothes, which they can swap for the next size when the baby’s outgrown the first set of clothes.

Bundlee takes the returned clothes and has them professionally cleaned and ozone-sanitized for the next family to enjoy.

They also have a gift option, which Eve calls “the gift that always fits” because parents can activate their subscriptions when they are ready for it.

Sustainability

Eve says that the pandemic has driven more traffic to their website, with parents looking for more sustainable options.

Especially with first-time parents, there’s high intent for doing things sustainably and conveniently. With Bundlee, they get both. The rental model provides better environmental impact, and having right-sized baby clothes delivered when you need it is really an advantage.

Word-of-Mouth And Referral Marketing

For Eve, word-of-mouth has definitely attracted parents to the company and business model.

The great thing with parents is they also know other parents who may need the same kind of service Bundlee provides. Eve says clients who talk about Bundlee within their group of friends or network has been really helpful in growing their subscribers.

Additionally, the brand has also started doing Facebook ads, growing their email list using Klaviyo, and is also looking for a scalable marketing channel. They’re looking to launch their referral scheme with Bundlee Bestie Passes existing subscribers can have in their Apple Wallet. The pass can easily be shared and those who end up on the site get a discount for subscribing, and the referrer gets 50% off their next month.

Exciting Times Ahead

Eve says she’s pretty excited for the future because their team is becoming a lot more efficient.

They’re working to further improve acquisition and retention to meet subscriber goals by the end of the year.

And when they reach the level of efficiency they’re going for, Eve believes they’ll have more time to do the fun side of the business.

eCommerce Book Top Tip

eCommerce Traffic Top Tip

  • Do genuine good in the world and that will spark positive feedback and results.

Tool Top Tip

  • Monday.com work operating system 
  • Do Not Disturb mode on iPhone

Growth Top Tip

  • Outsource fulfillment and prepare for customer service because you want to make sure your customers have an amazing experience.

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