Anothersole, a footwear model based by Benny Chee and Phoebe Charn in 2016, has shortly made a reputation for itself in Singapore.
The 2 entrepreneurs, each age 50, first met at church and have been enterprise companions since 2000.
After Benny accomplished his Nationwide Service, he entered the insurance coverage business with the purpose of saving up for his college charges. However after venturing into beginning his personal enterprise, he finally determined to not pursue his research.
Benny, with a background in engineering, and Phoebe, with a background in trend, have in depth information of the footwear business. In addition to Anothersole, they handle one other enterprise, which designs and provides footwear to chain shops globally since 2003.
The thought for Anothersole was sparked by the necessity for comfy sneakers that have been additionally trendy. Many consolation sneakers in the marketplace undergo from poor aesthetics, and the founders got down to problem themselves to develop the proper flats that mix sports activities know-how and leather-based craftsmanship.
These sneakers needed to be good for journey and day by day commute, but present enough assist. It wasn’t simple, however they succeeded in creating the proper shoe that strikes a stability between high quality and luxury.
Creating the proper pair of sneakers
The R&D course of at Anothersole is rigorous. They provide you with many design iterations pre-production and are in a position to create many various variations of 1 building.
Our Anytime lace-up flats are launched weekly with restricted editions and we have now as much as 150 colors of the one type. Lots of the restricted releases are produced in small batches and we don’t deliver them again after they run out.
– Benny Chee, co-founder of Anothersole
They provide a wide range of best-selling traditional flats with pebbled textures and excessive sturdiness, in addition to its buttery-soft Lucie made with Argentinean leather-based. Its Paloma sneakers are additionally fashionable, that includes luxurious leather-based from Spain with soles that match the leather-based colors.
Benny added that they may quickly announce a restricted collection of sneakers made with premium leather-based utilized by a luxurious model.
Past its iconic flats, Anothersole has expanded its product line to incorporate sneakers and baggage for ladies, in addition to sneakers for males.
This determination was pushed by buyer demand, as a lot of their clients personal greater than 10 pairs of Anothersole — the very best report being greater than 40 pairs.
“We’ve loyal clients clamouring for brand spanking new designs and we listened. We launched the lads’s [line] as a result of it’s the girls who’re asking for it. They inform us their companions are complaining they don’t get to expertise what Anothersole sneakers really feel like,” stated Benny.
Pivoting from a footwear buying and selling arm
One of many largest struggles that Anothersole confronted within the early days was constructing a scalable model that was each financially viable and sustainable.
We began Anothersole when our footwear buying and selling arm was in danger as a result of patrons have been going on to the factories as an alternative. We needed to pivot or face enterprise failure. Rather a lot was at stake to make Anothersole work.
– Benny Chee, co-founder of Anothersole
With no exterior funding (it was totally self-funded by its sister firm), Anothersole stored its prices low by working leanly throughout its first yr. With no correct workplace, they held weekly conferences in McDonald’s for near a yr.
The staff by no means as soon as complained. Everybody was devoted to creating Anothersole profitable, and until in the present day, Benny stays grateful in the direction of those that have sacrificed and labored exhausting for the model.
Its technique for elevating model consciousness, significantly within the early days, was centred round constructing belief with their clients.
They targeted on speaking authentically and persistently, whereas actively partaking with its clients. By doing so, they have been in a position to develop its Instagram following to over 50,000.
Along with promoting on-line and in malls, Anothersole held frequent pop-ups and roadshows each different month to attach with clients and purchase new ones. Though it was difficult, it offered priceless enterprise insights.
In October 2018, Anothersole opened its first bodily retailer in Funan. This transfer was triggered by the corporate’s want to be nearer to its clients and provide them extra handy purchasing choices.
The omni-channel method was successful and the corporate went on to open pop-up shops in numerous malls throughout Singapore, together with Nice World, Westgate, and PLQ Mall. This helped them to assemble priceless insights into their buyer demographics and led to the enlargement of their present 10 retail factors islandwide.
Enterprise with a coronary heart
Benny acknowledged that Anothersole is presently financially unbiased and worthwhile, however their final purpose is guided by its objective to make a distinction.
Anothersole is understood for its #Buy1Feed1 initiative, the place 10 per cent of its earnings are donated to serve kids in want all over the world and to assist create a extra sustainable future.
That is a part of the corporate’s “Make Good, Do Good” philosophy, which is targeted on creating high-quality merchandise whereas additionally making a optimistic impression on the world. Benny believes that by selecting the place to spend cash as customers and types, we are able to collectively impact change and unlock assets for these in want.
Customers, manufacturers and governments can collectively impact change. The place we select to spend our monies as customers and a model can have a downstream optimistic impression. That is very highly effective. Think about if all corporations are united on this, what assets can we unlock from it?
– Benny Chee, co-founder of Anothersole
Grew greater than 400% regardless of COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, it led to unprecedented challenges for companies everywhere in the world.
Throughout the first two years of Covid with all of the disruptions, it introduced unprecedented challenges, from provide chain lockdowns to retail restrictions. Logistics value shot by way of the roof, affecting margins and supply timelines. It was a really troublesome interval for a lot of — retailers have been preventing landlords and there was plenty of uncertainty and worry.
– Benny Chee, co-founder of Anothersole
Relatively than giving in to the challenges, Anothersole selected to deal with two issues: taking good care of its staff and clients.
“With the assist of the staff, clients and landlords in the course of the darkish ages of fixed lockdowns, we went on a path of managed enlargement, bringing the variety of retail factors from three (pre-Covid) to 10 in the present day,” Benny stated.
He added that they’ve taken a leap of religion and invested in rolling out new channels throughout Singapore, as they recognized alternatives out there with premium area freed up as many abroad manufacturers exited the market.
In keeping with Benny, their acquisition push into the USA by way of a direct-to-consumer channel additionally noticed income soar multifolds up to now 18 months.
Regardless of the bumpy journey, Anothersole has managed to develop by over 400 per cent over the previous two years and expects to attain report gross sales within the coming yr.
Shifting ahead, Benny stated that they may proceed to function with an “underdog mindset” and goal to develop sustainably.
Anothersole has bold plans to construct the corporate right into a purposeful and worthwhile enterprise. They’re presently exploring alternatives to introduce Anothersole to extra markets internationally, with the last word purpose of turning into a globally recognised model.
Featured Picture Credit score: PayPal / Anothersole
