Komodo: Growing local retail in the United States

Being a sustainable brand has been a part of Komodo”s DNA ever since its founding in 1988.
The fashion brand is committed to building a better tomorrow with today’s decisions – which is why the lion’s share of their collections is made from premium quality organic, natural and recycled fibres and innovative materials that present alternative to less ecological ones. Komodo’s mens and womenswear addresses customers who are looking for style and comfort at once, while offering a signature earthy but vibrant colour palette and classic, relaxed shapes that stand the test of time. In this interview, US sales agent Eric Padan gives an insight into the brands development and how his field of work supports the retail expansion of Komodo in the United States.

Komodo works with more than 35 brick & mortar retail locations in the United States. What do you look for in a retailer and what are the deciding criteria for a partnership?

The goal of my agency is to help make sustainable fashion mainstream in
North America, and so I do not exclusively look for stores that specialise in
sustainable clothing (though it is always great to find them). Instead, I look for
stores who appreciate Komodo’s offering for all its strengths: The styling, the
quality, the natural fibres, etc. More often than not, the sustainable and ethical
factors are a bonus, but I hope that these retailers will eventually turn around
and ask their other brands “if Komodo can deliver this sort of product, while
reducing their impact, why can’t you?”

What does Komodo offer to their retail partners and how does the brand set itself apart from competitors?

The sustainability factor is the most obvious answer, but there’s also a very
clear quality story to tell. For the Fall 2023 season, I had an incredibly easy
time selling our fine merino and organic cotton sweaters, because no one else
was offering this sort of high end product, certainly not at our price. That it
was made in Nepal further set us apart, and intrigued our customers. I love
when I can place a product in my customers’ hands, and they immediately fall
in love. I saw similar reactions to some of the more “exotic” fabrics in the
Spring 2023 collection, such as cupro, linen, and our beautiful tencel blends.
Also: Banana viscose! It’s always fun to sell products that have a story behind
them.

Despite living in the age of e-commerce, Komodo is working with only three online stockists. What is the strategy behind this and is there a prospect to shift?

I make my living selling to small and medium sized retailers, so of course I’m
biased. I believe that local retail still holds value as a place in communities
where people meet and interact. Furthermore, while there is money to be
made in e-commerce, and every brand needs a presence online, small brick
and mortar can be a much more solid foundation upon which to build a brand.
I’ve de-Amazoned my life in virtually every aspect, and I invite everyone else
to do the same. These giant corporations have lots of cash to burn through,
but at the end of the day, they impoverish us all.

As a sales agent, you have an unfiltered insight into the industry. What kind of obstacles and opportunities do you see right now in the fashion and retail industry?

Things are a little different everywhere. Some of my retailers are doing well,
and others are struggling. I think the post-covid bump ended a little bit quicker
than some retailers hoped, but those who have strong fundamentals will
continue to succeed.

Considering your journey with Komodo: What is the key to successful business?

As much as our world and industry are changing, I think there are some
fundamentals that will always remain: Offer your retailers something new, but
familiar enough that they have confidence that they can sell it. Price it right,
ship it on time, and make sure that the product fits. When things go wrong,
because things will always go wrong, take ownership of the problem right
away, and impress your customer with how well you take care of them.
There’s a lot more that you can do to succeed, but I think that if you can do
these things, then you will have a very solid business.
So far, I would say that Komodo is doing all of these things, and so I am very
excited about the future of our business together.

Let’s take a look into the future: Where do you see Komodo in a few years time from a local and international point of view?

In North America we have not even scratched the surface yet. In the coming
seasons, I intend to hire a few more sub-agents to help cover the full USA,
and expand the business into Canada as well. So long as Komodo can keep
giving us both the novelty and consistency that we need, we will keep growing
this business. The USA is a massive market, and while Canada is much
smaller, it’s a territory where stores are very loyal, and buy deep. There is a
ton of opportunity here.