"Focus on the needs of the customer”

Chris Gerbig co-founded an e-commerce fashion brand called "Pink Lily." He and his wife own and operate the business. It currently has 300 full-time employees, a retail location, and a 200, 000 square foot fulfillment warehouse with an inventory of 15,000 different products that generated over $120 million in sales in 2021.

We were able to grow from a kitchen table to a $100MM business in 8 years with zero funding, outside investment, or investments. We bootstrapped the business and it has been profitable from day one, affirms Chris.

Chris always had a strong operational and financial understanding and looked at problems and tried to address them in a way that would benefit the bottom line. He welcomes criticism and admits that he is not perfect and will always look for a chance to improve. Over the last 8 years, he has interviewed over 1,000 people and learned that past experience is rarely an indicator of future success.

Chris says that your company will be better prepared for long-term success if you run your business from the point of view of your customers, focus on adaptability to meet their changing needs, and talk to them better than you did before. Chris thinks that the key to happy customers, good reviews, and high ratings is the human touch, which means responding quickly, following up, and paying attention to details. These procedures have helped them build a culture of repeat business, customer loyalty, and strong profitability.

It's also critical to understand not only who your rivals are but also how they operate and what drives their success. While you shouldn't aim to be like your rivals, keeping track of their work and identifying the precise business strategies they are employing successfully will help you stay on top of your sector, advises Chris. In addition, it can also help you come up with new ways to promote the growth of your own business and set yourself apart from competitors.

There are hundreds of clothing businesses out there, but our competitors mostly view customers as just a transaction number. At Pink Lily, we look at them as a community and try to be more personable, which shows on our social media platforms. "We make our customers feel like they are a part of the brand," says Chris.

Customers all have different body shapes, and the industry standard is to use a single model for all sizes of clothing. We wanted to change that by having a model showcase the clothing in the actual size you are shopping for.

If you search for items on Pink Lily in a size large, you will see images of that product on a size large model, with full body measurements. This helps the customer make a more informed purchase and has decreased our return rates.

The future of digital marketing looks very exciting and the technology involved in this process is fascinating, explains Chris. How companies get customers to their site, how to get them to convert, and how to ensure they return are all important parts of the process.

Chris and his wife are currently developing a set of e-courses to teach aspiring business entrepreneurs the ropes. There is a great synergy between their respective sets of abilities. Chris says that the business has been "split and conquered" with the help of CEO Tori’s marketing, fashion, and social media skills and Chris's deep knowledge of operations, finances, and the supply chain.

“Women's clothing is a top category to buy online, and this trend is only expected to grow. There is a great runway for Pink Lily to expand its consumer base and brand awareness. We plan to continue along the same path”, adds Chris. IE