First Year's a Charm for Retail Fabric Supplier Softline
August 19, 2003
LOS ANGELES – Brothers Jason and Rodney Carr could not stand being apart. But establishing careers in the home fabrics industry they both loved required it — one brother worked in Canada and one in the U.S. — until last year. Then, as the winds shifted in late 2001 and they sniffed the opportunity, they leaped stateside to launch a business together. Enter Softline Home Fashions, whose projected revenues in its first year of business are $1.3 million.
Softline, born in Los Angeles during the months following the terrorist attack in New York, set itself up to supply both major fabric chains and small 'mom and pop' stores with just a couple of items — sheers for windows and quilts for beds. Surprisingly, it found customers eager to order.
"We are receiving an overwhelming response from our customers. First, people are staying home right now and therefore spending more money on their home decorating. Second, we're finding that people are encouraging new entrepreneurs like us," said Jason Carr. "Their attitude is, 'Good for you!' and they are writing orders to help us get started. We already have commitments from several large chain stores." His hopes are up. Carr projects revenues to be $15 to 20 million in six years.
At the ages of 31 and 28, they are on what Rodney Carr refers to as "the front nine," with plenty of exuberance, mixed with raw determination and youthful confidence to compete. The Carrs insist they have the energy, but not the inexperience, of youth. Jason and Rodney spent nine and six years, respectively, in the window treatment business before launching Softline.
This experience made the sheers portion of the business a natural. The company stocks what it considers fresh (with the promise of new items every six months) and fashionable fabric in every price point in its 18,000-square-foot warehouse. Softline fills orders for fabric in the $2 a yard range, and a few customers spend $19 to 20 a yard for yarn-dyed crushed organzas or fancy embroidered sheers, but large retail stores have mainly been ordering sheer fabric by the bolt in the $6 to $7 price point range. Softline also offers a cut-and-sew service to make the yardage into panels for its customers.
But the quilts have been a surprise hit. They entered the inventory because the brothers found a supply they couldn't resist, and they have been popular with smaller fabric shops looking for unique, upscale product.
"What's unique about the quilts is their look and feel. These are not your typical $29.99 quilts, but quilts of 100 percent linen and 100 percent cotton, done with intensive quilting and slightly heavier fill than most," said Jason Carr.
As the quilts attest, the dynamic duo is trying to compete at the more innovative, high-end level of the home fashion business. On the other hand, the Carrs want to sell large volumes of product.
To meet these seemingly incongruous goals, the brothers use their very different skills to the utmost, and spend more time on the road than in L.A.
Rodney (described by his brother as "very personable"), co-owner and director of sales, attends at least two trade shows a month in different cities across the U.S. as well as all the major gift shows, while Jason (described by himself as a financier and deal-seeker), co-owner and president, spends four months of the year overseas looking for new product. Five weeks of that time, he shops in China alone.
"We have established relationships there over the years," he explained, "And the quality of their fabrics has improved immensely in the past few. There is very good product coming from China today."
But he also makes major purchases in Vietnam and South America, and when in L.A., is "on the phone all day sending e-mails, trying to find new sources to buy fabric from."
The company has hired seven representatives to sell Softline products across the U.S. Many referrals this year have come by word of mouth, "but trade shows are the single most important way we get new customers," explained Jason, "followed by the Internet and cold calls. It's still a struggle every day to find new customers, but we are both young and have the drive to make Softline a major supplier to many retail fabric stores in North America."
Softline, born in Los Angeles during the months following the terrorist attack in New York, set itself up to supply both major fabric chains and small 'mom and pop' stores with just a couple of items — sheers for windows and quilts for beds. Surprisingly, it found customers eager to order.
"We are receiving an overwhelming response from our customers. First, people are staying home right now and therefore spending more money on their home decorating. Second, we're finding that people are encouraging new entrepreneurs like us," said Jason Carr. "Their attitude is, 'Good for you!' and they are writing orders to help us get started. We already have commitments from several large chain stores." His hopes are up. Carr projects revenues to be $15 to 20 million in six years.
At the ages of 31 and 28, they are on what Rodney Carr refers to as "the front nine," with plenty of exuberance, mixed with raw determination and youthful confidence to compete. The Carrs insist they have the energy, but not the inexperience, of youth. Jason and Rodney spent nine and six years, respectively, in the window treatment business before launching Softline.
This experience made the sheers portion of the business a natural. The company stocks what it considers fresh (with the promise of new items every six months) and fashionable fabric in every price point in its 18,000-square-foot warehouse. Softline fills orders for fabric in the $2 a yard range, and a few customers spend $19 to 20 a yard for yarn-dyed crushed organzas or fancy embroidered sheers, but large retail stores have mainly been ordering sheer fabric by the bolt in the $6 to $7 price point range. Softline also offers a cut-and-sew service to make the yardage into panels for its customers.
But the quilts have been a surprise hit. They entered the inventory because the brothers found a supply they couldn't resist, and they have been popular with smaller fabric shops looking for unique, upscale product.
"What's unique about the quilts is their look and feel. These are not your typical $29.99 quilts, but quilts of 100 percent linen and 100 percent cotton, done with intensive quilting and slightly heavier fill than most," said Jason Carr.
As the quilts attest, the dynamic duo is trying to compete at the more innovative, high-end level of the home fashion business. On the other hand, the Carrs want to sell large volumes of product.
To meet these seemingly incongruous goals, the brothers use their very different skills to the utmost, and spend more time on the road than in L.A.
Rodney (described by his brother as "very personable"), co-owner and director of sales, attends at least two trade shows a month in different cities across the U.S. as well as all the major gift shows, while Jason (described by himself as a financier and deal-seeker), co-owner and president, spends four months of the year overseas looking for new product. Five weeks of that time, he shops in China alone.
"We have established relationships there over the years," he explained, "And the quality of their fabrics has improved immensely in the past few. There is very good product coming from China today."
But he also makes major purchases in Vietnam and South America, and when in L.A., is "on the phone all day sending e-mails, trying to find new sources to buy fabric from."
The company has hired seven representatives to sell Softline products across the U.S. Many referrals this year have come by word of mouth, "but trade shows are the single most important way we get new customers," explained Jason, "followed by the Internet and cold calls. It's still a struggle every day to find new customers, but we are both young and have the drive to make Softline a major supplier to many retail fabric stores in North America."
