Brooklinen continues to evolve the DTC model
Brooklinen is changing the way individuals think of the direct-to-consumer model. The brand is working on expanding its retail partnerships with its subbrands, including the Marlow Pillow and hospitality collection with major retailers, specifically Walmart and Amazon.
On the heels of its first wholesale partnership with Walmart, DSN spoke to Kelly Hallinan, senior vice president of emerging channels at Brooklinen. The conversation touches on how Marlow’s partnership with Walmart came about, future expansion plans and new products to be on the lookout for.
DSN: How did The Marlow Pillow’s partnership with Walmart happen?
Kelly Hallinan: When we originally launched Marlow back in 2021, it was with the intention to enter wholesale easily – and this idea influenced everything from the product itself to the packaging. As the brand has grown over the past two years, we saw an opportunity to meet our customers in new places and reach an audience that may not be familiar with Marlow just yet. Marlow is fully adjustable, making it a great pillow for the majority of sleepers, and this mass appeal has such a great synergy with Walmart’s customer base. We’re thrilled to have secured this partnership in just two years of being on the market.
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DSN: What do you hope will come out of the partnership with Walmart?
KH: The ultimate goal for us is to grow the Marlow brand name! We also want to grow in our partnership with Walmart and be successful not only for us, but for our partner in this strategy. We hope to reach new audiences and, if all goes well, enter more doors in the future.
DSN: Seeing the growth in Brooklinen B4B, what plans does the company have to help continue growth over the next year?
KH: Earlier this year we launched a dedicated website for B4B, and that has been huge for growth! What was previously a very manual process is now more automated, so customers can place orders whenever they need – whereas before the website launch, customers had to reach out to our team directly to start the order process. While some B4B customers love using Brooklinen’s mainline, we also launched a commercial line in 2022 for potential customers to have the option to get something more suited towards commercial washing levels and frequent use.
In terms of future growth, our plan is to invest in this channel by continuing to introduce new dedicated products to the collection, investing heavily in marketing programs across paid and social channels, and bringing in an outbound sales team. We also hope to continue spreading the word so hotels, B&Bs and other potential B4B customers know we’re here for them with a range of product offerings.
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DSN: What new additions have joined the Amazon family?
KH: We’ve extensively built out our Amazon channel this year, and we’re thrilled that our best-selling Super-Plush Robes and Classic Sheets joined the party earlier in 2023. Most recently, we also introduced our Organic Sheets to this channel in September.
DSN: Are there plans to launch exclusive products at Walmart or Amazon?
KH: Right now we have no plans to launch exclusive items in either of these channels.
DSN: Does Brooklinen have any new products coming in 2024?
KH: We are always launching new products and limited edition colorways! Just this week we launched our cozy holiday collection, which includes some really gorgeous colorways for our Classic, Luxe and Heathered Cashmere Sheets; an exclusive, limited edition throw made in partnership with heritage brand Pendleton; and a unique textured offering for our towels and robes called Shifting Tiles. We’ll be launching limited edition colorways for various giftables, like silk, throughout the holiday season as well.