A student turns scraps of found fabric into a British style brand
Very few University students finding themselves bored go on to use that time to set up a successful business — but that is exactly what happened to Alec Farmer and Trakke Bags.
“I was studying graphic design and I was a bit bored so I started making stuff in my spare time,” Alec explained. “I didn’t really have any money so I used to go and hunt around the skips in Glasgow and find different materials that I could use to make bags. Eventually I gathered a bit of a following and decided to keep going it when I graduated.”
Alec says from day one he wanted to make a product that was specifically British.
“British manufacturing is a really important part of our history that we’ve been in danger of losing. At the time Trakke started there were very few companies that were serving the active lifestyle industry within the UK — in terms of companies that were actually manufacturing their products in the UK. I wanted to provide a British option for people who wanted to buy things like that. This was a great avenue to do it.”
The business sells entirely online, making the website their only shopfront. And it comes with a specific British feel
Alec’s .uk domain name has been extremely important to his brand and Trakke’s success. The business sells entirely online, making the website their only shopfront. And it comes with a specific British feel.
“We chose the .co.uk address because it ultimately represents what we’re about. We’re about manufacturing in the UK. We’re a British company and so it made complete sense for us to be using that,” Alec explains.
The .uk domain name has not restricted his customer base to the British Isles. In fact Alec thinks it has been really important for him reaching out to an international audience.
“Although I set up the business to serve British people with British products, what’s actually happened is that we now do about 50% of our trade overseas. Our customers have no problem finding us online and I think they are reassured by the .co.uk address as that affirms what we’re saying on our website about being a British brand and a British product.”
That is particularly true for one of the key features of Alec’s website — his journal. In here Alec, his team, and customers write posts about their suppliers, the manufacturing process and the adventures the products have gone on all over the world. It has become a virtual advertisement for the British outdoors.
“There’s been a huge growth recently in this outdoor lifestyle industry, especially in the United States,” Alec explains. “The Americans access the outdoors in a very different way than we do in the UK. I think for us, telling the story of how young British people are accessing the outdoors, and the kind of range of landscapes and amazing locations you can visit in the UK is really important.
“We’re based in Glasgow, so the Highlands and Islands are on our doorstep. In that sense Scotland is the proving ground of our products and it is great to show that on our blog.”
“Our tagline is adventure everywhere and I think our journal is a great way to convey that an adventure can be climbing the highest peak or going to the most isolated place”
But you don’t need to be put off if you aren’t the adventurous type yourself. Trakke’s products are not just designed for traveling to the furthest places of the world. They are designed for everyone.
“Our tagline is adventure everywhere and I think our journal is a great way to convey that an adventure can be climbing the highest peak or going to the most isolated place, but it can also be climbing a tree, exploring a new city or just going and camping on a lake with some friends.”
This story is one of 30 celebrating the launch of .uk domain names in 1985. To read the others visit our 30 Years of .uk hub. To start your own .uk story check out www.agreatplacetobe.uk.
