Business Lessons From an eCommerce Up-and-Comer
3 Ways to Curate Success
There are three important lessons to be learned by business owners and entrepreneurs from being a monthly subscriber to Bespoke Post. The five-year old e-Commerce company, co-founded by Steven Szaronos and Rishi Prabhu, caters to men who enjoy the finer things in life, but who also need some assistance in finding those items.
The company name is a mashup of terms from the world of men’s tailoring (Bespoke) and from historic North America (Trading Post — a place where explorers and settlers exchanged their goods and services). I recently spoke to Steven Szaronos about the success of his business which has come, in part, from strong referrals and word-of-mouth advertising among men and their network of friends. He talked about the strength of the company’s curation team in NYC, and their efficiently run warehouse partner in Georgia. Steven also mentioned the ways Bespoke Post delivers on their promises to subscribers, and how the company strives to make the customer journey an enjoyable, hassle-free one for men in the United States and Canada.
The Three Stages of Ordering From Bespoke Post:
They Curate the Good Stuff — Whether it’s coffee, clothes, watches or luggage, every month the Bespoke Post curation team puts together a custom box based on your preferences. Each box has a certain theme attached to it. For example, a current offering is called Thaw. The box consists of two pairs of Sherpa Rib socks, a cedars socks box to protect your investment, Leather ’N’ Rich rub to keep your shoes in shape, and lastly, two pairs of leather laces (one black, and one brown). These four items are things we want to have in our closets, but don’t necessarily have the time to research the products and get them at a store or online.
They Make Decisions Simple — At the beginning of each month, subscribers receive an email to let them know their boxes are ready. They also understand that they have three options with each box: add items to the box, swap their box for another one being offered that month, or simply decide not to receive a box for that month. There is no pressure to choose a box, and subscribers aren’t being forced to buy something they don’t want. Clearly, the team at Bespoke Post understands their customers.
They Offer Free Shipping — To me, this is one of the best features of being a subscriber to Bespoke Post. After adding my purchases to the web site cart, I check out and pay only what the items cost me. If you live within the contiguous United States, shipping is free. The company ships via FedEx SmartPost®. The service, used by many retailers and online commerce stores, allows Bespoke Post to deliver custom boxes to subscribers in a safe, reliable manner without driving up the cost of the products.
The goal for Bespoke Post is to become a trusted source for men interested in adding unique and quality items to their lives — whether it’s clothing, barware, accessories or journals to keep track of their journeys. The company removed the bigger obstacles to becoming a subscriber by offering a free membership, no requirement to order every month and FREE shipping via FedEx SmartPost. They won my trust and I am now a subscriber. I can’t wait to receive my first box — a weekender bag that I’ve wanted for at least a year.
