Poppy Barley started as an e-commerce company, but it now has several retail locations in Alberta. Kendall and Justine created Poppy Barley in 2012 to create a shoe with a better, more customized fit. They designed and created the shoes based on specific measurements. Now it’s evolved beyond that; Poppy Barley is now making environmentally friendly, comfortable shoes for people who want to wear them from season to season. Though you can still order customized footwear from Poppy Barley, their offerings have expanded.
Kendall and Justine are sisters, and growing up, their father worked on the railway. This meant that their family was constantly on the move. Kendall explains that she always wanted to be an entrepreneur because, “if I worked for myself, I could decide where I wanted to live and where I would move. I would have more control over my destiny.” Both Kendall and Justine studied business and creating Poppy Barley felt like a natural progression of their education and skills. On top of that, Justine has experience working in social development, which assisted them in making business decisions. “For us, a business is a platform that has responsibility. We play our part to shaping a better future for our world.”
Poppy Barley rethinks luxury for the planet and people.
Being a digitally native brand, they didn’t think they would ever transition into retail stores. Then customers inquired about touching, feeling, and trying on the shoes before purchasing. This lead Kendall and Justine to opening brick-and-mortar stores. Opening stores in Alberta offered Poppy Barley an additional sales channel.
Poppy Barley reached a pre-qualified audience by launching online initially. The retail locations have an excellent conversion rate because people are already familiar with the brand from its online presence.
One of the most important aspects of Poppy Barley as a digital business is the ability to measure everything with data. When you use data, you’re able to test theories and remove yourself from caring what others think. You can let the numbers speak for themselves, and then pivot your strategy accordingly. Additionally, visual assets have been vitally important. The way Poppy Barley presents its website, branding, and social media influences how people are being captivated by the brand.
The global events in the past year pushed many companies to transition digitally. Though the events affected Poppy Barley, the company’s digital aspects were already in place. Rather than changing the digital components, the company leaned further into them. The pandemic affected shipping and manufacturing for companies. To help mitigate this issue, Poppy Barley relied on pre-orders and emails for items back-in-stock.
To further their digital component, Poppy Barley is implementing a ‘try before you buy’ program in the near future. In this program, customers will pay a small deposit to be sent a variety of shoes, then the customer will pay for what they keep. This is a fantastic example of what companies can do in the current global climate to reimagine what bringing an in-store experience to customers is like.
Kendall’s advice to entrepreneurs growing their business in the digital era is to keep in mind how fast the digital world is moving. With so many new and upcoming media platforms, it’s important to create a foundation for your business. Kendall suggests to always be building your email list because you own your email list. Even if the digital world changes, you’ll still have a connection with your customer with an email list. Additionally, leveraging SMS messaging can assist companies with a direct line of communication with their customers. When using email and SMS, it’s a great addition to develop a loyalty program. A loyalty program helps your customers feel more connected with your brand and rewards them for that connection.
“The world is changing really fast, but what people want from their product has not changed. We still want product we can feel good about. Focus on the core of the product the rest is just the ‘how’ behind that.”
