Transforming Sleepwear into a Lifestyle

July 10, 2024 | By Anurima Das

One of a Kin, an innovative e-commerce store for sleepwear, is redefining how we view sleepwear by providing an exclusive, high-quality, and sustainable product range for the entire family. Founded with the vision to offer more than just sleepwear, One of a Kin focuses on enhancing sleep wellness through meticulously designed products and a deep understanding of customer needs.

In conversation with Nayla Haddad, Founder, One of a Kin to understand more about the brand philosophy, its growth principles and how the team is looking to expand keeping the customer at the core of all decisions.

The Brand’s Journey:
As an e-commerce store for sleepwear, we operate in a unique space. While some aspects of the category are saturated, others remain underserved. Typically, sleepwear is a sub-line within broader apparel brands and rarely receives focused attention, especially when considering sleepwear for the entire family. Despite accounting for only 0.7% of the global fashion apparel industry, the market is substantial, valued at approximately 1.7 billion dirhams in the UAE and KSA. Since our launch a year ago, we have identified a growing need from our customers, evidenced by a 70% compound quarterly growth rate (CAGR).

Before entering the market, it was clear that no single brand catered exclusively to sleepwear across four categories: Women, Men, Kids, and Babies. The fashion industry generally sidelined sleep wellness, with little innovation even though people spend one-third of their lives sleeping. This gap presented an opportunity for One of a Kin to step in and provide specialized, innovative sleepwear.

Innovations and Disruptions:
We offer more than just sleepwear; we provide the ultimate sleep wellness experience. Our products feature minimalistic designs with high-end detailing, made from tech-backed fabric that is twice as soft as cotton, breathable, lightweight, and supports body temperature regulation. Additionally, our fabric is produced with zero carbon emissions. We also collaborate with sleep wellness consultants to offer best practices for enhanced sleep.

The sleepwear category, particularly for focused e-commerce platforms like One of a Kin, shows significant potential for growth despite its niche status. Traditionally, sleepwear has been a sub-line within broader apparel brands and rarely receives dedicated attention, especially for the entire family. This has resulted in the category being underserved in certain aspects. Currently, sleepwear accounts for just 0.7% of the global fashion apparel industry. However, the market remains substantial, with a valuation of approximately 1.7 billion dirhams in the UAE and KSA combined.

One of a Kin’s performances since its launch a year ago highlights the growing demand within this space. The company has experienced a remarkable 70% compound quarterly growth rate (CAGR), indicating strong customer interest and an expanding market. As more consumers prioritize comfort and quality in their sleepwear, and as niche brands continue to innovate and offer specialized products, the sleepwear category is poised for significant progression in the future. This trend suggests that the category will not only grow in market share but also attract more dedicated players who recognize the untapped potential within this segment.

Inception and Growth:
The inspiration for One of a Kin began with a personal discovery. While traveling in Europe, I found a fabric that felt exceptionally soft and immediately noticed its positive impact on sleep wellness. This experience motivated me to share this discovery with my family. However, finding high-quality, soft-fabric sleepwear for the whole family in the region was challenging. This gap inspired the creation of One of a Kin.

Our journey included extensive research to understand consumer needs and preferences, followed by prototype development. We tested numerous samples to find a supplier with sustainable manufacturing practices and unparalleled softness. Collaborating with design experts, we finalized the product’s design, ensuring it reflected our brand identity.

Challenges and Strategies:
One of the biggest challenges was conveying the softness and high quality of our sleepwear online, given that it’s a private, intimate product, and its feel is hard to convey virtually. We tackled this by investing in detailed product photos and videos to highlight the fabric’s texture and drape. We also relied on customer reviews and testimonials to build trust and prove the comfort and quality of our products.

We diversified our offerings with a range of colours and mix-and-match options rather than pre-set outfits. We also introduced new collections regularly and plan to expand our product line to cover the entire sleep experience, aiming to become the leading brand in sleep wellness.

Customer Engagement and Marketing:

Content is key for us. We consistently create new content that resonates with our customer base and push it through the purchasing funnel, primarily focusing on conversion as a new brand. We use diverse ad formats, including videos, static images, and carousels. By closely monitoring results and conducting constant A/B testing, we remain agile and responsive to customer needs.

Fulfillment and Innovation:

We partner with leading local and global fulfillment companies to ensure a seamless and integrated process from order placement to doorstep delivery, keeping customers updated along the way and minimizing delivery time. Innovation is at the heart of our brand. We constantly seek the best available fabrics with state-of-the-art R&D to enhance the sleep experience. Currently, we use Tencel fiber with Modal Micro technology, which offers unparalleled softness, breathability, lightweight properties, and temperature regulation, all essential for our region.

Future Plans:
Our goal is to become a household name in the region for anything related to sleep. We plan to expand and optimize our collection, scale to new markets, and extend our presence beyond e-commerce.

BRAND HIGHPOINTS