Dive Brief:
- Digitally native cashmere brand Naadam is launching a collection at 100 Kohl’s department stores and online beginning Nov. 8.
- The “Soft Collection” – Naadam’s first lower-priced line designed for a mass-market retailer — will consist of 100% Mongolian-sourced cashmere clothing for both men and women, according to details emailed to Retail Dive.
- Referred to by the brand as a “new kind of knitwear”, the Naadam Soft Collection will retail for between $79 and $139.
Dive Insight:
Naadam’s expansion into a mass channel mirrors that of other digitally native brands as they seek to grow their audience and distribution network.
Florence by Mills Fashion, Ōura, Allbirds and drinkware brand RTIC Outdoors have all recently launched at retailers, including Nordstrom and Walmart. Other brands, including Draper James and Goop, have also launched specific lines intended for mass channels.
“Diffusion lines should bring the promise and the heart of the brand to a new consumer base, and that is our aim with The Soft Collection,” Naadam said in an email, adding that “As a material, cashmere checks so many boxes from a consumer preference standpoint that we love the idea of making it even more accessible.” The collection features natural materials that are hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking and temperature regulating.
The brand constructed the pieces for this collection for “everyday wear and the durability that the Kohl’s customer is seeking,” Sarah Sathaye, Naadam’s chief revenue officer, said in a statement. “The garments have been designed to hit a price point that will be attractive to the Kohl’s consumer, with some reductions in overall weight while maintaining the same density of the fabric that gives it its warmth. The result is a garment that has an impressively soft hand feel.”
Wholesale remains the most profitable investment channel for brands, according to a report from NuOrder. And adopting a hybrid wholesale and DTC model may prove to be the most successful for brands, per a report last year from GlobalData.
From a retailer’s perspective, bringing in newer brands can help them remain relevant and access a broader customer base.
Kohl’s in particular has been diversifying its mix of brands as it has faced declining sales. The retailer in 2021 began opening Sephora shop-in-shops, and last year reported Sephora at Kohl’s sales exceeded $1.4 billion. And in May of this year, Kohl’s announced Babies R Us shop-in-shops in 200 of its stores.
The department store this summer also launched a dedicated dress shop on its website and in 700 of its stores as yet another way to lure in new customers. Among the brands added to the mix were London Times, Harper Rose, Taylor, Nanette Lepore and Nicole Miller.
This story has been updated to include comments from Naadam received after publishing.
