Herschel Redesigns Core Line to Be More Sustainable
Herschel Supply is doing its part to heal the planet.
The Vancouver, Canada-based accessories brand has spent the better part of two years completely redesigning its assortment of bags to be more sustainable.
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The core fabric for the exterior, liners and even the labels is now EcoSystem 600D, which is made from 100 percent recycled post-consumer water bottles. It is being used on 60 styles of backpacks, duffles and accessories.
“And we didn’t only change the fabrication,” said Jamie Cormack, who founded Herschel with his brother Lyndon. “We also looked at all shapes, all silhouettes, all features to set them up for the future.”
As part of that process, specific details such as padded floating laptop sleeves, expandable water bottle pockets, EVA-padded shoulder straps and organizers were added that may not have been part of the original design when the brand launched 13 years ago.
The company is calling the redesigned assortment New Classics. But while some things have changed, others have remained consistent. Herschel still offers a lifetime warranty for its products and the quality and price points remain the same. Most products retail for $60 to $130.
“We’ve always tried to stand for quality, which I think is honestly the best part of sustainability: make it once, make it right and make it to last,” said Lyndon Cormack.
Before the pandemic, the brand was using only around 6 percent recycled fabrics. After the refresh, that figure now sits at 95 percent.
“During COVID[-19], we decided to re-look at all of our silhouettes and fabrications, and just how we wanted to go to market,” said Jamie Cormack. “We took sustainability to the forefront and looked at every single one of our categories. It started with a few select bags and ended up running to the entire range.”
The change may not have happened without the pandemic shutdown, they acknowledged. “COVID[-19] did provide a bit of a pause that allowed us to slow down for a second and ultimately make some decisions while things weren’t booming,” Lyndon Cormack said. “What do we want to fix in our business? What do we want to be known for? We sell a lot of bags — globally, we’re in 90 countries, we have about 9,000 retail partners, and we have a very robust direct-to-consumer business. So we went the extra distance because we had a minute to concentrate on the long-term benefits for people on the planet and on the globe.”
The strategy also carries through to the company’s luggage collection, which features 70 percent recycled polycarbonate for the hardshells. The other 30 percent of the materials are needed for durability and color, the brothers said.
“We’ve got a lot of work that we still need to do. It’s not over by any means,” Lyndon Cormack said. “But this was a huge step forward for us and allows us to now concentrate on other solutions.”
What that means is that Herschel will now turn its attention to its other product categories, notably apparel, where it is “looking for options” to switch to organic or recycled materials.
The New Classics collection launched last month and Lyndon Cormack said the company saw “a big lift” in sales when it hit. “Whenever we will launch a new season, we see a bump. But we saw a great bump over the last number of weeks,” he said.
In addition to revamping its assortment, Herschel has significantly increased its retail presence. The brand currently operates 11 stores in Canada and the U.S., with the most recent unit opening in Banff in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Lyndon Cormack said the two-level store in Banff is “on one of the most iconic corners” of the town in a space that had been occupied by the same tenant for more than 40 years. “So we were pretty excited to be able to find that location,” he said. “We also have one store in Calgary, which is a town we spent a lot of time growing up in, which is doing really well.”
Next up will be a flagship in New York’s SoHo in late July, followed by Santa Monica before the end of the year, bringing its total to 13. The New York unit on Prince and Spring streets will be the largest in the chain and will be “a really fun store,” Lyndon Cormack said, declining to provide details at this point.
“Two years ago, we only had two stores, so we have a mini chain now and we’re getting all this intel every single day on what works in various regions, what the consumers are saying — it’s been an exciting journey.”
Although Herschel still has a robust wholesale business, having its own fleet of stores is “the ultimate place for us to tell the brand story,” he continued. “It’s the best place for us to interact with our end consumers and educate them on the brand. Many people think we’re more of an outdoor brand rooted in the Canadian mountains, but we have one foot in the city and one in nature and when you come to our stores, there’s a storytelling aspect where you can learn a lot about us.”
Looking ahead to next year, the plan is to continue to open stores in metropolitan areas.
Beyond the retail rollout, the brothers plan to expand their travel assortment, including a soft-shell luggage collection. “Travel is a big opportunity for us,” said Jamie Cormack. “I think travel really needed a new voice and we are the voice of that modern traveler. I always say that travel doesn’t always mean the luggage piece; there are a lot of backpacks traveling the globe.”
Even so, luggage is the top sales driver in the Herschel stores, his brother said. “We sell more backpack units, but luggage brings in more revenue.”
In addition, the apparel offering will be expanded. Printables, fleece and outerwear such as rain jackets will be prioritized and the assortment will be more “gender specific,” Jamie Cormack said, as opposed to the unisex selection currently offered.
“And we’ll have 13 stores to sell apparel,” Lyndon Cormack added. “When we have apparel in our stores, it’s a significant driver of revenue. We want people not just to think of Herschel when they need a backpack every number of years, but now we have other complementary items so we can present ourselves as a brand.”
Herschel Supply was created when Lyndon Cormack, who was working at Vans in Canada, and his brother, who was with K2, were searching for a way to work together. They created Herschel and quickly became a disruptor in the accessories market.
In 2019, rumors surfaced that the company was testing the waters, looking for a potential purchaser. At the end of that year, Eurazeo invested $60 million into the company along with a consortium of investors that included Alliance Consumer Growth and HOOPP Capital Partners, the private capital arm of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. With that funding, the Cormacks were able to expand their retail footprint and move into other categories and regions.
Lyndon Cormack said that there is no plan for additional cash raises or equity rounds anytime soon.
“We’re just pushing forward and sticking to what we do best,” he said. His brother added: “It’s so nice that COVID[-19] is in the rearview mirror. This is a brand that does best when you leave the front door so it’s nice that everyone’s actually out there being active.”
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