Only being available three times a year is exciting and also terrifying.
We sometimes get asked “How does it feel on the morning of a release?” Instead of telling you, we wanted to show you.
When we released Batch No.3.5, we filmed the whole thing. Not just our set up in the living room but the live website analytics too. It’s raw, uncut, and very real. It includes some swearing (sorry Mam).
*Please note, what you see in this video is unusual*
1. This release was during the first lockdown, it was the first Batch we made since our factory re-opened and we bought 215m of fabric (all the mill had available) and made a small Batch of jackets that enabled us to donate £10,000 Red Cross Coronavirus emergency appeal. Demand to support the appeal was far greater than our supply.
2. Since this launch, we have made significant improvements to our customer service, meaning that ahead of a launch, our newsletter subscribers can place a fabric deposit early to help us gauge demand better.
Honestly, watching it back makes us feel a bit sick.
But what you don’t see in that video are the messages from people who couldn't get a jacket. The folks who woke up at 3am to support us but left disappointed.
Because of this, we end up with waitlists thousands of people long. It sounds like a great problem to have, but more people miss out than get one. It’s not the best experience.
The reason we make to order in limited quantities is so that we can manufacture sustainably. Only making what we need. Leaving no waste. And challenge industry norms.
But we also don't want to make the jackets so exclusive to the point that people can't be a part of Paynter. After all, the most important part of this whole thing isn't the jackets, it's the people.
It all becomes a fine balancing act and we recalibrate with every Batch. Sometimes we make more, sometimes less.
After the recent 86 second sell-out of Batch No.3.5, not being able to make a proper Batch since January (cc. Covid), our audience more than doubling in size and many of you messaging to ask whether it’s worth even trying to get one, for Batch No.4 we knew we had to do something about it.
So in July we scraped our bank account and bought more fabric with the hope that everyone who wants one can get one. We now have enough fabric to make 750 jackets.
Still a tiny amount compared to other clothing brands, but it’s all we can afford after a crazy six months.
It felt exciting (and terrifying) to make our biggest commitment yet to our fabric mill and our factory.
It's our biggest batch yet.
Batch No.4 will be available on the 5th of September at 9 AM (BST).
Update: Batch No.4 sold out in 2 minutes. We will continue to launch in this way, while trialing a new pre-order model for subscribers only, helping us to gauge accurate demand for fabric upfront. Sign up to learn more.
