Business View Magazine
7
chise fee – it’s an independent operator agreement,
as opposed to a franchise.”
What Cariloha does do, however, is sell its products
online. Today, online sales comprise about 15 percent
of the company’s business. But, Pedersen still be-
lieves that the experience of discovering his bamboo
products in the company’s brick and mortar stores is
what creates a Cariloha customer for life. “We invite
them to touch and feel the ultra-soft bamboo fabric
for themselves. Then, we show them the hard bam-
boo stalks – we hit them together and say, ‘We make
this…out of this.’ It really sparks their interest. When
they come home, that’s what they sleep in – pajamas
or boxer briefs; they work out in the morning in our
Bamboo Fit Line; they towel off after a shower in our
bamboo towels; they sleep in the bamboo sheets. They
love wearing our products – shorts, shirts, and socks
– throughout the day. They embrace the ‘Cariloha
lifestyle,’ a comfort-driven, eco-conscious way to live.
They become brand ambassadors because they love
that daily experience. And, even if they don’t have a
store, nearby, they can go online and buy more of what
they want.”
Over the next several years, Pedersen says he would
like to see Cariloha become “the gold standard for sus-
tainable luxury in the world,” meaning that every bed
will have Cariloha bamboo sheets on it; every bath-
room will have bamboo towels in it; and every closet
will become lined with Cariloha clothing. “We look
to become a $300 million company by continuing to
open stores in locations in top tourist destinations, but
also in top metropolitan areas, throughout the world,
while continuing to sell, online,” he declares.
Meanwhile, Cariloha is still the only multi-store retailer
on the planet that’s completely filled with products
made entirely from bamboo, a sustainable and renew-
able resource. “It’s a great product and a great brand,”
says Pedersen. “And customers love it.”
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