Business View Magazine - November 2016

Business View Magazine - November 2016 41 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.” PREFERRED VENDOR Aspen Press & Packaging – Founded in 2003, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Aspen Press provides full-service print- ing, and packaging and fulfillment services. It products include: Catalogs, Booklets, Magazines, Die Cut Bro- chures, Instruction Manuals, Posters, Presentation Folders, Insert Sheets, Postcards, Newsletters, Fly- ers, Cards, Catalogs, Direct Mail, Door Hangers, DVD Inserts and Sleeves, Invitation, Memo Pads, Menus, Notepads, Panel Cards, Pocket Folders, Rack Cards, Response Cards, Sales Sheets, Stationary, Stickers, Table Tents, Vinyl Banners, and Signage. - www.aspen- press.com