Why We're Lowering Our Prices: A Letter from Our Founder
TLDR: We've spent 18 months transforming how Tradlands operates. Starting in March, you'll see lower prices, more styles, and smaller-batch collections that align with our values. Quality remains unchanged, but everything else is evolving to serve you better.
As I write this letter, I have such a mix of emotions. The past 18 months have been a journey of reflection, learning, and transformation for our small team. Through it all, your support and feedback have been our North Star, guiding us toward changes that will help us serve us both better.
You've shared what matters most: the request for more variety and prices that feel accessible. As a small business, these weren't simple challenges to solve, but they resonated with why I started Tradlands in the first place – to create clothing that becomes a part of your everyday life and meets you where you are, exactly as you are.Â
As I write this letter, I have such a mix of emotions. The past 18 months have been a journey of reflection, learning, and transformation for our small team. Through it all, your support and feedback have been our compass, guiding us toward changes that will help us serve us both better.
You've shared what matters most: the request for more variety and prices that feel accessible. As a small business, these weren't simple challenges to solve, but they resonated with why I started Tradlands in the first place – to create clothing that becomes a part of your everyday life and meets you where you are, exactly as you are.Â
While many brands are announcing price increases due to market pressures and tariffs, we've spent these months reimagining how we can work differently. It meant looking honestly at what wasn't working – for us or for you.Â
While many brands are announcing price increases due to market pressures and tariffs, we've spent these months reimagining how we can work differently. It meant looking honestly at what wasn't working – for us or for you.Â
Our long-standing manufacturing partnership, though wonderful for many years, had evolved in ways that made it harder to create the variety you wanted without constantly raising prices. Our inventory, while so modest compared to larger brands, still felt significant for our small team and limited our ability to bring you new styles.
But challenges often lead to the most meaningful growth. They push us to think differently, to find better ways forward.
Our long-standing manufacturing partnership, though wonderful for many years, had evolved in ways that made it harder to create the variety you wanted without constantly raising prices. Our inventory, while so modest compared to larger brands, still felt significant for our small team and limited our ability to bring you new styles.
But challenges often lead to the most meaningful growth. They push us to think differently, to find better ways forward.
Starting this March, we're significantly lowering our prices. Not a sale. Not a promotion. It's a complete transformation in how we operate. Our promise to you is the same quality you love, and solving the problems you’ve been telling us about for years.Â
Starting this March, we're significantly lowering our prices. Not a sale. Not a promotion. It's a complete transformation in how we operate. Our promise to you is the same quality you love, and solving the problems you’ve been telling us about for years.Â
The Reality of Running a Small Business
We had a wonderful long-standing manufacturing partnership that initially worked perfectly for us as a small brand, allowing us to produce in smaller quantities. But over time, things changed. As our manufacturing partner grew, they began requiring larger production volumes. When we couldn't meet these increasing minimums, we faced price increases that we had to pass on to you. The relationship that once served us well as a small business was no longer sustainable, and it limited our ability to create, experiment, and respond to what you wanted.
We found ourselves stuck between our values and our reality:
– Overstock that needed discounting seasonally
– Limited ability to experiment due to high inventory in less styles
– A warehouse with more than we needed and high storage fees
– Rising prices on everything despite our best efforts
– A gap between your requests and our ability to deliver
The Reality of Running a Small Business
We had a wonderful long-standing manufacturing partnership that initially worked perfectly for us as a small brand, allowing us to produce in smaller quantities. But over time, things changed. As our manufacturing partner grew, they began requiring larger production volumes. When we couldn't meet these increasing minimums, we faced price increases that we had to pass on to you. The relationship that once served us well as a small business was no longer sustainable, and it limited our ability to create, experiment, and respond to what you wanted.
We found ourselves stuck between our values and our reality:
– Overstock that needed discounting seasonally
– Limited ability to experiment due to high inventory in less styles
– A warehouse with more than we needed and high storage fees
– Rising prices on everything despite our best efforts
– A gap between your requests and our ability to deliver
18 Months of Behind-the-Scenes Changes
Running a small business means every partnership matters. Beyond our evolving manufacturing relationship, another crucial piece was changing how we get your clothes to you. For years, we worked with a fulfillment partner (they're the ones who store inventory, pack your orders, and ship them to you) who understood the personal touch we wanted for our customers. But as they grew to focus on large-volume Amazon sellers, that personal attention we valued wasn't possible anymore.
For the last year and a half we’ve reimagined how we operate. We've:
– Built new manufacturing partnerships that enable true small-batch production
– Found new and more efficient ways to store and ship your orders
– Streamlined our entire process by cutting out middlemen
– Created a more responsive, on-demand production model
– Developed systems that let us move faster and more creatively
These changes mean we can maintain the quality and care you expect while significantly reducing our costs – savings we're passing directly to you.
These aren't just business changes - they're transformations that align our operations with our values while making our clothing more accessible.
18 Months of Behind-the-Scenes Changes
Running a small business means every partnership matters. Beyond our evolving manufacturing relationship, another crucial piece was changing how we get your clothes to you. For years, we worked with a fulfillment partner (they're the ones who store inventory, pack your orders, and ship them to you) who understood the personal touch we wanted for our customers. But as they grew to focus on large-volume Amazon sellers, that personal attention we valued wasn't possible anymore.
For the last year and a half we’ve reimagined how we operate. We've:
– Built new manufacturing partnerships that enable true small-batch production
– Found new and more efficient ways to store and ship your orders
– Streamlined our entire process by cutting out middlemen
– Created a more responsive, on-demand production model
– Developed systems that let us move faster and more creatively
These changes mean we can maintain the quality and care you expect while significantly reducing our costs – savings we're passing directly to you.
These aren't just business changes - they're transformations that align our operations with our values while making our clothing more accessible.
What This Means for Quality & Creativity
Let me be clear: our commitment to quality remains unchanged. What has changed is our ability to:
– Experiment with new designs and colorways
– Launch exciting collaborations
– Respond more quickly to your feedback
– Create special small-batch releases
– Offer more variety throughout the year
The creative energy this brings to our small team is so helpful too. We can finally execute on the ideas and requests you've been sharing with us. If I’m being honest, it brings back a joy that’s been missing for me for some time.
What This Means for Quality & Creativity
Let me be clear: our commitment to quality remains unchanged. What has changed is our ability to:
– Experiment with new designs and colorways
– Launch exciting collaborations
– Respond more quickly to your feedback
– Create special small-batch releases
– Offer more variety throughout the year
The creative energy this brings to our small team is so helpful too. We can finally execute on the ideas and requests you've been sharing with us. If I’m being honest, it brings back a joy that’s been missing for me for some time.
A More Sustainable Approach
Our new smaller-batch model means:
– Producing small amounts of what our community actually wants
– Less waste and overstock (and less end of season sales)
– Collections that will likely sell out faster
– Fewer discounts needed
– A more environmentally conscious approach
This is sustainability in action - making exactly what's needed, when it's needed.
A More Sustainable Approach
Our new smaller-batch model means:
– Producing small amounts of what our community actually wants
– Less waste and overstock (and less end of season sales)
– Collections that will likely sell out faster
– Fewer discounts needed
– A more environmentally conscious approach
This is sustainability in action - making exactly what's needed, when it's needed.
What to Expect
Starting in March, you'll see:
– Significantly lower prices across our line
– More product releases with limited inventory
– Limited edition collections and collaborations
– Faster responses to your requests in the coming seasons
Because we're moving to a more on-demand model, collections will sell out more quickly than before. We won't be running as many discounts because we're pricing things right from the start.
What to Expect
Starting in March, you'll see:
– Significantly lower prices across our line
– More product releases with limited inventory
– Limited edition collections and collaborations
– Faster responses to your requests in the coming seasons
Because we're moving to a more on-demand model, collections will sell out more quickly than before. We won't be running as many discounts because we're pricing things right from the start.
Why This Matters
As a small business, we can be nimble, creative, and responsive to our community's needs. These changes let us:
– Deliver the quality you trust at better prices
– Create the variety you've been asking for
– Stay true to our sustainability values
– Build stronger connections with our community
– Put more creative energy and joy into what we create
Why This Matters
As a small business, we can be nimble, creative, and responsive to our community's needs. These changes let us:
– Deliver the quality you trust at better prices
– Create the variety you've been asking for
– Stay true to our sustainability values
– Build stronger connections with our community
– Put more creative energy and joy into what we create
Looking Forward
After all these years in the clothing business, every challenge we've faced has pushed us to get creative, to think differently, to find better ways to serve our community while staying true to our values.
I see your emails, your DMs, your responses to our surveys. We are a small brand that truly listens and responds. A business that puts values into action. As a founder, watching these changes come together over the past 18 months has reminded me why I started this business in the first place.
Warmly,
Sadie +
Team Tradlands
Looking Forward
After all these years in the clothing business, every challenge we've faced has pushed us to get creative, to think differently, to find better ways to serve our community while staying true to our values.
I see your emails, your DMs, your responses to our surveys. We are a small brand that truly listens and responds. A business that puts values into action. As a founder, watching these changes come together over the past 18 months has reminded me why I started this business in the first place.
Warmly,
Sadie +
Team Tradlands