Collar of Sweden: growing inventory, marketing and sales

The background

After Melina and David got their Italian greyhounds (Chili & Maggie – the stylish ladies to the left), they soon realized most pet accessories available in the market were quite… basic. It was in their quest for accessories with a bit more personality that Collar of Sweden was born.

They started creating unique dog collars in 2018, which they initially sold in local Facebook groups. As interest and demand for their products grew, so did the business. After just one year, they launched their own ecommerce website.

Now, their products have reached dog lovers in over 60 countries. And they are so well-liked, that many of their customers are repeat buyers – pampering their pets with a range of accessories in different colors and styles.

And as often happens with ecommerce businesses – with quick growth, came some growing pains. 

Tied up capital slowing down growth

The fact that a lot of their working capital got stuck in inventory (with suppliers wanting upfront payment, months before the goods can be sold), meant that Collar of Sweden had to pace themselves with new product launches.

Since each new product line they developed came with a high minimum order quantity, they needed to order one thing at a time. Once the inventory arrived, they could start selling and then make a new order for the next product launch.

With inventory taking up so much of their working capital, they couldn’t place several large orders at once. Until they came across Treyd, that is. After realizing it was a simpler and cheaper option compared to using the credit line available with their bank, they decided to give it a go.

“Treyd was very smooth and easy to use. After uploading an invoice, it was paid very quickly and easily to the supplier.”

- Melina Jagne and David Åberg, co-founders

Upping orders, reducing costs and boosting sales

With the ability to make larger orders (without major working capital sacrifices), came a host of benefits: reduced price per unit, as well as shipping costs. “Had we not had the opportunity with Treyd, we wouldn’t have been able to order in such large volumes, but would have had to keep making small orders at a higher frequency,” shared David.

As a result of freeing up the capital that used to get tied down in the supply chain, Collar of Sweden was able to go big on their marketing campaigns. “When you want to grow and are so small, you have to be on all channels, you have to be seen everywhere” – and that’s what they’ve done. 

Besides increasing marketing spend, they went big on seasonal campaigns, and were able to fulfill a high amount of orders. 

And the more the business grows, the more they plan to use Treyd – “as we develop new products and categories, we expect to lean more and more on Treyd” tells Melina.