Tess Verwoert started Tess V, a webshop for clothing for young women, when she was just 16. Now, eight years later, she has a turnover of 7 million euros and is growing fast, partly due to the three brick-and-mortar stores. And there will be more of them.
“We’ll sort it out and we can add that in.” It is typical of Tess Verwoert, the woman behind fashion store Tess V. and jeans brand Friday Denim.
While at secondary school she started a webshop selling clothing for young women, which she partly ran from school. In the beginning, Verwoert did everything himself: packing and sending clothes, posting on social media. She has not followed any training or course to manage a company. “I really learned it on the job.”
Employees have now taken over some of her tasks. But the Tess V. company still does almost everything itself: the design of clothing and jewelry, marketing and the warehouse is in its own hands. The clothing is made in India, Turkey and Italy.
Doubts
In the beginning, Tess V did not grow quickly at all and Verwoert wondered whether she should continue. Later, growth picked up and she doubted whether the company was becoming too big and whether she could still manage it all.
But that period of doubt is behind us. Tess V now employs 58 people. Last year, turnover grew by 35 percent to 7 million euros. This year, Verwoert expects a plus of around 40 percent (up to 9.4 million euros). Every year so far has been profitable, she says.
Stone and online reinforce each other
The significant growth in turnover is partly because Tess V also opened brick-and-mortar stores. The first was in Nijmegen at the end of 2022 in October, Utrecht followed last year and the third store opened in Breda in April of this year.
The brick-and-mortar stores and the online store reinforce each other. In cities where there is a brick and mortar store, turnover in the online store increases more than in other regions. And online customers also visit the brick-and-mortar stores. Customers also buy a little more at a time in a brick-and-mortar store than when they shop online. They often also buy jewelry with it. “Without the physical stores, sales would not grow as fast.”
Another advantage of brick-and-mortar stores is that far fewer products are returned. Online, this is already 30 percent lower than in many other web shops, says Verwoert. But in stores the percentage is ‘very low’. Processing returned items always costs money, so the less the better.
More brick and mortar shops
Verwoert would like to open more stores. She consciously chooses smaller side streets, for the ’boutique idea’. In any case, it should be a ‘nice city’, with many students, she says. Some of them can then start working in the store.
Her customers come from the Netherlands, but also from Belgium and Germany. Belgian customers come to the store in Breda or order online. They account for 6 to 7 percent of sales. Tess V. even uses separate influencers for Belgium, who do not recommend a ‘dress’, but a ‘dress’.
Social media
Social media is important. Thirty new items are released every Tuesday evening, and they are then ‘hyped’ on Instagram and TikTok. Fans of Tess V. are then ready to order clothing and jewelry.
A lot is shared on social media, for example about ‘shoots’ for clothing and videos are regularly shared from one of the stores. “Then you see that the store is busier on Saturdays.”
Durable?
A new collection every week, how sustainable is that? “It remains fashion. But we use sustainable materials and ensure that everything gets a second life,” says Verwoert.
“We do this by trying to sell items that are returned after they have been checked and steamed. Or we donate them to charities.”
Advice from her father
Although Verwoert has been an entrepreneur for eight years, she still regularly asks her father for advice, who is also an entrepreneur. “He is calmer. He also emphasizes that you should grow healthily and not borrow.”
When she started, Verwoert did borrow some money from her father, but she paid it back as quickly as possible. Then she financed growth from profits. “If things don’t go well, you can deal with it well. Being without debt gives you a lot of peace of mind.”
Target group adjusted
When Verwoert started, she did not yet belong to what she now considers the target group, she admits with a laugh. “But I think the brand has grown a bit and so have the customers.”
If you’re 16, you don’t have much to spend yet, so the target group has been deliberately adjusted, she says. “The focus is now on young women around the age of 25.”
Problems due to rapid growth
The rapid growth does pose challenges, because Tess V is gradually ready for a larger warehouse. “We can rent a building nearby, but I would prefer to have everything under one roof and I would like to stay near Rhenen, but that is a difficult combination.”
Tags: Tess Verwoert working hard fashion brand Tess Turnover growth percent RTL News
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