Ulrika, you founded Luxurybedding von der Thannen in 2020.
How did you come up with the idea?
I worked as a self-employed sales representative for many years. My core business was everything related to beds: blankets, pillows, linens and accessories. I represented several companies from Austria, Germany and Italy. These were mainly export countries apart from Austria: Germany, the Baltic States, Iceland, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Dubai. With the pandemic, I had to start over because my job no longer existed. Since I have a lot of experience with the quality, production and selection, I decided to start my own brand.
How would you describe your product in a maximum of three sentences?
High quality, regional and sustainable. I have a good network of manufacturers. I visit the production personally and get to know the people on site. I choose partners who are as close to my location as possible to avoid long transportation. On the other hand, I also build a relationship with my customers and support them with advice and training.
What makes Luxury Bedding von der Thannen exceptional?
I design my collections myself, have the fabrics printed with my design, tailor the goods to measure and according to customer requirements in Austria. I do not use plastic packaging and pack my bed linen in a classy box. A gift comes with each box.
What has been your biggest challenge as a founder and what advice would you give to future founders?
The biggest challenge was and still is customer acquisition. At the same time, I have to promote my brand and achieve greater visibility. This requires a lot of financial resources.
The next challenge came up last year when the war began. In the years before, I built up the markets of Russia and Ukraine and won many good customers. Once the war started, it was no longer possible to deliver to these countries.
As a small business owner, I am very affected financially. Building a new market within a year is almost impossible, so I'm still looking for new partners to expand my business abroad.
Where are you heading with your fine bed linen in the next three years, what visions do you have for the future?
In addition to bedding for specialist retailers, I would also like to serve upscale hotels and holiday accommodation and work more closely with interior designers for private properties. I want to keep my established position as a supplier of high quality bespoke goods. I also want to focus on the innovations and sustainability in the textile field and keep offering something special to my customers.
We report on beautiful destinations in the Lifestyle Collection. Do you have one or more destinations that you would recommend to our readers and what did you particularly like about this country/these countries?
I love traveling and could pack my suitcase within 15 minutes :) If we talk about nature then I would recommend Madeira. That was one of my most beautiful trips ever. The nature there is unique, flowering plants all year round, temperatures never below zero. The people there are very friendly and welcoming.
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