May we introduce? Our client namuk is the first Swiss children's outdoor label. Since its founding in 2016, the company has successfully positioned itself in the sustainable niche on the market with thoughtful and child-friendly clothing. As a climate-neutral service provider, we also support this approach in logistics and supply both B2B customers in retail and customers of the online store in its home market of Switzerland.
The namuk principle is quite simple: jackets, pants, shirts and co. are so robust that they can be passed on for years and are produced sustainably. The label of the fast-growing company is already present in stationary retail in Switzerland, Germany and the USA. With its own online store, namuk also now appeals to customers almost all over the world. In addition, with a Reuse platform, the company has also created an opportunity to resell worn and refurbished namuk clothes. In this way, the products can accompany many children during outdoor play and fun.
In this interview, Franz Bittmann, Founder & CEO of namuk, tells us how his first son inspired him to create namuk, where children's clothing often falls short, and why he appreciates the collaboration with MS Direct.
Franz, you founded namuk in 2016 as the first Swiss children's outdoor label. How did it come about?
Our first son was a heavy user, he was either sleeping, eating or digging in a hole somewhere in all weathers. He destroyed his clothes within a short time or he came home completely soaked. I then took a closer look at his clothes and noticed that savings were made in the fabrics, zippers, other materials and workmanship. Because children's clothes do not have to last long, because the children grow out quickly and are accordingly produced in inferior quality. Based on my many years of experience in the textile industry, namuk was born - at first only as a hobby. In the meantime, we have grown strongly, have 22 employees and are also successful internationally.
How important is sustainability at namuk?
Sustainability is firmly anchored in our DNA. We develop durable clothing with materials that are as sustainable as possible. Our products last several times longer than those of many competitors. Therefore, they can be passed on or sold. To this end, we have also introduced our own reuse platform namuk-reuse.ch, through which we sell used namuk products that we have remanufactured. When it comes to materials, we rely on recycled and biodegradable fabrics, among others, such as our polyester fleece, which we offer exclusively. The wool we use in our collections is also certified according to the "Responsible Wool Standard", which confirms that the sheep are kept according to strict animal welfare criteria. When choosing our suppliers, we also make sure that they meet recognized sustainability criteria and also check this ourselves during on-site visits.
How did the collaboration with MS Direct come about?
Our customer StadtLandKind, a Swiss online store for the whole family, recommended MS Direct to us because the team there had good experiences working together. Again, the sustainability aspect was important to us. As a climate-neutral service provider, MS Direct supports us in making our logistics in Switzerland more sustainable. The location in St. Gallen provides us with short transport routes both to our B2B customers in the stationary trade and to the customers of our online store. Another criterion why we chose MS Direct was their cooperation with the Swiss carrier Quickpac, which delivers with electric vehicles. We now also want to connect to this service as quickly as possible. After about one and a half years, we can say that we very much appreciate the uncomplicated communication and the modern setup of MS Direct.
What can other brands learn from you in terms of sustainability?
If we look at the European Union's Green Deal planned for 2025, for example, we see that one of the items on the agenda there is more durable products that can be repaired, recycled and reused. We are already very well positioned here. Because sustainability has been part of our business model since the beginning. Our products are very durable, can be repaired and can be resold via our own Reuse platform, among other things. I also hope that there will be a rethink on the consumer side: Children's clothes should not be produced in inferior quality at the expense of the environment, but in such a way that they last as long as possible.
More about namuk: https://ch.namuk.com/
More about sustainable fulfilment solutions: https://www.makeimpact.ch/e-commerce