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A New Look for Laundromat: Our Website Re-Launch

A New Look for Laundromat: Our Website Re-Launch

by Emily Lush Collaborator in BLOG
You might have noticed a few changes around here! This week we’re thrilled to formally announce the launch of our brand new website and online store, LaundromatStuff.ca.

Re-designing our website has been a long labor of love. As a small team, we often find it difficult to tear ourselves away from our everyday work designing new products, taking care of our retailers and clients, and overseeing production in Nepal.

With more and more people shopping online and using the internet to discover new brands, we recognized the need to provide a better virtual experience while keeping the same commitment to our retailers and in-store customers. We’ve built the platform we’ve always dreamed of for Laundromat – a website that reflects our company culture and Fair Trade ethos.

Our new dual-language, multi-region website still has all the features you know and love. You can use our website to find a Laundromat retailer near you, learn how to care for your knitwear, and access our all-important sizing guide. LaundromatStuff.ca also incorporates some new and improved functions.

A modern look and feel

Our contemporary design features easy navigation and a clean, bold look. It’s mobile-friendly, so you can shop on the go. Striking never-before-seen photography of Nepal, plus new verbiage, brings our story and collections to life.

Laundromat’s social media platforms are also undergoing a bit of a facelift. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest.

Easier online shopping

Our new website presents our sweaters and accessories in their best light. We’ve re-categorized our shop to be more intuitive, and included more detailed descriptions for each Laundromat item. Paired with high-quality photos, this makes finding a sweater that speaks to you easier than ever.

Streamlined checkout and payment through our secure portal makes shopping online stress-free and safe. You can even create an account to manage your orders and track deliveries.

We're able to use our new website to offer online exclusives – products you won't find in any store – plus exciting specials and discounts for online shoppers. Our offer of free shipping on all orders over $99 still stands.

Greater transparency

As a Fair Trade company, one of the values we most pride ourselves on is transparency. We know we do an excellent job of infusing sustainability and Fair Trade principles into every aspect of Laundromat – and now we’re excited to leverage our new website to share this with you.

Use our new, in-depth Eco & Fair pages to learn what goes into the making of a Laundromat sweater, including detailed information about our materials and dyes, and the Nepalese artisans who make our products. Put a face to the name with new profiles of our Canadian team members.

A platform for storytelling

We've accumulated some pretty amazing stories over the past 25 years. One of our key priorities for the new website was making sure we had a space to share these narratives.

Laundromat’s new Journal takes you behind the scenes of our business, with regular articles on a range of topics. The Journal is also a place to acknowledge the efforts of the incredible individuals and companies that have supported Laundromat over the years.

 

 

Every member of the Laundromat team has contributed in some way to our website redesign. We couldn’t be happier with the final results – and we’re equally grateful for having gone through the process.

Thinking critically about how we want the world to perceive our brand has given us an opportunity to reflect on our roots. From humble beginnings, it’s amazing to see just how far we've come – and how true we’ve stayed to our original Fair Trade mission.

With the launch of the new LaundromatStuff.ca, we’ve re-affirmed our partnership with Nepal and re-focused ahead of the unveiling of our upcoming collection. We’re more determined than ever to keep creating the best-quality Fair Trade sweaters and knitted accessories available.

Take a look around the new website and let us know what you think! We appreciate your patience as we work to put the final touches on our website and iron out any small kinks. Feel free to reach out to us on social media or send us an email with your feedback: sales@laundromatstuff.com

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Where do our knitter tips go?

Where do our knitter tips go?

Two years ago we introduced Knitter Tips at checkout on our US and Canadian stores.  This allowed our customers to give an extra thank you to our artisans in Nepal who knit their sweaters and apparel. We specify on the tip section that 100% of gratuities go to our team of over 800 local knitters, most of them women from the Kathmandu Valley where a little extra can have a big impact.  But where exactly did the tips go? Rather than just tell you that the tips went to our knitters, we wanted to show you! First, we asked.  When it was time to distribute tips, our owner Francis Dube contacted each of the groups of knitters we work with in Nepal, let them know we were about to transfer over some tips from our customers, and asked them how they thought would be the best way to share it with our workers.  #1 Lunch + Education Raffle One smaller group decided to invite the staff and knitters over for a lunch provided by Lost Horizons with traditional foods just before the Holiday of Dashain.  The group also distributed money by doing an education raffle amongst ladies that had kids going to school.  #2 Team Building + Staff Raffle The larger group had a special team building event just before the Holidays, so they decided to do a raffle amongst the whole staff and knitters, as well as use some of the tips for food. You can see photos of the event and a few of the lucky winners below.    More than the money.  American and Canadian dollars go a long way in Nepal, and our team members were extremely appreciative of the extra funds they received.  However it wasn't just the money they were excited about.  It's one thing to be proud of your work and be paid fairly for it, but it's a whole different thing when a random shopper on our website is willing to say thank you to a knitter they've never met before 10 time zones away! To our surprise, our knitter tips program created a connection between our knitters and customers that none of the workers had experienced before. The fact that people appreciated their work so much that they were willing to donate more than what was asked of them in terms of money, was a gesture they did not expect. Thank you for your tips. Given the impact of our Knitter Tips program over the past two years, we plan on continuing to invite our customers to tip at checkout for the foreseeable future, and also continue matching these tips!  Thank you for your generous contributions, which greatly impact the lives of our team members in Nepal. 

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It’s that time of year once again, and we’re thrilled to announce Lost Horizons’ latest collection of sweaters and hand-knitted accessories is officially here! View the new collection here. This season, we’re proud to present more than 20 new designs and fresh colorways for women and men. Characterized by deep natural hues and complex patterns, this collection references Native American wool blankets and Turkish kilim rugs, and draws inspiration from the landscapes of the American West. We’ve also called on some familiar motifs you’ve come to know and love from Lost Horizons, including Fair Isle knit patterning and florals inspired by Eastern European folk art and embroidery. “This year I am especially excited by all shades of natural gray, charcoal and ecru accented with plums, coral, teal, jade and berry pinks and Adriatic blues,” Lost Horizons Designer, Julie Powell, says of this year’s colorways. As always, this range has been hand-crafted in Nepal and spotlights the artisanal skills of our talented knitting team. You’ll find specialized knitting techniques such as intarsia and fine hand-embroidery across the collection, plus a use of bobbles and three-dimensional stitches for texture and body. Other designs in the range are more subtle, such as the Akari and Midori accessories that both use Japanese Sashiko-style embroidery in dual tones, the Everly with its colored cables, and the crochet-adorned Celine. “It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I love the men’s Mateo Sweater because of its rich color palettes and authentic geometrics,” Julie says. “I also love the women’s Willow Accessories because of their gorgeous hand-knit cabling.” What is your favorite item from the new collection? We’d love to hear your feedback! Shop the latest Lost Horizons collection here.

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