Sales of Eiderdown’s duvets have grown 40% over the past year as the locally-owned business focuses on the online consumer market for its bedding range.
The company was established in mid-2019 and some of its team were previously involved with Ellis Fibre, which produced the down jacket and sleeping bag at its Dunedin factory used by Sir Edmund Hillary when he made the first ascent of Mt Everest.
Sales director Lucas Mills said Eiderdown initially looked to export to China mostly alpaca duvets and some wool duvets. Soon after, Covid-19 happened at the same time it was about to have a big shop sale with a lot of stock.
Bedding was listed as an essential item and so a website was set up and a small team shipped off orders which ‘‘kick-started everything’’. During the early stages of the pandemic, there was a real push for New Zealand-made products and e-commerce ‘‘went up a notch’’.
Since then, Eiderdown had continued to grow its product range and was focused on the online consumer market. Last year, it reviewed its direct-to-consumer marketing strategy and began also targeting Australian customers while bedding had also been sold to customers in the United States, Czech Republic and China.
Duvet fillings were ethically sourced Hungarian goose and duck down which was traceable, through a QR code, back to the farm in Hungary, and New Zealand wool and alpaca fibre. The wool was sourced from farms throughout the country and combed and carded in Christchurch.
There was demand for natural fibres, as a lot of synthetic products did not breathe, nor did they last as long. There also continued to be a push for New Zealand made products, Mr Mills said.
Eiderdown’s workshop employed a team of five full-time staff and several part-time staff.
