ALEX MCCABE - KIP&CO

ON HOW MAKING 3 QUICK DECISIONS HELPED KIP&CO NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE DURING COVID

At the age of 30, Alex and her two best friends, sisters Kate & Hayley, decided they wanted to launch a business.  

They had many crazy ideas, but it wasn’t until one of the girls saw a bright, patterned bedspread in the US that the idea for Kip&Co was born – a bedding brand centered around bright colours, bold prints, and a boho vibe. 

Since launching the business with two products, a self-made website and a big dream, the girls have grown Kip into one of Australia’s leading lifestyle brands, expanding their offer beyond bedding into baby, apparel, kitchenware and home. 

8 years on it’s all come full-circle. Kip&Co is now available in the US, the same country where the original inspo came from.  

Despite an increase in sales during COVID, Alex and her co-founders have come up against some pretty big challenges, and she is the first to admit that it hasn’t been all smooth sailing.  

This is where we started the discussion, asking Alex how they responded in the first few weeks of the COVID crisis and the impact these early decisions have had on the business since then. 

You’ll learn:

  • How Kip&Co secured their first 10 stockists from a trade show in Melbourne  

  • The fine balance of where to spend your marketing dollars, and why it’s important to invest in paid advertising and PR  

  • Why Kip&Co choses to work with an agent in India instead of directly with the manufacturers  

  • The impact of COVID on their supply chain  

  • The Kip&Co creative process, and why investing in brand (especially photoshoots) is so important  

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THE BITS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

“There’s something comforting about getting a report that tells you exactly what your return on investment for your marketing spend is. ”
— On the balance between investing in marketing vs. PR.
“We had to make quick, swift decisions when COVID to ensure the livelihood of the business. ”
— On how Alex and her co-founders responded in the wake of the global pandemic.

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