6 · Selling
Channels, price logic, returns, fulfilment, and the launch
Chapter 6 · Generic
The channel mix, the store platform, pricing (with Module 18’s three-input logic), the returns policy, the fulfilment plan, any first stockists. The launch as a dated calendar. Guide: the full plan §6.
Draft
Channels. Direct to consumer, through our own store on Shopify, for the whole first run. Wholesale is held back until the second run, when two or three independent shops will be offered a small consignment or a pre-paid order. DTC keeps the retailer’s half of the price, and on 200 pairs that half is the margin.
Price. $140 / €150 including VAT. It’s set from three inputs: the 3× floor on landed cost, the comparison brands in Chapter 3, and what the customer conversations showed people would pay. The full-price commitment: no public markdowns; any clearance happens privately, to the list.
Returns. Free size exchanges, paid returns, 30 days. In the EU, the 14-day withdrawal right applies regardless. The size guide measures foot length in cm against the last and exists to keep returns under 20%.
Fulfilment. Packed and shipped by the founder from home for the first run. Carrier —. A 3PL is considered above 500 orders a year.
How people find out. An email list built from the build-in-public content, 15 pairs seeded to people the customer already trusts, and a pre-order window of three weeks. Target: 400 subscribers before pre-orders open.
Launch calendar.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| — | Waiting list opens |
| — | Seeding pairs sent |
| — | Pre-orders open |
| — | Pre-orders close; bulk order placed |
| — | First pairs ship |
Decisions
| Decision | Current answer | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Channel mix | 100% DTC, first run | Default |
| Store platform | Shopify | Default |
| Retail price | $140 | Default |
| Returns policy | Free exchanges, paid returns, 30 days | Default |
| Fulfilment | Self-fulfilled | Default |
| Pre-orders | Yes, three-week window | Default |
| List target before launch | 400 | Default |
Questions for you
- Do you already have an audience? An Instagram or TikTok following, a newsletter, a community you’re part of? Roughly how many people?
- Is there a shop where you’d love to see the shoe stocked one day?
- Are you comfortable with pre-orders, with customers paying and then waiting 8–12 weeks?
- Can you store and ship 200 pairs from where you live?