Iron Heart Products - What do you think we should make?
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Not a specific product but a general suggestion (sorry if I'm out of line here):
Stock in larger sizes (shirts in size XXXXL and XXXL) is generally low at release, which means that the release of a new item often means sitting in front of the computer and pressing F5 like a madman at the exact moment of release.
This is not really pleasant (for me) and I sometimes feel like an idiot because I have to plan the release of an item I really want in my calendar and have to organize my day around this.I have seen some items (at least the XXXXL and XXXL sizes) sell out in 15 minutes or at the end of the day lately so perhaps this could warrant some extra stock in the future?
Once again, this is a suggestion. I understand that it is far more interesting (from a commercial point of view) to have an item sell out than be stuck with stock that won't get sold.
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I am truly sorry, I really am. If I had a magic wand, this would have been fixed immediately.
We are a business, our reason for being, is to sell and to make a profit. Not making enough of anything is a really stupid way to run a business. But also making too much is also really stupid. So we try to accurately work out what demand will be. If we could perfectly match demand with supply, we would never have to put stuff on sale, our costs (therefore retail prices) would be lower and we would probably be running this business from a tax haven and lying on a beach. This is not a science, the art of being a good retailer is not how many times you get it right, but how many times you don't get it wrong.
Demand for XXXL and XXXXL has grown exponentially compared to smaller sizes. I think that this may be because we are one of the few Japanese bands that actually go that large (when I started working with Haraki, our sizing maxed out at XL), coupled with Iron Heart getting all-around more well known and popular over the last few years. Another factor is that virtually none of our retailers order XXXL and XXXXL, so we are the only gig in town for these larger sizes.
So we do keep on increasing the percentage of XXXL and XXXXL we order, but the time delay between us recognising we need to change the order bell-curve takes time. If we place an order for shirts or jackets today, we'll wait a minimum of 6 months to get delivery.
Finally, if we place an order for shirts or jackets and we overestimate demand, it is better (as a business) for us to be left with L's and XL's than the outlier sizes, XS, XXXL and XXXXL. So, there is a tendency to be cautious ordering the outliers.
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Thanks for the insight and reply!
I can imagine it is really hard to find the right balance between demand and supply like you've said, and not all items will sell as expected.
Thank you for considering this and hearing me.
IH is indeed one of the only Japanese brands to offer larger sizes and great quality items, I consider myself lucky (or unlucky? you should ask my wallet) you are even doing this so for now I'll keep setting my alarm clock for the item's I really want to have.
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What I really miss is a turtle neck sweater.
A IHTB-01 with turtle neck for example would be absolutly great
have you ever did one ? -
Thanks for the insight and reply!
I can imagine it is really hard to find the right balance between demand and supply like you've said, and not all items will sell as expected.
Thank you for considering this and hearing me.
IH is indeed one of the only Japanese brands to offer larger sizes and great quality items, I consider myself lucky (or unlucky? you should ask my wallet) you are even doing this so for now I'll keep setting my alarm clock for the item's I really want to have.
We will try and get better
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I'd love to see IH make a loosely woven 14 oz denim geared towards summer wear… something like the 16 oz vintage denim, but in 14 oz. (A re-release of the 16 oz vintage jeans would also be great.)
Also, I saw that Rox has an IH coffee mug. I'd totally pick up one of those if you decided to re-run them.
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The slubby 16oz is a perfect summer weight denim IMO…..Better than the vintage 16....
Huh, I hadn't considered that. Thanks for the info.
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[mention]BlueBlood [/mention] I can 100% back up Giles statement. I wore the 777 sample all through June and July last year going hiking. They breathe very well and much more than the 14oz Ib denim I have.
Thanks, @Fadez ! I just read through the 16 oz SLB thread and was pretty blown away with the fade progress of the samples. Hope your leg is better now and you're not experiencing any Lyme symptoms (one of my wife's friends has it).
I have to admit that I hadn't put much thought into the SLB jeans until you and Giles brought them up. I've been looking for a good year-round fading project and those have Indigo Invitational written all over them. So I'm probably going to snag a pair of 777s when they're released. Thanks!
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Thanks for asking man. It has “healed” but since the infection site was pretty rough the docs said I’ll never have 100% strength left back in that area with my skin. It just stinks because it is right on my calf so extended walks and hikes can fatigue it quicker than normal. So far so good with the actual Lyme. I’m sure I’ll get another panel down the road just to be doubly sure. I’m hoping to get back on the hiking routine once the weather breaks again. Like you I plan to rock the Slubs for the indigo invitational if I can hold out for that long. They’re such an amazing denim and fun to wear that it feels like that pairs stares back at me being all hung up with tags on it. You are for sure going to enjoy them! Stoked for you to pick up a pair!
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Thanks for asking man. It has “healed” but since the infection site was pretty rough the docs said I’ll never have 100% strength left back in that area with my skin. It just stinks because it is right on my calf so extended walks and hikes can fatigue it quicker than normal. So far so good with the actual Lyme. I’m sure I’ll get another panel down the road just to be doubly sure. I’m hoping to get back on the hiking routine once the weather breaks again. Like you I plan to rock the Slubs for the indigo invitational if I can hold out for that long. They’re such an amazing denim and fun to wear that it feels like that pairs stares back at me being all hung up with tags on it. You are for sure going to enjoy them! Stoked for you to pick up a pair!
Good to hear that the Lyme doesn't seem to be an issue for you (fingers crossed for the long-term).
Also looking forward to everyone's progress pics with the SLB denim.
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Godspeed @Fadez ; with Lyme it can always be worse. It is a frightening illness and I hope your recovery continues and you get back to 100%!
