Founded in 2018, pureplay bedding and homewares company Dusk says its mission is: “Delivering luxury for less. Always.” It follows that it has to tread a difficult path, offering a combination of quality and value for money.
Dusk also needs to persuade its potential customers to choose the site both for large one-off purchases such as a new bed and also for items bought more often, such as bed linen. To achieve this, it has invested in a highly visual website where, from the homepage, customers can shop by product category or click on promoted products.
A cleverly executed navigation bar at the top of the page leads to dropdown options so that, for example, if users hover over the word ‘bedroom’, they’re shown products types in four main categories: Beds, Beds by Size, Bedroom Furniture and Bedding.
From the homepage, it’s also immediately obvious that flexible purchase options are available to pay for big-ticket items. These include Klarna and DivideBuy interest free credit.
For those who don’t know exactly what they want to buy, Dusk has an Inspiration/Blog section that, when RetailX last visited the site, offered advice on such subjects as using purple in the bedroom.
Again, these pages are highly visual, a case of show and tell. However, by no means all of the articles are about design considerations. What’s the messiest snack you can eat in bed? Nachos with dips and cheese, apparently!
More practical advice is available too. A section entitled Homeware Styling and Buying Guides offers practical tips on, for example, styling kids’ bedrooms to create a cosy environment that’s also fun.
The company offers plenty of incentives to tempt customers in. Dusk’s 100 Night Sleep Trial allows customers to try after they buy and, should a mattress not be right, return it for a modest collection fee, £39.99. Customers can also earn gift cards when they sign up for a MyDusk Rewards scheme.
Dusk’s main social responsibility initiative is a partnership with Shelter in which the proceeds from £2 tote bags go to the homelessness charity.
Dusk has international ambitions and launched in the USA in 2023, when it noted: “Initially Dusk.com will focus its product offering in the US on a number of its competitively priced best- selling bed linen sets, throws, cushion covers and accessories, with prices starting from just $2.”
This is one of 10 company profiles in the RetailX Growth1000 Report 2024. Calendar Club, Chemist4U, Harvey Nichols, Quiz, Cartier, CGP, Furniture 123, Mobile Fun and Pop in a Box are all looked at in detail.
The wider report examines the strategic and economic landscape, incorporating insights from ConsumerX to understand evolving consumer behaviour.
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