Ragtrader sits down with the Mum Club founders, Brianna and Hannah, to talk sales channels, new product categories and how they landed Country Road as a key stockist.
What gap were you targeting when you launched Mum Club in 2023?
When we started Mum Club, we weren't trying to create another accessory or fashion brand. We were ultimately trying to solve a problem for mums. We needed something that mums could throw on to cover post-partum hair loss or unwashed hair, but help them to still look put together. We realised mums didn't want another product telling them to be perfect. They wanted something that made them feel seen, and that is what has shaped everything we have done since.
How are Mum Club products distributed and sold?
Our primary channel is still DTC via our website, but our current strategy is to diversify as much as possible into the wholesale market. We have been really intentional about who we partner with for wholesale, with The Memo being our first and only goal. We were successful in pitching to them the first time, and now we are also stocked on the Country Road website via their favourite picks. We stock in a lot of other beautiful boutiques across Australia and New Zealand - mostly in businesses owned by other Mums.
What does your price point strategy look like?
We're positioned in the sweet spot between mass market and premium. We want our products to be affordable, but still feel like a treat, and our price point reflects the quality of the product (which we really tested with multiple suppliers). The goal is simple: a product that feels good, lasts well and makes someone smile.
How do you approach new slogan development from a commercial standpoint?
Community always comes first, as cliché as that sounds, because community is now such an e-commerce buzzword! Some of our best-selling slogans have come directly from conversations with mums, and we spend a lot of time reading our comments, DMs, reviews and having real-life in-the-park conversations. That said, co-founder Hannah is data-obsessed and keeps a close eye on sales and ad performance. We try to keep things as authentic as possible, but with a commercial overlay and always with lots of laughs.
Expanding into dad-focused styles is a significant brand decision. Why is that?
Honestly, our husbands were stealing our hats! We also heard the same from our customers, and commercially it made sense as we made the decision to bulk out the lower sales period before Father's Day. Our dad hats have really expanded the brand, and are equally popular with both DTC and wholesale customers.
How does social media drive Mum Club’s growth?
Social media (Instagram) has always been our biggest growth channel, and we spend a lot of time on that. We both feel too old for TikTok, but gosh, we try! Our simplest format for ads is ultimately talking to the camera, sharing customer feedback, or everyday parenting realities. It feels less like an ad and more like a conversation. We have always had so much luck with influencers posting with no obligation – this has been a VERY lucky aspect of our business and led to its success in the early days.
Now we are working with OneTwo agency to really help us drive our PR strategy and influencer marketing.
How do you manage production and supply as an indie business?
Like many Australian labels, we design everything here in Brisbane and manufacture offshore. As we have grown, we have built a really strong relationship with our suppliers and are in touch almost every day. We are getting better at balancing inventory and cash flow every day, but we dispatch everything individually from our homes. We are control freaks in that aspect, as we want packaging and quality to be beautiful.
How are you thinking about scaling without losing the community feel?
We are so fortunate that our business is aimed at mums, and our products are wonderful gifts for new mums – thankfully, women keep having babies. As we scale, we have found we are really lucky to have key periods like Mother's Day, Father's Day and Christmas. We also have a HUGE returning customer base, with some families quite literally collecting every design we have ever released.
Are there plans to extend beyond headwear?
Absolutely. We have already launched pram bags, which did really well, and we are constantly brainstorming ideas. We would ideally like to tap into the Mum Event space, but we have found that at the moment, between four kids and full-time 'real' jobs, we just haven't had the time. The timeline is like anything in parenting: "some stage in the future, but unable to say exactly when!"
What does the next 12 months look like for Mum Club?
The next 12 months are really about thoughtful growth. We have invested in a rebrand to match the maturity of our amazing customers and are investing in proper marketing and PR for the first time. We are continuing to release new drops. We are passionate that growth also doesn't always mean new, but it can be about strengthening our foundations, which we are also 'trying' to be really intentional about.
We also want to remain a strong partner in terms of donations to Catherine's House – Queensland's first integrated perinatal mental health centre. It was our 'why' at the very beginning and is still a huge priority for us.