New direction: what’s next at Babau
A few weeks ago we published a statement explaining the situation we were in and how we got there. Today it’s time to explain the second part: where we are now and what comes next.
As you know, right now it’s just Lluís and me again. We prefer to see it as two steps back to gain momentum. It’s the most honest way to explain what we’re going through and how we’ve decided to face it.
Today we want to tell you what we have in the works. In fact, what we’ve been preparing for more than two years and that has finally become a reality. Some of the samples you can see behind me in the video.
Our sales channels
Let’s start at the beginning. Babau sells through two channels:
1. The online store, where we sell directly to our customers.
2. Multibrand stores, specialized in bags and travel, that buy our products to resell them.
It is in these stores where the “psychological barrier” of 100 € appears. Above that amount, it becomes increasingly difficult to sell. Inflation and changing consumption priorities mean many people prefer to spend on experiences rather than products. And we think that’s great, but we sell products and we need them to sell.
Our bags exceed 100 € for many reasons: we are one of the few brands still manufacturing here, we use very high-quality materials – inside and out – and local labor has an unavoidable cost. If you also add the interior lighting system, you’ll understand that nothing helps reduce costs.
Designing with limits
Since we started 16 years ago, we have had to design within a very clear cost framework so the final price doesn’t skyrocket. We have always wanted to make extremely functional bags, with many pockets, compartments, and zippers… but if we designed exactly what we imagine, a Babau would cost 300 or 400 €, and we wouldn’t sell any.
The decision to manufacture abroad
Two years ago we made a decision: to travel to China to find a workshop where we could manufacture with the highest possible quality but with more controlled costs.
We went with one of our trusted manufacturers, with whom we share shelves in many stores. And we found an extremely professional workshop: top-level machinery, careful processes, and staff with a very high level of training.
Here we work with what we have. I learned to sew with a machine over 30 years old. There, on the other hand, you breathe investment, resources, and incredible precision.
In China you can find whatever you’re looking for: price or quality. We went looking for quality, and we found it.
Why nylon
Our initial idea was to manufacture exactly the same as we do here, with the same materials. But it wasn’t possible. We tested prototypes for two years, and in the end we made a strategic decision: to create a collection with all the features we’ve always wanted, but made with a material that would allow us to go below the 100 € threshold.
The solution was recycled nylon, just like most of the brands we share shelves with. In our case, we have also used materials made from recycled plastic bottles both inside and out.
This allows us to offer bags that are lighter, softer, completely waterproof, durable, and with a smaller carbon footprint.
Finally, the new collection
We are very excited. Very much. Although it’s a bad time to launch anything – you know how tight our timing is – we do what we can. There are two of us, we go as far as we can.
After sending prototypes back and forth for two years, the final production has finally arrived. Now it’s time to photograph, edit, prepare, and upload everything to the website as soon as possible.
It’s not ideal to present a collection right before Black Friday, but the most important decisions were made during one of the toughest moments in our history, when we had to say goodbye to our entire team. Even so, we decided to move forward.
Today, that bet has finally become a reality.
— Dani and Lluís
BABAU Barcelona