We did something scary. And thank goodness we did.
Because this winter was tough. And the world is weird — still is. Long story short: More and more of our production has to be paid for long before we can sell anything. And with the size of our bank account, that’s just not possible.
What do you do then? Some call the bank. Others call their uncle.
We did something completely different: We wrote a letter.
We wrote to our co-owners and our most loyal customers.
We explained exactly where we stood — and humbly asked for help.
Plain and simple: Would you consider shopping now?
What did we think would happen?
Honestly — we weren’t sure. Would it come across as desperate? Would people think, “I don’t want to date someone who begs”? We hesitated. We mulled it over for days. But we have one rule: Anything that seems a little crazy deserves serious consideration.
So we did it. We wrote a letter straight from the heart. We handwrote the recipient’s name and our signature — on 4,000 letters. Folded each one. Slid them into envelopes. It took a full week.
And then? We sent them by post. The old-fashioned way.
We crossed our fingers. And our toes. And everything else. Would people be annoyed? Disappointed? Would it damage the brand? Would anyone even read two full A4 pages from a clothing company? And is it even okay for a brand built on “buy less” to say: “Could you buy something now?”
Scary doesn’t even begin to cover it.
The resault?
- 3.7 million NOK in sales from the 4,000 letters (4.6 million including VAT)
- 1,389 customers made a purchase
- Average order value: 3,332 NOK including VAT
- 13 customers spent more than 13,000 NOK
- Hundreds of emails with support and kind words
- Comments and shares on social media — many took a photo of the letter and shared it, especially on LinkedIn
- And most importantly: NP is back on track. We can go on the offensive again.
What did we learn?
1. We’ve spent years building a company that does the opposite of everyone else. At the same time, we’ve built a community that shares our values. When we reached out directly to that community, what happened was pure magic. We need to keep building that community.
2. Some people interpret our message of “buy less” as “never buy.” After the letter, many said it was a relief to hear us say that it’s okay to buy things. We need to be even clearer about this: It’s okay to buy stuff. Let’s just buy fewer — and better — things.
3. We need to keep being weird. Keep being open, humble, and brave. It works.
So: Expect more mischief from us. Maybe more letters. Maybe something even stranger. Definitely more activism and straight-from-the-heart communication.
And now we dare to say this:
If you want there to be a clothing brand that challenges this industry and tries to light a path out of the tunnel with a different kind of business model — then invest in our clothes. Not just when we send letters, but steadily over time. Do as the organization Framtiden i våre hender suggests: buy no more than five new garments a year — and buy them from brands like us.
And hey — it’s not just about us.
You vote at the ballot box every other year. But with your wallet, you vote every single day. Vote for the companies you want to see survive. You probably already know who they are.
And to all of you who read the letter, sent kind words, and placed an order: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Want to read the letter too? Click the button.
A huge thank you from Team NP.
To everyone who shopped during the campaign, we made a video to show our gratitude. Hit play! (Only in Norwegian)
