Retro Laundry is a Australian based Vintage store under 10k followers on Instagram, they are very reliable and have an easy way to navigate around their website for quick purchases! We caught up with the curator behind @Retro.Laundry here's what he had to say!!
Q & A:
Question 1: When did you Start Retro Laundry & has everything gone to plan?
A: I started Retro Laundry back in April 2020, in the very first Covid lockdown. I never intended to make a “business” out of it, it happened very organically so I would say it has gone to plan. It’s gone to plan in the fact I’m lucky enough to work for myself and do it full time now!
Question 2: Are all your clothes vintage? & how Vintage are we talking?
A: All of our clothes are 100% vintage, some go back to as early as the 80’s but we tend to sell clothes in the 90’s to early 2000’s.
Question 3: What is the Purpose of Retro Laundry?
A: The direction and purpose of retro laundry is always monitored and changed accordingly. We started off by simply providing affordable vintage but our future is will look very different. We really want to make our own community of thrift lovers feel they belong and will seek this in a number of ways.
Firstly by providing our own merch. We just recently decided on calling it “The Vintage Club”. You can read a heap about it on a blog post we did on the site but basically we wanted a name that was obvious in its intention and what it meant. By focusing on what we are/sell “vintage” and the community aspect “club”
Secondly, by running events. I feel this would be the best way to bring our community of vintage connoisseurs together and also be a way to give back.
And lastly by being customer focused. What u mean by this is, doing the little things. Replying back to every DM, writing a small note for every order, providing exceptional customer service/experience and in large, be as one with the people.
Question 4: What inspired you to start Retro Laundry? Was it a solo project idea or a group?
A: I run retro laundry completely by myself but my girlfriend helps me where she can! I’ve always been a thrift head but in particular have loved Harley’s and branded kit like Nike/adidas for as long as I can remember.
I’ve always wanted to work for myself so as soon as I managed to sell a couple of pieces I knew it had potential!
Question 5: How long does it usually take to organise and order a new collection for your website?
A: Drops take a ton of time and can be very stressful! The process involves sourcing, washing, steaming, content creation, inventory uploads and packaging. Definitely not for everyone but can be very rewarding if done right.
Question 6: How is Retro Laundry different to other stores?
A: In large, a vintage store will always be a vintage store but as I previously said, we are starting to build momentum in taking the direction of retro laundry in a different path which will separate as in the future.
Another separating factor is the quality. I spend hours every day sourcing the very best out there. We try our best to give a premium experience for our customers.
Question 7: How has lockdown impacted Retro Laundry
A: We didn’t know anything but online when we first started so initially it didn’t affect us but as we grew we started to head to markets every weekend. That’s definitely when we felt the lockdowns. In saying that, our online presence has always been great so we were able to manage.
Question 8: Are you all Online or do you have a store as well?
A: We’re currently mainly online but we head to Fitzroy market and camberwell market on the weekend!
You can check out Retro Laundry down here below on their socials!!!
SOCIALS:
Instagram: @retro.laundry
Website: www.retrolaundry.com.au/