10th anniversary!
Now in September, Northern Playground is 10 years old. We're alive, we're growing, and we love it! But damn, everything has been turned upside down. I think the only thing left from co-founder Magnus' kitchen table at Carl Berner is the name Northern Playground.
Written by Jo Egil Tobiassen, CEO & Founder
Quick Success
It’s hard to remember what we dreamed of when we started. Becoming a big clothing brand probably wasn’t it. Honestly, I think the motivation was to achieve quick international success with the inventions Ziplongs® and Zipbra™, and use that experience to start something new. Something that could truly change the world. But first, sell a lot of Zipwear™. Because how hard could it be to sell something so smart?
Pretty hard, actually. Especially abroad. We were on the shelves in cool stores in the Alps and the USA, but usually stayed on the shelves. And just as important: In the beginning, we had a romantic relationship with what we were doing: using wool and recycled polyester to create products that make outdoor life better. Isn’t that pretty good? After all, it’s the others who are destroying the world, right?
The Revelation
When you read a few too many books and talk to a few too many researchers, you do actually get wiser. The writing on the wall became clear: We were a destructive factor. In many ways, we were at the core of why we’re destroying the planet. Because no matter how clothes are made, the footprint is negative, and we lived off selling yet another pair of long johns to people who already had five in their closet. There was nothing romantic about that.
The first five years of NP were about this. We spent about 10 million NOK in public and private funds to internationalize Zipwear™. We looked at successes like Db (Douchebags) and Norrøna, and thought we could do the same with a similar business model. There are many reasons why we didn’t achieve that. One of them is motivation. The more you see yourself as a destructive force, the less you feel like Superman. At some point, it became clear to me what other companies don’t want to talk about: Technology alone won’t save us, and we won’t get anywhere without reducing consumption. And the next thought: Imagine how cool it would be if we could invent a model where it’s possible to make money as consumption decreases!
NORTHERN PLAYGROUND 2.0
In 2019, Marita Sollien joined the company, and we began outlining NP 2.0. We probably should have started a new company, but screw it, for better or worse, we carried on with the same corporation. By the winter of 2020, we had a clear plan. We would exit all 100 stores we were in, sell directly to the customer, start offering free repairs, motivate people in every possible way to use their clothes for longer, and work with the government to change regulations so slow fashion could beat fast fashion. To mention a few things. And we would spend many years implementing these changes.
SUDDENLY, IT'S COOL
When Covid hit, we made the changes in two weeks. It was completely crazy, and we basically expected to go bankrupt. But we didn’t. Far from it. In fact, we’ve grown a lot since then (even though we exited all the stores!). And maybe the coolest thing: Our customers report that they consume less because of us.
So here we are on our 10th anniversary. We’re a highly motivated and competent team of about 10 people, trying and failing every day. Behind us, we have 700 amazing owners who give us full freedom. It’s perhaps a little lonely that no other companies think like us, but we love being the rebel. Now we’re not trying to copy anyone else. Because suddenly the tide turns. Suddenly, it’s cool to use products for a long time. Cool to not care about the color of the year. Cool to repair. Cool to pay a fair price so that everyone in the supply chain can live decent lives. Cool to buy local. Cool to support companies with an active voice. Cool to embrace openness and for someone to speak the uncomfortable truth.
And when that happens, we’re ready!
UPSTREAM
For now, we’re swimming upstream. It’s fun and exhausting. Want an example? Some people don’t understand that it’s worth renovating a new store using only reclaimed materials. It takes three times as long and wears us out. Shouldn’t we be spending time selling clothes, right? But we love taking that detour, and we know you do too. So maybe it’s worth it?
But swimming against the current is easier said than done. Our swimming technique isn’t always perfect, and we hit sharp rocks. This anniversary month, we need to balance opening a new store and micro factory in Oslo with offering discounts on our bestsellers. The latter isn’t really our thing and is actually a bit embarrassing, to be honest.
Champagne and wild raspberries
But we’re not an environmental organization. We’re hard-core business and have to deal with real bank accounts that run dry. And it’s precisely the commercial aspect that makes this so exciting. If we succeed with a profitable and scalable business model that demonstrably reduces consumption, then we’ll inspire thousands of other companies and make a real difference.
Then I’ll buy a train, paint it full of pirate flags, fill it with champagne and wild raspberries, and take everyone who wants to ski in Chamonix.
Just give us 10 more years.
Will you join us?
