Nice as Heck is a lifestyle brand for functional, stylish clothing and accessories inspired by board sports and the outdoors. As its co-founders looked to launch a small business and build a brand with limited resources, they knew they needed help.

The young entrepreneurs faced an extremely competitive clothing market, particularly in North America, where many brands launch every day. It turned out that Alibaba.com’s end-to-end automated solution was the perfect fit for Nice as Heck.

The Alibaba.com platform increased brand visibility for Nice as Heck and allowed the company to source a wide range of suppliers and manufacturers to expand its product line to include accessories for both men and women.

Since 2017, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Cam Daly, has worked closely with Alibaba.com to enable and organize the production of specialty goods, while creating and maintaining strong supplier relations. “We needed to create something new and custom to our liking, in our specifications,” said Cam. “Without Alibaba.com, we obviously couldn't have done that. They were pivotal.”

A One-Stop Shop Boosts Efficiency

Started by three friends in the suburbs of Illinois, the company focuses on making high quality, affordable, sustainable and eco-friendly products. Their specialized products, with functionality including insulated pockets and microfiber attachments, require working with the right vendors to customize specifications. Alibaba.com offered the optimal platform to find and reach out to verified suppliers.

The cofounders of Nice as Heck work with both the supplier and customer service teams of Alibaba.com on a regular basis to nurture key professional relationships. Through the platform’s massive pool of verified consumers, suppliers, manufacturers, Nice as Heck has developed several valuable and long-term relationships. Through Alibaba.com’s vast supplier database, an evolving brand like Nice as Heck has access to multiple audiences.

In addition to leveraging supplier and customer services, Nice as Heck is able to protect product quality and complete on-time shipping via Alibaba.com’s Trade Assurance feature, a built-in protection service for buyers in the event that a supplier fails to complete an order. Nice as Heck knows it has the extended support of Alibaba.com’s customer service team available around the clock to resolve any issues related to shipments.

Surviving the Pandemic

The pandemic brought widespread disruption to the global economy – 24% of global small businesses shut down by February 2021. As a result, the Nice as Heck team was unable to launch three out of four product lines planned for 2020 and they expected to suffer a huge hit to their global customer base.

With the support of Alibaba.com, however, the outdoor-inspired lifestyle brand was able to grow its revenue and achieve a fourfold increase in sales in 2020 alone. Cam attributes this to Alibaba.com’s commitment to work through the pandemic and related restrictions to ensure quality products were safely developed and shipped on time.

“Through the pandemic, Alibaba.com made it super easy to continue production of our clothing,” said Cam. “We were able to find suppliers who were working through the guidelines and still able to safely work and stay open to ensure that we didn't have to completely shut down as a business.”

Building a Brand with the Right Team and Technology

Nice as Heck’s partnership with Alibaba.com helps increase their market share and expand its customer base from North America to global. Various tools and services by Alibaba.com – including the supplier database and trade assurance – provide the ideal support for small businesses like Nice as Heck that need speedy service, a user-friendly network, and a cost-effective structure.

Thanks to Alibaba.com’s comprehensive platform, Nice as Heck has increased visibility for its brand worldwide and their lean team is able to continue expanding the business with limited resources. “Alibaba.com is a great platform, a one-stop shop for all of it,” said Cam. “You can order a variety of products, keep your business going through and do it all in the same place, so it's easy to do as a small brand!”