Sam Matanle on redefining the suit through made-to-order fashion – Small Business Retail Sessions (S1E10)

Welcome to the Small Business Retail Sessions podcast, brought to you by Enterprise Nation's Powering the High Street programme, in collaboration with EDF.

This series explores the major challenges that today's retailers are facing – from declining footfall and vacant shop-fronts to the post-pandemic recovery and increasing demand for sustainability.

Episode 10: Sam Matanle, co-founder of Batch

Sam Matanle is the co-founder of Batch, a menswear brand whose mission is to raise the standard of sustainability in fashion by eliminating overproduction and waste.

Founded in 2021, Batch produces high-quality casual suits made to order – manufacturing only what's needed. With a flagship store in Covent Garden and a growing online presence, Batch is redefining what the modern suit can be: versatile, well-made and built to last.

In this episode, Sam shares the story behind Batch's launch, the challenges of building a slow fashion brand and how transparency, customer experience and relentless focus have driven its growth.

Topics discussed in the episode

• How Sam and co-founder Julian spotted a gap in the market for casual suits

• Why Batch makes everything to order – and how it drastically reduces waste

• The difference between made-to-order and made-to-measure (and why it matters)

• Lessons from entering the fashion world without a fashion background

• Why off-the-shelf sizing and a single perfected fit works for most customers

• How the in-store experience builds trust, loyalty and higher conversion rates

• Managing customer expectations in a world of next-day delivery

• Why sustainability isn't the lead message – and what actually motivates shoppers

• How Batch has used celebrity and influencer partnerships to build credibility

   

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