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302 | Affordable Luxury: Partnering with the Right Suppliers | with Sergio Tache

Honest Ecommerce
Honest Ecommerce
Episode • Nov 4, 2024 • 28m

Sergio Tache is the Founder and CEO of Dossier, a perfume house for the next generation, where French craftsmanship meets innovation, enabling universal access and self-expression for the many. 

With Dossier, Sergio helps to set a new standard within the industry––removing pretenses, like the designer brand name tax and use of elitist marketing practices, namely celebrity endorsements, that drive up luxury fragrance prices. 

Dossier aims to help customers focus on a product’s quality, not a desired perception. All Dossier products are made in France, just without the price gouging. Sergio launched the company with its now-hero collection of Dossier Impressions, a collection of designer-inspired fragrances available for 70-85% less. 

With their success, he leveraged the company’s learning from experience to develop Dossier Originals (a collection of in-house exclusive fragrances) and Dossier Home (a line of room diffusers and candles with scents from customer-favorite Impressions). 

As of 2024, Tache has successfully helped the company expand outside of the U.S. to Mexico, Canada, and Australia and acquired Amazon and Walmart as retail partners. Before building Dossier, Tache held several CEO roles within the digitally-native beauty space––working within the haircare and skincare industries after leaving the finance industry. 

Sergio holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with his Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (in Belgium, where he grew up).

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • [00:41] Intro
  • [01:54] Challenging unfair high margins in beauty products
  • [02:53] Blending craftsmanship with affordability
  • [03:37] Finding the right perfume supplier
  • [05:18] Validating concepts without overspending
  • [06:51] Redefining luxury perfume with accessible choices
  • [07:59] Navigating MLQs and supplier roadblocks
  • [10:16] Embracing boring execution for long-term success
  • [10:44] Episode sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
  • [13:56] Mastering go-to-market strategies for growth
  • [14:58] Focusing on what works for your brand
  • [15:49] Executing clear product messaging for success
  • [17:00] Avoiding the shiny object syndrome
  • [19:04] Managing cash flow in startup struggles
  • [20:15] Understanding the urgency of financial planning
  • [21:46] Finding value in mentorship for entrepreneurs
  • [22:36] Choosing between self-funding and VC support
  • [24:02] Emphasizing daily reviews of key financials
  • [25:15] Simplifying ecommerce with key formulas
  • [26:20] The power of boring but effective execution
  • [27:08] Explore Dossier and connect with Sergio

Resources:

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