How Did Slowood Become the Leading Eco-Conscious Chain in HK? Insider Insights from Rebekah

Welcome back to the Maven Club interview series, where we bring you invaluable insights from top founders/ GTM leaders to help you excel in your roles. Today, we had the privilege of sitting down with Rebekah, the Director of Business Development at Slowood, a pioneering eco-conscious lifestyle chain in Hong Kong. In our interview, Rebekah shared her passion for sustainability, her secret sauces on being a successful GTM leader, and how Slowood has carved out a unique space in the market with its commitment to eco-friendly living. Here are the highlights:

Who is Rebekah?

Rebekah is originally from New Zealand and has been in Hong Kong for eight years. Her diverse education background in Commerce and Science has fuelled her passion for sustainability. Her career began at the fastest-growing startup in New Zealand. She later transitioned to a role where she brought New Zealand food to the Hong Kong market. And now, she is the Director of Business Development at Slowood. 

What is Slowood?

Slowood is the leading innovative eco-conscious lifestyle grocery chain based in Hong Kong, committed to reshaping consumer habits and fostering a circular economy by offering an extensive range of zero-waste and sustainable products.

How Does Slowood Build Their Community?

“Our branding is all about authenticity. We want our community to know that we truly care about sustainability and that their purchases make a difference."

Slowood has built a significant community with 110K members and 45K followers on social media. Their engagement rate is impressive and they have a strong base of loyal, repeat customers.

Importance of Branding:

• Authenticity: Slowood’s branding is genuine and deeply resonates with its community. This authenticity builds trust and loyalty because customers can see that the brand’s values align with their own. Slowood’s transparent approach to sustainability and honest communication about their journey towards eco-friendliness foster a sense of reliability and credibility. Customers feel confident that their purchases are contributing to a larger good, which keeps them coming back.

• Customer Connection: Slowood’s branding strategy goes beyond mere transactions; it focuses on creating meaningful connections with customers. By sharing stories, values, and the mission of sustainability, Slowood cultivates a sense of community. This connection is further strengthened through personalized interactions and customer engagement initiatives. Slowood makes efforts to listen to customer feedback and incorporate it into their practices, making customers feel valued and heard.

Building Their Own App:

• Initial Setup: The loyalty program initially started as a simple Shopify plugin, which caused confusion between online and in-store points. This led Slowood to develop its own app to streamline the customer experience.

• Development: Slowood’s app was designed with a unique UI/UX to ensure a seamless and engaging user experience. The app immediately reflects Slowood’s branding and values, making it easily recognizable to users.

• Features: The app uses a tier system. Members collect ‘seeds’ as they spend which help them grow from a ‘sprout’ to a the highest tier of a ‘plant’. Each tier has different benefits and customers are able to spend their seeds on coupons and gifts. These features enhance customer engagement and loyalty by offering tangible rewards for continued patronage.

• User Experience: The app is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring that users can easily navigate and access the loyalty program and other features. This ease of use encourages regular interaction with the app, thereby strengthening customer loyalty.

Robust Backend System with CRM Integrations:

• Integrated Systems: Slowood’s backend system is a robust framework that integrates various software and systems to streamline operations and enhance customer engagement. By integrating different systems, Slowood can collect, manage, and analyze vast amounts of customer data efficiently.

• Customer Insights: The integration of these systems provides rich demographic and behavioral information about customers. This data is essential for understanding customer preferences, purchasing habits, and overall behavior. With detailed insights, Slowood can tailor its marketing strategies to better meet customer needs.

• Personalized Communication: By integrating customer data with their communication platforms, Slowood can personalize their interactions with customers. This means sending tailored messages, offers, and recommendations based on individual customer profiles. Personalized communication increases engagement and makes customers feel valued and understood.

• Enhanced Customer Experience: The robust backend system allows Slowood to provide a seamless and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. Whether a customer is shopping online or in-store, the integrated system ensures that their preferences and purchase history are recognized and catered to, enhancing overall satisfaction.

• Scalability: The scalable infrastructure supports future growth and success. As Slowood expands, the integrated backend system can handle increasing amounts of data and customer interactions, ensuring sustained performance and customer satisfaction.

Rebekah's Insights on Startups Based on Her Experience with Young Companies

Rebekah emphasizes the importance of getting the infrastructure right from the start. For startups, establishing a scalable and robust system is crucial. When she joined Slowood, she noticed the use of multiple systems, which set up a scalable infrastructure. Having the right vision and mindset is key to building and maintaining this infrastructure, paving the way for future growth and success.

Rebekah's Secret Sauce on Being a GTM Leader

"Staying close to our people and emphasizing excellent customer service makes a big difference. Genuine interactions can set us apart."

- People-Centric Approach: Rebekah believes in staying close to both internal and external people. Emphasizing excellent customer service is crucial as customers can sense genuine interactions. This personal touch can differentiate a company from its competitors, especially in a market like Hong Kong where such practices are rare.

- Customer Service: Adding a human touch to customer service can make a huge difference. Rebekah educates her team to be genuine and personable in their interactions. She has set up a framework for answering customer questions, focusing on providing solutions quickly and managing customer expectations correctly.

- Genuine Passion for Sustainability: Rebekah’s dedication to sustainability transcends her professional role and is a core part of her identity. This genuine passion is infectious and inspires both her team and customers. Her commitment to sustainability is evident in every decision she makes, reinforcing Slowood’s mission and values. This authenticity strengthens her leadership and helps build a community that shares similar values.

Vision for Slowood

"Our vision is to take Slowood global and spread our sustainable practices and values to a wider audience."

Currently, Slowood is focused on the Hong Kong market and has a distribution arm called ‘Greenroot’. They aim to expand internationally and make the sustainability movement global, spreading their eco-conscious practices and values worldwide.

We hope you find Rebekah’s insights as inspiring as we did. Promoting sustainable living through innovation and commitment is more than just a business model; it’s a mission to create a positive impact on our planet. Stay tuned for more interviews and insights in the next edition of Maven Club.