Eddy and David Barrett set up Kigs.co.uk in 2010 with £10,000 of savings and have seen their business rocket after onesies won a big celebrity following.
The all in one animal outfits are proving so popular that the pair are now manufacturing their own branded range, set to launch in May this year.
The brothers came up with the idea when a friend came back from Japan with one of the outfits and within eight months had their first website up and running.
The tipping point for them came at Christmas 2011 when onesies started to become a fashion trend.
Co-founder Eddy Barrett said: “As soon as celebs like the stars of TOWIE and One Direction started being photographed out and about in onesies, we knew the business was about to take off.
“December 2011 was incredibly busy for us and since then the business has been growing steadily. The summer months – so festival season – are key months for us as is the run up to Christmas.
“Our core customers tend to be parents buying them for teenage children as gifts – students aged 16 upwards are a key market for us. You spot a lot of students wearing Kigs onesies at festivals. They stay warm and certainly stand out from the crowd.”
Eddy set up the business while studying business management at Reading University. His brother was working in retail. Prior to Kigs he ran an online business selling niche MP3 products.
He continued: “Running my own successful business is something I’ve always wanted to do. My first site was more of a hobby – something I did while I was studying. It’s hard to get passionate about MP3 products but it was a great way for me to learn about online retail and what works.
“When David and I set up Kigs, we knew it would take off. Now we have a loyal customer base we need to continue to grow that and build on our reputation of providing the highest quality garments.
“If people call in to the distribution centre, it’s still David and I who’ll answer any query. It’s really important for us to stay close to our customers and develop the business with them in mind. It’s thanks to them that we’ve grown so quickly and that Kigs have become so popular.
“Our bestsellers change all the time. At the moment our customers are loving the children’s hamster costume and the adult cyclops onesie.”
Eddy concludes: “Our focus over the coming months will be our children’s onesies. We’re hoping to get our branded Kigs into retailers so we have a presence both online and on the High Street.”
