Shaping New Tomorrow is one of the fashion industry’s successful growth stories, continuing to surge forward with gazelle-like speed and international expansion in its 9th year. The North Jutland brand is today represented in the wardrobes of just under 10 percent of the male Danish population. TØJ has interviewed the company’s CEO, Kasper Ulrich, about the art of acting securely and resolutely when ambitions are sky-high.
They have won a host of awards, delivered double-digit million profits over the past few years, and rapidly created one of the fastest-growing clothing brands in recent times. A simple Google search of Shaping New Tomorrow fills the browser window with positive accolades and various titles and awards. Established in 2015 by three young clothing entrepreneurs, Kasper Ulrich, Christoffer Bak, and Christian Aachmann, childhood friends from Aalborg, the company now employs 227 people across its headquarters in Aalborg, its European head office in Hamburg, and at 12 flagship stores in the biggest Danish and German cities. The brand has all its production in Portugal, employing about 200 workers. Driven by the ambition to unite classic men’s wear of good quality with comfort and an active lifestyle, the three founders have since 2015 created Denmark’s fastest-growing company.
The successful growth story is crafted in a North Jutland manner, as TØJ talks with the 30-year-old CEO and co-founder, Kasper Ulrich: “If Shaping New Tomorrow were in a marathon, we’ve just passed the five-kilometre mark. It’s a super cool journey, but it’s also challenging. I have a position that requires me to constantly develop in line with the company. This means I must take a hard look at myself and occasionally use a business coach. My work takes up many of my waking hours because I am very passionate about what we have created.”
Although many things have changed for the young company leader over the last nine years, the visions for Shaping New Tomorrow have remained the same: “My dreams are unchanged. We started the company with a vision to redefine men’s wear by uniting classic design with technological innovations. Personally, I strive to maintain and strengthen this ambition on an increasingly international level year after year. The goal is not just to create a new tomorrow, but also ‘a better tomorrow.’ I want to challenge the conventions in a rapidly changing fashion industry and create a simpler and more sustainable future for classic clothing, thereby supporting the dynamic lifestyle of modern men and women and making their everyday life a bit easier and more comfortable,” says Kasper Ulrich.
The business model, also established nine years ago, still guides Kasper Ulrich when making big and small decisions on behalf of Shaping New Tomorrow. It is deeply implemented in all aspects of the business:
“All decisions we make are based on simple principles that stem from our business model. If we are unsure about an investment, we ask ourselves: Does it create a better experience for our customers and improve our products? If yes, we should invest. A concrete everyday example is that we spend over a million kroner a year on giving away free coffee and soda to customers in our stores. Similarly, we don’t necessarily raise prices when we introduce a new model of our pants or make updates to the products, even though it costs us 10-30 percent more in purchasing,” explains Kasper Ulrich, continuing: “Our business model is designed to create maximum value for our customers. Therefore, we have also chosen to sell directly to the consumer, removing costly intermediaries. We have taken ownership of the entire customer journey to ensure the best possible experience, gather valuable feedback, and constantly improve our products and services, so they not only meet but exceed customer expectations. We are committed to creating maximum value for our customers by using direct feedback and data from consumers.”
The entire approach of the brand is dynamic and constantly evolving. This also means that Shaping New Tomorrow significantly differs from other market players, the CEO points out:
“When we presented our concept more than nine years ago, we were pioneers, the first in classic men’s wear to fully implement the comfortable functionality of sportswear. Today, it’s about being the best at what we do. Our primary focus is to remain industry leaders by continually developing and perfecting our products and experiences.”
Scandinavian store expansion
The past few years have been a whirlwind for Shaping New Tomorrow, with a series of store openings in some of Germany’s biggest cities, expansion into women’s clothing and associated stores, and in December 2023, Kasper Ulrich and his team initiated the next phase of their international expansion. They opened their first Swedish store, marking a planned entry into the rest of Scandinavia’s retail scene. The opening in Stockholm will be followed by another store in Gothenburg in spring 2024. For Kasper Ulrich, the international store adventure is just right on multiple levels: “My biggest idol was my grandfather, who unfortunately is no longer with us. He always tended to do a little extra, and I got that from him. I don’t take the easy choices, but I’m willing to go ‘the long road’ to reach my goals. I am very ambitious and, if it were up to me, I would have pushed harder in our international expansion. But especially our board is good at giving me a reality check,” he adds with a laugh.
Stockholm is on the map as part of the ambitions to strengthen the interplay between online and physical retail, thereby expanding the position in Scandinavia in the coming years, says Kasper Ulrich: “We are now accelerating the next phase of our international growth investments. Parallel to continued store openings in Germany, we are now aiming for the rest of Scandinavia. Here, we are already experiencing positive developments in our online business. And by fully unfolding our store concept and omnichannel universe, our experience is that we create synergies and loyalty that support both brand awareness and business,” he says, adding: “Our investments in Sweden are made with a long-term perspective. So, we are aware that we are entering a retail market that is going through a tough period. But we see positive trends. For example, the repurchase rate in our Swedish online shop has increased significantly over a longer period. This development, coupled with securing a strong location at an attractive rent, makes us believe the timing is right.”
According to Kasper Ulrich, the largest cities are in play for store investments in Scandinavia. Based on analyses of customer flows and traffic at potential locations, Shaping New Tomorrow’s well-tested omnichannel universe will gradually be rolled out in new cities following the Danish and German model. “We know from both the Danish and German markets how much potential there is in unfolding our entire universe for our customers. Here, the physical stores play an important role in anchoring our concept, products, and the special service experience with customers,” concludes Kasper Ulrich.
