One Kings Lane has raised $67 million in financing and is doing more than $100 million in annual sales, so it’s safe to say that CEO Doug Mack knows a thing or two about how to run a successful company. As so many other business veterans point out, most of a company’s success hinges on the team. But Mack also emphasizes the importance of culture fit, which is why, as CEO of Scene7 and One Kings Lane, he dutifully interviewed each and every candidate himself to determine whether or not they were a good fit for the company.
“At One Kings Lane we look for people who are very customer-focused, who are very passionate about eCommerce and the home décor industry, and we look for people who are really innovative—people who don’t just want to do the same thing other companies are doing.”
Equally important, said Mack, is focus. The Web is an endless bounty of options, so young startups should be grooming themselves to provide something different—something special. If you take on too much too fast, you run the risk of just becoming the second or third best in any given segment.
As for the future of the flash sales industry, Doug Mack underscores the importance of curation. You can always go to Amazon and find everything and anything you need, but sites like One Kings Lane that focus on curation end up picking up a small batch of high-quality goods that they can put their brand behind.
“We curated first, but consumers will be the next to curate,” said Mack. “I believe that consumers over time will be willing to receive five to seven emails a day on topics that they’re interested in.” They might be interested in home décor, apparel, kids wear, travel, and so on—and they’ll sign up to receive emails from the companies that are the absolute best in that segment.
“For those companies that are not innovative…I see those companies fading into the sunset,” said Mack.
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Startup/Business
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One Kings Lane is the only private online sales site solely dedicated to designer home décor. Each day (Monday – Friday) there are 3-5 sales that are brand specific and last 72 hours. Events begin at 8 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST. For the first time ever, consumers have access to the personal inventory of high profile interior designers thanks to the Tastemaker Tag Sales. The sales will include an exciting, eclectic mix of vintage finds, one-off samples, décor and furniture from a designer’s branded line. The first TTS will launch on April 10th. Every Saturday, for three days, an interior designer will offer a signature assortment of hand-picked selections, which will be offered to One Kings Lane members at 50 percent or more below retail value. One Kings Lane was founded by Susan Feldman, a former fashion executive who has worked with such companies as Warnaco/Ralph Lauren Swimwear, Polo Jeans, and C&C California, and Alison Pincus, a digital media expert who spent time at ELLE Décor, Home, and Metropolitan Home. When Susan moved back to Los Angeles from New York a few years ago, and into her first house as an adult, she was house proud, but noted the frugal climate. She saw an opportunity to create a new way to make beautiful home furnishings available affordably, a sort of online sample sale. She and Ali were introduced and Susan’s background in retail, combined with Ali’s background in digital media created the perfect combination to create One Kings Lane.
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Doug Mack is CEO of One Kings Lane. As CEO, Doug is helping to create one of the most exciting online brands today. Doug previously was CEO and co-founder of Scene7, leading platform for e-commerce.
