{"id":811,"date":"2015-12-03T17:09:21","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T22:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/combatant-gentlemen-vertical-integration-so-you-can-dresssmarter\/"},"modified":"2015-12-03T17:21:01","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T22:21:01","slug":"combatant-gentlemen-vertical-integration-so-you-can-dresssmarter","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/combatant-gentlemen-vertical-integration-so-you-can-dresssmarter\/","title":{"rendered":"Combatant Gentlemen \u2013 vertical integration so you can #DressSmarter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Value Proposition\/Business Model<\/strong><\/p>\n

I first discovered Combatant Gentlemen through my fianc\u00e9 who was in a need of a new suit for our many upcoming weddings. He wanted something that was stylist and well made, but wasn\u2019t going to cost an arm and a leg. Combatant Gentlemen offered just that \u2013 one-stop online shopping for timeless, tailored menswear, made from quality materials and at an affordable price.<\/p>\n

Shirts, which are 100% cotton, cost $30-$40, while suits and tuxedos made from Italian wool are approximately $200. Co-founder and CEO, Vishaal Melwani, who also happens to be a third-generation Versace tailor and designs many of the products, wanted to create a brand that \u201cfelt like a Hugo Boss\u2026but (was) cheaper than Men\u2019s Warehouse\u201d [1] and has done just that. When my fianc\u00e9 brought his suit to a tailor for minor alternations (the company advises that customers may still need to get minor alternations such as sleeve and pant hemming), the tailor thought the suit was $800. Combatant Gentlemen has also become a hit with young men on Wall Street who don\u2019t have time to shop or visit a tailor but want to look sophisticated. Recently the company became the most shipped package to Goldman Sachs. [1]<\/p>\n

In addition to offering quality menswear, Combatant Gentlemen also offers an easy online sizing tool called \u201cFit Tech\u201d, and online consultation services where they provide fashion and additional sizing advice. The tool requires men to submit information that they already have easily available (e.g., height and weight) or could easily measure (e.g., neck circumference), and provides sizing recommendations so their products will fit and look their best. [2]<\/p>\n

Operating Model<\/strong><\/p>\n

The secret to Combatant Gentlemen\u2019s ability to offer such low prices is its vertically integrated supply chain. The company has cut out the middlemen and eliminated markups that result from designers, retailers, and wholesalers.<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a>[2]<\/p>\n

They pride themselves on the fact that they even their own sheep farm in Italy and cotton field in India. [3] Although the original designs and prototypes are created at their California headquarters, most of the manufacturing takes place overseas in places like China, India, and Europe [4], where labor costs are lower. By providing\u00a0and utilizing\u00a0their sizing tool, Combatant Gentlemen is also able to offer standard sizing and limit the number of SKU\u2019s they produce. As a result of all of these factors, the cost of producing a suit is only $24-$37 plus shipping. [3]<\/p>\n

https:\/\/vimeo.com\/109657796<\/a><\/p>\n

Performance Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although Combatant Gentlemen has succeeded in its ability to offer quality at a good price, I have noticed that they struggle with stock outs. To manage costs, the company has tried a just-in-time manufacturing approach and only holds a few days of inventory [4]. However, as a result of their rapid growth in popularity and sales, they have struggled to maintain inventory levels. (I’m personally really hoping this gets fixed so my fianc\u00e9 can get his tuxedo in time for our wedding.) To mediate this situation, they recently added a pre-order function that provides an estimated shipping date and allows customers to reserve out-of-stock items.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1] http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/combatant-gentleman-takes-wall-street-2015-1<\/a><\/p>\n

[2] https:\/\/www.combatgent.com\/dress-smarter<\/a><\/p>\n

[3] http:\/\/www.mensjournal.com\/style\/outerwear\/why-the-160-suit-makes-sense-20131113<\/a><\/p>\n

[4] http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/lydiadishman\/2013\/01\/31\/e-commerce-newbie-combat-gent-heads-into-battle-for-a-piece-of-the-menswear-market\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[5] http:\/\/www.inc.com\/graham-winfrey\/why-combatant-gentlemen-is-the-warby-parker-of-suits.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Combatant Gentlemen's vertically integrated supply chain enables them to offer stylish, quality menswear at an affordable price.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":703,"featured_media":812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[7],"class_list":["post-811","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winner"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/the-tom-challenge-tom-winners-and-losers-assignment\/","yoast_head":"\nCombatant Gentlemen \u2013 vertical integration so you can #DressSmarter - Technology and Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/combatant-gentlemen-vertical-integration-so-you-can-dresssmarter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Combatant Gentlemen \u2013 vertical integration so you can #DressSmarter - 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