E-commerce Features

With Sangrove, Tatiana Alexa Doesn’t Just Dream of a Sustainable Supply Chain

Tatiana Alexa saw a global problem and created a solution at the source.

Pre-pandemic, if you said “supply chain,” the number of sage head nods of recognition would have been very limited. But now, the proverbial supply chain is the scapegoat for all kinds of consumer and retail challenges.

Why are there no paper products at the supermarket? Supply chain.

Why are the parts for my dishwasher on backorder for four months? Supply chain.

Why are semi-conductor chips in such short supply? I can’t get a new car or gaming console! Blame the supply chain.

What is a supply chain?

A supply chain is the path goods travel between the source and the final consumer of the product. Sometimes, a product is just a part of another product. With factory shutdowns, delays in shipping and surges in demand for certain products, today’s supply chains are messy, to say the least. Retailers are always looking for fast delivery of products and low prices. Unfortunately, the current state of the world means these products are hard to find.

But even in the best of times, a supply chain can be problematic. This problem is exacerbated if the products in question are ordered far in advance and ship over long distances. What was desirable or in style when ordered can fall out of favor by the time it arrives in store. This can leave retailers (especially independent retailers) in trouble and lead to a large amount of waste. This is especially problematic in a world growing more and more concerned with waste, especially in the home fashion/furnishings world.

How does Sangrove tackle the issue?

Tatiana Alexa, the founder and CEO of Sangrove says, “Design brands need work smarter and collectively at the beginning of a product lifecycle in order to ensure there is less waste and a more sustainable industry.”

Sangrove is a digital marketplace platform allowing brands to efficiently fund, produce and deliver new products – empowering independent (very often women-owned) small businesses.

The platform helps its clients, mostly home furnishing designers and independent retailers, avoid over-production, excess inventory and deadstock (discontinued or obsolete inventory that isn’t expected to sell, except at deep discounts.) It offers early market validation and helps clients pool resources so products can be most efficiently produced in quantity. It delivers on its founder’s vision of “conscious production”, underscoring the benefits of a new way to do business: a healthier industry, healthier margins and a healthier planet.

We talked with Alexa, a serial entrepreneur, about how she builds companies from the ground up, as well as her “ah-ha” moment and how Sangrove started. We also talked with her about being an immigrant entrepreneur and a single mom.

If you are looking at obstacles to achieving your goals, spend some time with Alexa for a lesson in grit, resilience and how to achieve big, industry-changing dreams.

Read our feature on Alex Ostebo, Founder of Kameo, on how she’s helping the entertainment industry survive during the pandemic.

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