Buying a Comforter

This morning I woke up cold while sleeping. Now that it’s October, the weather has gotten quite chilly.

I started living alone in July and had been getting by with just a summer comforter, but it seemed like it was about time to buy a thick one. Something for all seasons, or for winter—a comforter that could keep me warm through the coming winter.

First I searched for comforters on Ohou (Ohouse) and Naver Shopping. There were so many kinds of comforters. Some places push low prices, others show off their story of craftsmanship. Long stretches of provocative product introduction images. Screenshots of positive user reviews highlighted in giant bold text. Tables comparing their own products against other companies’ at a glance. Comforter names borrowed from French to give a luxurious image. They say the regular price is such and such, but there’s an 18% discount only during the Chuseok holiday, so buy now.

After looking at all these provocative product introductions, I got dizzy and momentarily forgot what I had originally set out to do.

Eating breakfast helped me clear my head a bit. What was I originally trying to do? Right, I was trying to buy a comforter.

While briefly checking my email, I noticed a newsletter from a brand called Tekla. When I started living alone, I bought towels and bedding from them, and I’ve been satisfied using them because of the good quality. Coincidentally, it was a newsletter suggesting I take a look at their comforters. Since it was a brand I liked, I got curious and went to check it out.

The moment I entered, I could feel the difference. There was no popup like the one I had struggled to close by repeatedly clicking the X button just 30 minutes earlier. The site design was clean and free of clutter, and the product detail page only contained the information necessary for making a purchase decision. Looking at the carefully taken product photos made me want to buy one. Of course, since the price was three times that of domestic products, I couldn’t easily bring myself to press the purchase button.

Even though it was a short experience, I could really feel how different the shopping experience was.

It made me think I’d like to build a brand like Tekla. A brand that’s free of clutter, doesn’t advertise loudly, but is confident in its quality, has its own distinct character, and has quiet supporters. A brand that isn’t needlessly luxurious, is simple, and deeply satisfies the people who experience it. A brand that greatly satisfies some people, rather than mildly satisfying everyone. That’s the kind of brand I like.