In a world that finds itself in the midst of a worrying trend of fast, cheap fashion and planet harming online shopping, Fishers Finery are bucking the trend, demonstrating that producing clothing and bedding of the highest quality, comfort and style, shouldn’t have to come at the expense of the environment.

Nor does ecological responsibility have to be exclusive of success. The earth friendly company has quickly solidified itself as an industry success story since launching ten years ago.

Fishers Finery recently passed 100,000 trees planted through their partnership with Ecodrive, resulting in ~32,000 tons of carbon to be sequestered from the atmosphere over the trees’ lifetime and over 1000 days of work created for local communities. The monumental achievement is a marker of both their success as a business and their deep commitment to sustainable causes.

The brand’s tree planting has been a boost for business too, generating a 24% increase in conversion rate from website cart to checkout.

We sat down with Craig Barnell, Co-Founder and COO, to learn more about the strategies behind Fishers Finery’s growth, why listening to your customer and surpassing their expectations is key, and the role that sustainable messaging has played in differentiating the brand within an exceptionally competitive market.

Check out the full conversation below.

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Ecodrive: Hey Craig, thanks so much for joining us today! Could we start off by getting a brief rundown of who you are, your role at Fishers Finery, and a little background on the business?

Craig: Absolutely. Fishers Finery started in February 2013 when my dear friend, Ralph Carbone, invited me to join him in starting an e-commerce brand. He was the investor, and I took on the role of running the company. We began with a focus on selling through Amazon, aiming for success in individual product categories while also being as ecologically responsible as possible.

It’s very difficult to be 100% green, especially in e-commerce, because of packaging and other factors. However, one of our primary goals was to use sustainable materials - plastic bags that don’t have harmful chemicals, recycled cardboard for boxes, and fabrics like cashmere, which is simply the hair of the cashmere goat. We also use organic cotton and silk. From the very beginning, when we were forming the brand and deciding what products to launch, our goal was to be ecologically responsible.

We launched officially in November 2013. It was a little late for the holiday season, but we still managed to do about $300,000 in sales that year. By mid-2014, we hit $1 million in sales, and by the end of that year, we were at $2 million. From there, we were off to the races, and customers were responding well to our products.

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Wow, that’s incredible growth. What was your product focus in those early days?

Our primary focus initially was on silk pillowcases, which became our cornerstone product. We also had women’s sleepwear - pajamas, chemises, and robes. Over time, we added cashmere accessories such as hats, scarves, and a variety of other items for both men and women.

We also offered Terry robes, which were originally made from bamboo viscose blended with organic cotton. Later, we switched from bamboo viscose (Patagonia has an excellent article that explains why it’s better to move away from the material) due to the processing involved in turning it into thread.

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How much did really getting to know your customer and their needs aid in the company’s growth?

We really dug into understanding our customers, who were primarily women. Once we identified who was buying from us, we explored what other products that audience might be interested in, without having to create entirely new markets.

A key strategy was to affirm that we valued them as customers. So, when they bought that first silk pillowcase, we made sure it was packaged well. We included a free mesh wash bag, a thank-you card, and we really tried to make a solid first impression. This tactile experience, opening a package from us, was crucial as it was their first time interacting with our brand.

I can’t believe more brands don’t do the same.

For example, I have two daughters who would buy dresses for a dance, spending a few hundred dollars, only for it to arrive in a cheap plastic bag jammed in the mailbox. Established brands can maybe get away with that, but as a new name, our first physical touchpoint had to be perfect. It’s about making the customer feel valued.

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Amazing. And, first of all, congratulations. That growth is not easy to come by and you’ve provided our community with some really great insight into what it takes to get there, thank you.

On the subject of sustainability, was that something that you as founders always felt should be an important part of your business?

In my experience in business, and in life, top down generally sets the tone. Our goal was always to be ecologically responsible. I'm very careful not to say, 100% green or organic because those are high bars to set that are nearly impossible to achieve when you take them to their absolute granular level. It was a primary focus of ours though, right from the start, to not use poly, to not use nylons, or materials that are petroleum based.

Our goal was to try to approach everything we did with the basic focus of being ecological responsible. We’re always trying to do more, but we do make a legitimate attempt in almost every touch point to be as responsible as we can be.

You do have to be sensitive to the economic side of things too - sometimes the desire to be a hundred percent “green” gets so expensive that you take yourself out of the intended market that you're trying to serve, but we’re always looking at new ways to achieve greater sustainability.

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Did your customers ever come to you and ask for greener packaging or more sustainable materials?

Not specifically, but we were already trying to do that anyway. In terms of audience research, the vast majority of people in the US when you survey them will say that they would rather do business with a company that is sustainable.

That research economically supports our desire to be as ecologically responsible and do as much good as we can with the areas that we touch, which is helpful from a business standpoint of course.

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Taking that sustainable ethos even further, you’re partnered with Ecodrive to plant one tree for every online order. What has the feedback been like from customers around the initiative?

Very positive. Customers comment on the Ecodrive partnership and they appreciate it. There's no question that engaging with Ecodrive has resonated with customers. Another thing we value about Ecodrive is the local economic impact and how your projects create jobs for underprivileged communities alongside the environmental efforts. That holistic approach made Ecodrive the right partner for us.

There were opportunities to partner with other environmental companies who do similar things, but the way that Ecodrive is set-up to also help local communities was a big driver of why we decided to go with you guys.

I’d like to add that we support several other initiatives such as battered women's clinics and new mothers via Prudence Crandall and Carolyn's Place. We donate products to Dress for Success, and next month, we're launching a whole series of organic silk pillowcases supporting the Hope For Depression Foundation to raise money for depression research, which is the umbrella that covers anxiety, bipolar, and a whole bunch of other maladies.

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It’s incredible to hear that you support such great causes.

What about the level of verification that we offer at Ecodrive? The fact that a customer can actually track the particular tree their purchase has planted, or the exact piece of plastic that's been removed from the ocean. Does that resonate with consumers also?

That was a huge part of our vetting process. If customers couldn't have verified those things, there was no way we would have moved forward.

It is a primary driver of our brand identity to highlight the Ecodrive value proposition and what shopping with Fishers does for the environment. It's at the very center of defining who we are.

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That’s really awesome to hear. And in terms of actually getting set up with Ecodrive and integrating the technology with your Shopify powered website, how easy was that for you? And how easy has it been to maintain the technology?

Our team handled it and I’m told it was a really smooth process. The implementation of the Ecodrive code and getting started was not tremendously difficult at all.

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Having partnered with Ecodrive beyond 100,000 trees planted now, how important do you think sustainability is to customers?

Again, I would go back to the fact that the vast majority of people surveyed say that it is a strong consideration for them that if two companies are competing, and one has a very clearly defined sustainability mission and is actively engaged in supporting sustainable causes, they will give that company the nod.

In our specific case, we saw a nice boost of conversions with an increase of around 24% from cart to checkout via our website following the first few weeks of integrating Ecodrive.

All the data suggests that being ecological responsible and embarking on a green mission is a core component to growth and success.

All in all, partnering with Ecodrive is a good thing for the environment and humanity at large. It's a win on so many fronts that we just really appreciate being with you guys, we really do.

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We love having you as part of the Ecodrive community! Are there any other ways that you implement sustainable practices at Fishers?

The more you start to look into the future and say, “what is the planet going to be like when I'm gone?”, it scares the hell out of me!

I think we all have a responsibility to respect our environment and do everything we can to make it sustainable for future generations. Our partnership with Ecodrive is a cornerstone of that.

We are always looking out for members of our team who are highly committed, both personally and professionally, to the endeavor of being ecologically responsible.

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And what about practicing sustainability in your own life? How do you navigate that?

In everyday life, whether it's myself or my kids, we try to purchase organic, locally sourced products. We try not to do business with companies that are using genetically modified ingredients. Recycling is always a baseline too.

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That's great to hear! Do you have a go-to item from the Fishers range that you would recommend?

Our pillow cases still dominate our catalog. One of the cornerstones of mental health and general wellness is a good night's sleep. So, we're very proud that sleeping on silk does help deliver a really wonderful night's sleep. It's naturally temperature regulating and just helps you feel comfortable. It's a beautiful thing to help people get a better night's sleep one pillowcase at a time. Not to mention it helps improve your hair and skin!

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And finally, what's next for you guys? Do you have any new products coming out in 2025 that will help the Fishers Finery forest reach 200,000 trees planted?

Definitely. Our latest two additions to our catalog are the organic cotton towels and then the certified Egyptian cotton sheets. We're going to be continuing to expand our line into home goods whilst delivering the same ecologically responsible footprint.

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Excellent, thanks for your time today Craig! It’s so great to hear that an e-commerce brand at the size and scope of Fishers Finery values sustainability so highly and is able to attribute a portion of its growth to that mission too!

My pleasure! We’re looking forward to continuing this partnership!

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Fishers Finery have chosen to support mangrove tree planting projects via Ecodrive.

You can find more information on Fishers’ commitment to sustainability, and shop their collections, here.  

Mangrove trees have a high survivability rate and are hand planted by our team with devices that capture key verification data such as timestamps, lat/longitude, and image/video content of the trees.

The mangrove is one of the most efficient tree species for carbon capture due to its heavy and dense roots. In restoring mangrove estuaries, which are rich in biodiversity, this project will provide fishing grounds for local people, helping to create additional income streams, including sustainable harvests from the forests themselves.

Learn how you and your company can participate in tree planting projects around the world by booking an Ecodrive demo here.

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