How we built the Lowerated Store?

It all started on - Nov 25th, 2024.

Standing in the middle of nowhere after a long, hectic day, searching for a way forward with all these obstacles in our path.

We get life only once, and if you die without trying anything, you just lose it. So, we gave it a shot, and what we aimed for, we achieved. There’s a powerful quote I read:

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." — Samuel Beckett

Let me walk you through the complete process of how we built the Lowerated Store—a step-by-step guide that might help you build your own brand.

Which Product Should We Go With?

We explored different industries, but the one that truly resonated with films was clothing. And with winter in full swing, the choice was clear—hoodies. Every single person told us not to go with this. "The season has already slipped out of your hands,' they said.

It’s never too late.

A hoodie is more than just a piece of clothing. It’s comfortable, cozy, and, most importantly, the perfect product for a movie night.

What is the Lowerated Store?

Lowerated Store is a subsidiary of Lowerated, a company that streamlines the filmmaking process with the assistance of AI.

Lowerated Store is a brand that creates film and movie-related products for enthusiasts who want to express their passion for cinema through unique merchandise.

The Secret Key—Research

Online Markets:

Sitting in front of my laptop, wondering where to begin. I started searching for clothing markets in Pakistan and worldwide. “Your tea is here, sir,” the waiter said. She was cute. I liked her curls.

Sipping tea and looking outside the window. Wondering. Research is the start of everything. You need data and a deep understanding of your domain to make wise decisions. “Let me know if you need anything else, sir,” she said, leaving an impression of her smile on my heart.

I came across some valuable statistical and analytical data. Understanding data is more important and harder than just finding it.

You must have heard about competitor analysis. I didn’t believe in it at first—I thought every idea was different and unique, so why analyze competitors? But I was wrong. Competitor analysis is like tea without cookies. Studying other brands in your domain gives you new ways to think.

Physical Markets:

It wouldn’t be wrong to call them butchers. Every single person looks at you like a predator. The wildness and rush of the markets are crazy. And just like that, we stepped into it. Take a deep breath. Exhale.

“Let’s go,” I said. Running around different places, in different cities, with confidence but naivety. We hunted for the product and got different price quotes.

“Faisalabad,” I said.

“You really want to do this?” my friend asked.

“When did I ever say no?” I smiled and nodded.

With time, you get to know the market lingo. And then, you play accordingly. I highly recommend taking advice from someone already in the business.

It’s as simple as that: Have knowledge, data & be Sharp.

The Real Challenge—Product Design

Vendor - Out of 13 vendors from different cities, we chose a guy from Islamabad. Luckily, he offered a complete package—fabric to stitching. Heaven.

We wanted premium fabric, so we went with 350 GSM, pure cotton & fleece.

Everyone gets stuck here - color. Black is one of the best-selling colors in fashion. It’s classic, versatile, and aligns with buyer psychology. So, we chose black.

“Money doesn’t sleep, baby,” my brother said. He had come home for the weekend. I had fallen asleep on my laptop after two days of non-stop work. No sleep, no proper meals—just work, work, work. This is what it’s like to run a business.

Initially, we went with Baggy hoodies, but later introduced Zippers and Pullovers due to increased demand. Baggy was still the favorite.

Printing - DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing worked well. The front featured a movie dialogue & title, and the back had a custom design from that movie.

First impressions matter. With the unboxing trend, packaging became a priority.

Pricing is crucial in a consumer's buying decision. Here’s my method:

People willing to pay - Profit = Production Cost

Web Design

“I’m tired, man,” I said. My friend tapped my shoulder and gave me encouraging glance.

After all this, we had to build an online store. We chose Shopify, but there are other options.

• Keep the design simple. Simplicity is key.

• Product photography: Align it with your brand.

• Google Kit & SEO: Helped us rank better.

• Payment gateway: Solve this before launching. It’s a common issue for online brands.

  
  

Here is our website - https://loweratedstore.com/

Once done, WELCOME TO THE CLUB!

Marketing

“And I hope that you still cry for me like I cry for you” — The Weeknd.

You cry for oxygen; marketing is oxygen for your business.  Marketing has different types and you have to go for those that your business requires. Some might need social media only, some might go for email marketing and some might go for SMS. Social media worked best for us.

Content creation is the requirement to reach your target audience. You have to try different types of content to understand what your people demand. Once you find out, give priority to that type of content.

Remember, customers first because they are the people you are making products for, so all the things they want should be best understood so you can make decisions accordingly to bridge the gap between.

Now talking about advertising it depends on the domain of your business. Get to know about your platform; facebook, instagram, Tik tok, Linkedin, google etc. Once you find this out then make strategies accordingly.

• For most of the businesses Meta & Tiktok will work best.

• For B2B Linkedin is preferred.

• You can use all of them strategically to get a great audience.

There’s always more to explore when you dive into the depths.

And that’s how we built the Lowerated Store. If you have a dream, take the first step—start.

Here are a few lessons that I learnt from my journey. Click here.