November 26, 2019

Meet Grace Druecke of The Bali Market in Scottsdale

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Druecke.

Grace , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I found myself filling our home with dust collecting knickknacks. Things that didn’t mean anything to me and really had no practical use. I wanted my home to feel comfortable and cozy but I was just adding clutter.

I knew I wanted things in my home that were both pretty and practical. And that’s where The Bali Market and Turkish towels come in.

The Bali Market is a Turkish beach and bath towel company I started in 2016. I found a manufacturer in Turkey and ordered 500 towels for my first order. I listed them on Amazon and quickly sold out. But I realized I was losing money quickly with all the fees Amazon charged.

I decided to open my own online store on the Shopify platform. And at first I heard crickets. It was terrifying. But I really focused on my brand and figuring out who my target market was (I definitely should have figured that out in the first place, but I was learning!). Once my branding was in place I was able to actually grow the business.

The Bali Market is backed by a minimalist philosophy, and that commitment to minimalism has really helped me connect with the right customers. The Bali Market is now in its 3rd year. And has doubled in sales every year.

Has it been a smooth road?
One of my biggest struggles is inventory management.

It’s just me running The Bali Market, and investing in inventory is very expensive. It’s hard to front the cash for huge orders, especially because my products can take 90 days or more to arrive.

There are lots of times when I’m sold out of multiple products. And that hurts sales and customer experience.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Bali Market is backed by a minimalist philosophy. From our products to our packaging, everything is chosen to help our customers live more minimally.

For example, our Turkish towels are super versatile. Meaning you can buy one towel and use it in the bath, at the beach, as a blanket, as a sarong. It can be a table cloth, or hung up as home decor. It’s not just a towel. And they’re made to last years, so they cut down on waste. And textiles are one of the top polluter of landfills, so this is one way to help reduce pollution.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I moved back to the midwest just as I was starting The Bali Market. I quickly realized The Bali Market needed to be in Scottsdale.

For one, there is a huge community of creative sellers in Scottsdale. And it’s not a competitive atmosphere. It’s very supportive and everyone wants to help you grow.

And there’s something about being in a beautiful setting that inspires me (and most people!). It’s much easier to wake up and get things done when it’s 85 and sunny outside vs. 30 below and snowing.

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