Andumlinen is a fresh, new brand that specialises in linen clothing that opened their first retail store in early 2020.
The team behind Andumlinen believes that “linen keeps you happy, comfortable, and attractive”, and this shows through the selection of quality linen attire available at Andumlinen.
Andumlinen was founded by three friends; popular artist, novelist, and assistant film director Manohari Hewawasam, banker Arosha Pathberiya, and Sri Lanka’s number one shooter and Olympic medallist Ruvini Abeymana.
The Morning Brunch caught up with the Andumlinen team to learn more about Andumlinen and what they’re doing. Below are excerpts of the conversation.
How did Andumlinen come to be?
We wanted to do something new in terms of clothing, and linen was a key interest of ours. We decided to introduce a collection of exclusive linen garments for discerning customers looking for quality clothes.
We went to India and explored the markets learning all we could about linen and linen clothing and bringing in exclusive linen.
We launched Andumlinen on 30 January 2020, opening our premises in Nugegoda.
What makes Andumlinen special?
Andumlinen provides the best in linen clothing at a reasonable price. Quality and style are both given equal attention, and we pay a lot of attention to providing superb customer service, something our customers have greatly appreciated.
Using our quality and style, we have increased our market step by step, and are now in a good position, although we were badly influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
What were the biggest challenges getting Andumlinen off the ground initially?
We faced many of the challenges any new business would face in the first few months and learned to adapt to these accordingly. Our biggest challenge so far has been the unexpected global situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and learning to deal with this and coming out of it better and stronger.
How has the pandemic affected Andumlinen?
We were very lucky in that our disaster plans have worked out in our favour. The pandemic has been challenging for everyone, not just for business owners but for employees as well across all the different industries.
We took advantage of the special loan facilities offered to businesses and successfully applied for a 4% interest loan from Bank of Ceylon to for our working capital.
We started selling online as well as implementing very clear delivery and return policies so customers knew what to expect. We also used the curfew period to design new clothes and following the lockdown, we were able to reopen with a new collection.
The health and security of our customers also became a big concern and Andumlinen has implemented the necessary changes in line with the Government’s health and safety regulations. We’re very lucky to have loyal customers who trust us and visit our premises as they would have before the pandemic.
What’s next for Andumlinen?
What’s next for Andumlinen?Our larger goals are to expand Andumlinen and have outlets all over the country providing stylish, quality linen clothing. As a first step, we’re looking at opening a brand in a big city like Kandy.
What has been the most powerful experience about the Andumlinen journey so far?
The most powerful and inspiring thing about starting Andumlinen, and over the last few months, has been all the many helping hands, pushing and helping us succeed. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our well-wishers and supporters.
As a fresher to this field and a young brand trying to make a name for itself, we would like to invite Sri Lankans to visit us and be a part of our journey.
