The origins of many businesses often trace back to simple, overlooked details.
Just as individuals carry identification cards, clothing bears its own “identity” in the form of care tags—those small labels that provide information about fabric composition, washing instructions, and sizing. While durable, these tags often come with drawbacks, such as irritation and discomfort.
Recognizing this pain point, Bananain was founded in 2016 and introduced a line of tagless underwear, creating a niche in an otherwise saturated market. The product’s success propelled the company into a period of rapid growth, achieving over 100% year-on-year sales increases from 2017 to 2019.
Not content with being labeled merely an underwear brand, Bananain expanded its offerings to include socks, bras, and ready-to-wear clothing. In 2020, the company unveiled its brand philosophy of “redesigning the basics,” focusing on building a product lineup centered on physical comfort.
“We aim to be a company that prioritizes physical comfort, redesigning everyday basics around the 24-hour human experience. We do not position ourselves solely as an underwear, homewear, or apparel brand. As long as a product relates to physical comfort in clothing, it falls within the scope of what we research and develop,” said Zang Lei, vice president of Bananain.
The following interview has been edited and consolidated for brevity and clarity.
36Kr: A few years ago, Bananain gained recognition with its tagless underwear. Over time, has any product emerged to rival that success?
Zang Lei (ZL): First, let me clarify: some people label us as an underwear or homewear brand, but neither description is accurate. We see ourselves as a company focused on physical comfort, addressing life’s fundamental discomforts. If we want a happy life, we must resolve discomfort.
Currently, we focus on two main product lines: underwear and ready-to-wear clothing. Altogether, we have developed more than ten categories, including products inspired by thermoregulation and comfort science.
36Kr: With consumers tightening their budgets, have you considered developing products for price-sensitive customers?
ZL: We don’t specifically design products for price-sensitive users. Our development starts with solving pain points. If we genuinely help alleviate discomfort in daily life, we believe customers will be willing to invest in quality products.
For us, the key is rethinking how to create value, innovate, and consistently deliver high-quality, comfortable products. In a market where products are increasingly homogeneous, we dedicate significant effort to identifying unique value propositions, determining critical moments when products make a difference, and ensuring customers understand our offerings.
36Kr: What’s the logic behind Bananain’s expansion from underwear to a broader range of categories? Was this part of the initial plan?
ZL: As mentioned, we aim to be a company that prioritizes physical comfort, redesigning everyday basics around the 24-hour human experience. We do not position ourselves solely as an underwear, homewear, or apparel brand. Anything related to physical comfort in clothing falls within the scope of our research and development.
Our journey began in 2016 with tagless underwear, then expanded into socks in 2017, bras in 2018, and ready-to-wear clothing by 2019. In 2020, we redefined our mission, vision, and values, introducing the “redesigning the basics” concept to build a broader product matrix. This evolution has been gradual and strategic.
Currently, our brand recognition is close to 50%, meaning one in two consumers in China knows about us. This recognition isn’t due to spending the most money in the market—instead, it’s built on word-of-mouth between us and our customers.
36Kr: Why did Bananain choose to reposition its brand in 2020?
ZL: Since our founding, we have focused on growing on Tmall, rising from among the top 30 brands to become one of the top five in our category. This progress raised questions about our future trajectory—should we remain a Tmall-centric brand or evolve into a leading domestic and international brand? This prompted a brand review.
The internal discussions were intense, as we realized this was a pivotal moment for the company’s transformation. We took into account Bananain’s philosophy and user feedback, aspiring to be more than an e-commerce brand but a leading name in global consumer goods.
36Kr: Transitioning from a Tmall-centric brand to a recognized national brand must be challenging.
ZL: The challenges are twofold. Internally, rapid growth demands organizational agility and expansion, which brings management challenges. As we expanded our headquarters to Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Wuhan, managing teams with diverse backgrounds became more complex.
Externally, the challenge lies in consistently delivering quality products. Past successes don’t guarantee future achievements. Repeating previous methods without addressing core issues often leads to failure. We encourage self-reflection and quick iteration to continuously tackle new challenges.
36Kr: Is Tmall still your primary sales channel?
ZL: We operate across multiple channels, with Tmall as our primary platform. Other channels like JD.com and Douyin are also growing rapidly. Our approach is user-centric, building online channels around consumer behavior.
36Kr: How is Bananain progressing offline?
ZL: Our offline expansion project started with our first store in Shenzhen. We now have over 40 stores in cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Xi’an. In October 2024, we opened a flagship store in Chengdu with a unique local theme.
Offline expansion allows us to connect with consumers physically and demonstrate our commitment to comfort. We plan to explore more cities while continuously balancing our online and offline channels.
36Kr: How do you balance online and offline strategies?
ZL: Online channels offer convenience, while offline stores provide tangible experiences. We prioritize user interaction and store design over sheer scale. Our offline strategy aligns with current trends of localized and personalized retail experiences.
36Kr: With the market shifting away from traffic-driven growth, how has your strategy adapted?
ZL: We were among the first brands on Taobao to use a brand-centric approach to e-commerce. We invested heavily in visual and marketing materials, crafting a distinctive voice and emotional value in our brand communications.
Our focus remains on refining our fundamentals. A strong foundation in product quality and innovation naturally resolves traffic issues.
36Kr: Bananain recently launched a down jacket line. What’s your perspective on this competitive market?
ZL: The down jacket market is vast, blending functionality and fashion. Success in this segment depends on finding a unique positioning and catering to diverse consumer needs.
36Kr: How has growth looked for Bananain over the past two years?
ZL: Despite market challenges, we’ve maintained healthy growth, achieving around 30% annual growth. Prioritizing foundational issues like product quality and management ensures sustainable development, rather than chasing numbers at any cost.
36Kr: Given the current environment, maintaining such growth rates must be challenging.
ZL: We are still a very young company. In just eight years, we’ve experienced rapid growth, and there’s still immense potential for us as a brand. For us, maintaining curiosity, embracing change, and continuously innovating are key. We’re willing to take risks and explore new ways to address comfort-related challenges.
We’re also problem solvers at heart. Tackling tough issues, avoiding complacency, and embracing challenges head-on are part of our DNA. Within our team, there’s a strong culture of reflection—identifying problems, facing them directly, and finding solutions. This mindset keeps us moving forward, no matter the obstacles.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Li Xiaoxia for 36Kr.