Photo: Sunday Bedding
Cover Photo: Sunday Bedding

While her line of bedding may feel free and easy like Sunday mornings, this entrepreneur's journey to launching her luxury bedding and sleepwear brand was anything but. Read her story below

When Clara Teo first decided to launch Sunday Bedding, a direct-to-consumer bedding company in Singapore with her husband, Alex Fan, they had no staff and operated out of a 200-square-foot warehouse space. Today, the bedding company has a staff of nine and just opened its first two storefronts in Raffles City and i12 Katong.

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“The idea came about when my husband, Alex, moved to Singapore. His family has been in the home textiles business for many years and he is a walking expert about bedding,” Teo says.

“When we first moved into our apartment, we realised there was a huge gap in the market for reasonably priced, well-made and sustainable home textiles products. It was there when we wanted to demystify the purchasing and decision-making process around bedding and home textiles and help other customers make informed decisions.”

While the idea for creating bedding and home textiles was a simple one, the start-up was certainly tough, especially considering that Teo and Fan were new to branding and marketing and had no contacts in the industry. 

“I graduated with a double degree in Accountancy and Business from Singapore Management University.  After three years, I moved to New York to complete an MBA at Columbia Business School as I’d always been interested in retail and e-commerce,” explains Teo. 

“After completing my MBA, I joined the global Consumer Finance team at Amazon, based out of Seattle, as part of their management program. After a short stint there, I moved back to Singapore after a year where I joined Zuellig Pharma and helped to build out the regional data analytics team.”

It was around this time that Teo and Fan decided to look into starting their own business. “We had the advantage of the fact that Alex was a bit of an expert in textiles. However, we were starting from scratch in terms of building our own business,” says Teo. 

“To be honest, it was a huge challenge at first as we have completely different working and communication styles ... we also had to learn how to separate our emotions at work and at home,” explains Teo.

Teo and Fan launched Sunday Bedding in 2018 with bedsheets in two materials, bamboo sateen and cotton sateen. Besides ensuring that the materials feel comfortable, the couple also prioritised making sure their bedding was sustainable and made with materials that were ethically sourced.

While the uptake was slow in the beginning,  their consumer base began to grow as more and more people raved about their soft and luxurious bedding.

“We operated primarily online for three years, and had appointment-only sessions with customers as well as popped up at boutique fairs,” says Teo. “After three years, we felt that it was the right time to invest in physical storefronts. For a tactile product like bedding, there’s only so much digital marketing can do, and there’s no better way to engage our shoppers than to have them touch and feel the product in person.”

It was with this that Sunday Bedding launched its first two storefronts in Raffles City and i12 Katong.

“We looked for places that would be convenient, accessible and centrally located. We want to be where our customers are.”

Today, the couple is looking at expanding their product categories and further expanding into other home and lifestyle products as they have been doing over the years.

“Some upcoming products include pillow inserts and weighted blankets,” Teo says with a smile. 

“We’re also keen to work on more collaborations with partner brands. We’ve partnered with local fashion label Esse to launch sustainable loungewear previously, and many partner brands are in stock at our flagship store in Raffles City. We’re also looking at introducing decorative cushions and eye masks next, in partnership with UK brand Liberty London.”

Between juggling her business and family time, we ask Teo how she makes it all work below.

Tatler Asia
Photo: Sunday Bedding
Above Photo: Sunday Bedding

What is a typical morning like for you?

Clara Teo (CT): It very much depends on my eight-month-old daughter, Emma. She’s currently in that unfortunate phase of waking up at 4 am, so that’s when my day starts.

What do you usually have for breakfast?

CT: It’s usually a sandwich with eggs and avocado and coffee of course–copious amounts of coffee.

What does a standard work day look like for you?

CT: I schedule work meetings in the mornings as that’s when I’m most productive. After lunch, I get some work done at my desk till late afternoon. I make it a point to spend time with my daughter before she sleeps at around 6.30 pm. Then, I'm able to get another hour of work in after she’s gone to bed.

What time do you usually have lunch? What do you usually have for lunch?

CT: If I’m at home, my go-to delivery option is a mango curry chicken sandwich from Ritual café along Stevens Road. If I am on the go, it would be a quick and simple meal from the nearest food court. The timing varies according to my schedule but I try to have it consistently at around 1 pm.

Free time: overrated or underrated? Why?

CT: Totally underrated. My best ideas come when I’m totally relaxed or on vacation. I encourage everybody to find pockets of free time or moments to relax–that’s one of our motivations for starting Sunday Bedding, after all.

How do you achieve a work-life balance? How do you set boundaries?

CT: I make it a point to not respond to work emails or messages after dinner time and on weekends unless it's an urgent store-related or operational issue. 

 

How do you chase your dreams?

CT: For me, I like to chase dreams by putting in the time to understand how to get there, talking to others and seeking advice before embarking on something new. I’m not a romantic so I don’t believe in dropping everything to pursue a dream.

Risks: should you take them? Why or why not?

CT: Yes, but calculated risks. You only have one life to live, so live it to the fullest. I’m not suggesting that one should live recklessly though. Whatever big decisions you make, I believe it’s important to weigh the options against both monetary and non-monetary values and plan ahead.

How do you deal with your shortcomings?

CT: Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so I think the best way is to build a strong team to complement each other. I am upfront about my flaws and I rely on my team in situations where I may be lacking. I also try to understand what my stressors and triggers are, to minimise my level of anxiety. 

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever gotten?

CT: “Just live in the moment”–which is advice from my husband. I was getting very nervous and anxious about opening two stores almost back to back and he told me to just enjoy the great turnout and bask in the milestones we’ve achieved. It was a good reminder to be present and engaged in the moment.

How do you unplug and manage stress?

CT: Exercise, for sure. I hit the gym at least once a week. If time allows, I’ll throw in an additional session of reformer pilates. When I’m going through a really bad day, I try to take an hour or two to go to an onsen and just decompress.

What is one item that has changed your life for the better?

CT: My mattress. I’ve had much better quality sleep since investing in a good mattress. And of course our Sunday sheets. We sleep in the French linen ones and they’ve been so adaptable for the Singapore weather. 

Do you have moments of doubt and how do you overcome them?

CT: I definitely still have my moments of doubt about how we are growing our business. I think it is something every business owner undergoes. However, I tell myself that as long as I have made the best decision against a framework that is logical and makes sense to me, I will learn from the consequences of these decisions.

What would you consider your greatest accomplishment to date?

CT: Growing and building our team at Sunday Bedding. We spend a lot of time making sure we’re making the right hires and aligning everyone to our purpose, so expanding the team has been key to our growth.

What would you still like to accomplish?

CT: I would love to learn how to deejay and produce music.

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?

CT: My husband, Alex, gives the best shoulder and head massages while I unwind with the most mind-numbing activities, like browsing Reddit or Instagram.

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