Abdus Samad went from door-to-door sales to building his eyewear brand, Sam & Marshall India, which has grown its customer base 350% annually, with over 1 million customers.
His entrepreneurial journey began in 2019, selling second-hand smartphones first and then B2B eyewear door-to-door on his scooter. In just a year, he started his own eyewear brand, Sam & Marshall LLP, from a small space in his partner’s bedroom, and by 2021, the brand had built a community of over 1 million customers through social media. Samad’s dreams became a reality when he moved his team into a new office. Despite the scattered eyewear industry before Sam & Marshall India, the brand’s success has shown the potential for others to excel in the industry with careful planning and unique designs. This is evident from the industry’s growth from $4 billion in 2019 to $6.5 billion in 2022, with many new brands emerging. Abdus sees this as just the beginning of his dream and is determined to continue thriving.
He takes pride in Sam & Marshall India’s ability to provide high-quality products at affordable prices, while also prioritizing sustainable fashion for the sake of the environment. The brand’s unique selling point is not just selling products, but selling a healthy lifestyle. With innovation at the core of their industry, the team studies past trends and current changes to launch products accordingly. They adopt a traditional hit-and-trial method for product diversification, bringing in fewer products and ordering in large quantities based on audience response. As a result, they now have over 1,200 designs.
Abdus Samad’s plans for Sam & Marshall India are straightforward: to expand and elevate the aspects that are working well for both the brand and its customers. With a strong focus on sustainable fashion, the brand is creating bio-based products that prioritize timelessness over trendiness hand in hand. Additionally, they plan to open a chain store in 2023 to further expand their reach. “Our goal is to keep things simple and effective,” says Abdus Samad.
