15 years of perseverance with the green business philosophy, BOO CEO Do Viet Anh: "Once facing the risk of business shutdown due to Covid, now we are confident of growing 15-20% compared to the previous period"

Operating in the second most polluting industry in the world , the CEO of the BOO brand - Do Viet Anh - always puts the mission of protecting the environment in parallel with other goals. Not only has he actively changed the mindset of protecting the environment within the brand, he has also been the "seed" spreading the spirit of green living and protecting the environment among young people for nearly 20 years.

- You once shared that, right from the time of building the BOO brand , you have been aiming for green business. Why did you and your colleagues make such a choice? The company was founded by me and my twin brother. We were fortunate to study and be exposed to the living environment in the Czech Republic since the 90s. Theeducation there has greatly influenced our thinking. Their environmental protection thinking was far ahead, while at that time, in our country, environmental issues were very little focused on. We love Vietnam very much, during the years abroad, we always turned to our homeland. When we returned to Vietnam, we immediately felt that this was where we belonged and never wanted to leave again. Therefore, when starting a business, we always thought about creating value for the country, from the small things. At BOO, we established a separate department specializing in projects related to the environment. For me, business must always go hand in hand with sustainable development, bringing positive values ​​to society. We have always persevered with that goal. Until now, it is still the core value of the company.

-At that time, what potential did you see from that green business direction? When my younger brother and I returned to the country, we were both passionate about skateboarding, so we decided to open a store selling goods according to our needs and lifestyle. We grew very quickly. From product selection to location..., we saw a very large customer base and wanted to create an influential community that not only influenced by the way we dress and look, but also by our lifestyle and way of thinking... - Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, how did you find green materials when green business had not become popular before? The "green" goal has always been in BOO's plan and once you want it, you can do it. Maybe you have to sacrifice this to get that. For BOO, sacrificing profit to be greener is natural. BOO hopes that businesses will cooperate and become greener so that in a few years, fashion will no longer be the second most polluting industry in the world. BOO's orientation is that from now until 2025, it will ensure that 90% of raw materials use cleaner technologies. The first step is raw materials. We use a lot of cotton fibers, choose places where cotton is grown in more friendly processes, with better guarantees of human rights even though they are more expensive. In 2023, BOO will continue to use alternative materials such as mint fibers, coffee, recycled plastic... Next, we are looking for more ways to dye to reduce environmental pollution, save water and handle chemicals well, build an effective scrap fabric treatment process... The transportation process to stores also needs to be optimized to minimize CO2 emissions, use more biodegradable nylon packaging...

– Compared to when you started, how has the awareness of environmental protection in business changed? People's awareness of environmental protection has changed a lot. In 2003, environmental protection was mainly non-profit projects (NGOs), mostly international, and there was almost no one in the business community at that time. What we said about the environment, very few people wanted to hear. Currently, awareness of environmental protection has changed a lot. GenZ people have grown up with the education of environmental protection awareness. It is not only awareness but also knowledge, going into depth, they not only understand the problem but also realize that they should contribute something, even the smallest thing, and become "seeds" to spread the message to everyone. At BOO points of sale, there are also green corners - places to tell customers what they are doing, the meanings, messages or events for everyone to participate in, interact and live green together. – In 15 years of persisting with such a green business philosophy, what do you find the most difficult? Greener business is a very interesting journey, with many challenges. Because we have determined that we will do from the smallest but meaningful things. Every year we do bigger projects and the impact is also growing. The difficulty could be the Covid 19 period, those were 2 years when BOO had to postpone many plans. This year is the year for BOO to recover after Covid, pay off the debt and do better projects. Now will be a new cycle, sprouting again after 2 difficult years.

– After 2 years of Covid, what lessons have you learned for yourself when dealing with crises? Covid is like a business teacher that we must remember and be grateful for the rest of our lives. I am a person who tends to create products, so capital management is not my strength, but in 2 years of Covid, I was forced to improve my skills. Boo has changed from a rather cumbersome model to a "slimmer" and more flexible model to be able to survive the pandemic. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Today's BOO has changed a lot compared to before Covid, we are more adaptable and adaptable to all changes in the market. We dare to look in the mirror to see our weaknesses and are ready to change.

– You once affirmed that BOO's annual growth has never been below 30%. Is that number still maintained? After 2 years of Covid, BOO is now coming back very strongly. The government has done a very good job of implementing recovery policies and we have seized the opportunity to recover right after Covid. During the Covid years, BOO faced the risk of stopping business operations and had to close 10-15 stores. But we have transformed very quickly and are now in a fairly confident position with growth of 15-20% compared to the pre-Covid period, with a leaner but higher quality team and number of stores. These are positive signs that help BOO be more confident in its goal of regaining the Gen Z customer base. If BOO achieves its set goals this year, it will be the most successful year in history. – What factors have helped the company recover and make such a breakthrough?

We have to be fast enough and return to the true entrepreneurial spirit, be clear-headed enough to recognize risks and opportunities. Previous values ​​may have changed and we have to embrace newer values ​​and turn them into action. I think we have a very good team, they have never done better execution. That has helped BOO survive Covid and is now growing well. The most obvious change is related to distribution channels. We are a long-standing and traditional brand. Offline has always been BOO's pride, but the important thing is that we know how to put that pride aside at the right time to welcome the new - online customers. However, we also have to know how to balance the development of these two factors in parallel. The second factor, BOO decided very maturely to focus on developing new products to become the core to get the company out of difficult times. Currently, the “younger” brands such as BOOLAAB and BOOZILLA are the two key brands, “carrying the team” for the entire company. With the right investment in a period when all resources from human resources to finance were limited, we are now reaping the first results. The third factor is financial management. Previously, BOO was important for growth, but now for us, profit is more important, it is the factor we put first.

  – Fast-cheap fashion is growing very strongly, so how do you compete with that trend? Although fast fashion still dominates the market, I believe that sustainability is always welcomed. The thinking of Gen Z is different now, they value different values ​​than previous generations, including environmental factors. BOO still follows its own direction, always bringing new experiences to customers. But we will invest more and more deeply in product quality to make the product life cycle longer, not only through materials but also through product design. That is the trend of the industry, we are following the trend and believe in it.

-I am quite curious, what is the working environment like for a business that is oriented towards green business, sir ? For businesses, the human factor is vital. That means we approach “green” from deep within, from “green people”. At BOO, “green living” policies are comfortable enough for everyone and make them feel guilty when using something related to disposable packaging. We also apply KPIs to departments, to see what green things each person can apply to their work. That is how we bring green culture to each person. For example, on Fridays, we wear white, the simplest color, using the least amount of bleach and dye, to always remind us that we are in the second most polluting industry in the world and must try to minimize our impact. No plastic bag policy: BOO employees who buy products with plastic packaging will be fined 10k or a cup of milk tea (laughs). My point of view is that green living is not a compulsion. It should be about respecting people's differences in perception.

- The price of a BOO product is not cheap for many customers. Will this affect BOO's growth rate? We have never conducted a large-scale survey on this issue, but I think it is important to believe in our direction. There is always a reason behind BOO's "expensive" products. It is not because we are greedy for profit. Everyone wants to have optimal profit, but there needs to be a balance to bring customers the best products within their capabilities and green values ​​- the core values ​​that we pursue. Persistence has helped our business develop sustainably for nearly 20 years. BOO is steadfast in the values ​​behind the products, accepting that it will lose some unsuitable customers. If there is a plan and calculation from the beginning, finance is no longer a problem. For example, other companies may set a profit target of 15%, BOO only sets 13%. Greening cannot turn profit into loss. It is just adding branches or accepting to cut some other costs or willing to increase prices a little to make more genuine, better quality and greener products. For a brand to go the long way, DNA - brand is extremely important. It is an invisible competitive advantage for other brands and the changes of the market. That means serving customers in a unique way, according to the values ​​that we pursue, they will reach the right customers, sharing the same "values".

– Do you have any plans to develop social responsibility factors in parallel with profit and growth? BOOVironment has always been a sustainable value, a legacy of BOO. In the next 3 years, we will continue to perfect it, ensuring greening up to 90%. That is one of the extremely big and difficult challenges. It will limit BOO a lot in product innovation. But if you really want it, there will definitely be a way and we are ready to take on that challenge. That is what will replace any nice words. One of the important missions besides environmental protection is that BOO is proud to be a Vietnamese brand. We hope to make quality products, bearing the Vietnamese mark and contributing to changing consumers' thinking about Vietnamese goods. That is what I am passionate about and have done. Currently, that has obviously become a trend. But we are proud to be the pioneers of that trend in the fashion industry. – What about the plan to expand internationally, sir? Next year, BOO will further promote the online part, and always combine it with offline. If conditions permit, next year we will test some offline stores abroad, first in Southeast Asia. However, before going abroad, BOO must first become a national brand, we will move step by step, as long as we are not delusional. Thank you for the conversation!

According to Market Pulse