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During this big election year, all eyes were on Washington, D.C. For Tuckernuck, a brand known for dressing women in politics, it made for a major organic marketing moment.
A multi-brand e-tailer that uses a traditional wholesale model, 12-year-old Tuckernuck has hit its stride in the last three years, with its annual sales growth averaging 80%. Leaning into workwear post-pandemic has proven impactful for the business, as has elevating its customer service as online competitors have made cuts.
This year, the brand drew buzz for its Jackie shift dress, named after Jackie O. Released in 2022 under the company’s private label, it has since entered the wardrobe rotations of many women working on Capitol Hill, which became apparent as the election approached. As of November, Tuckernuck had sold more than 100,000 units of the $268 style.
According to founder and CEO Jocelyn Gailliot, Tuckernuck also sells a midi-length Chloe shirtdress that has caught on among women in finance, and the brand, overall, has been popular among California women working in the movie industry.
“We’re focused on being a retail destination, or a life hack, for busy, successful women,” Gailliot told Glossy. “She wants to feel stylish and chic, but also comfortable, while also looking approachable and effortless.”
Fulfilling that mission has largely been about providing thoughtful product curations. In 2019, Tukernuck launched its private-label line to fill a white space in its assortment for stylish, fun, feminine and professional pieces priced $100-$300. But maintaining a strong balance of third-party brands has remained a focus, to cater to consumers’ habits of wearing a mix of “new and iconic” brands at high-low price points, Gailliot said. Tuckernuck sells ready-to-wear brands including Ulla Johnson, Veronica Beard and Zimmermann. And, to provide one-stop-shop convenience, it has introduced home decor and golf, tennis and pickleball apparel.
“It’s hard to be a profitable business with just third-party margins, but it’s also hard to get customers to come to you when you’re only selling a single label,” Gailliot said. “We’ve created a business where both live and are complementary.”
In 2024, based on the fact that 65% of Tuckernuck customers are repeat customers and top customers shop at least eight times per year, the brand launched a loyalty program, which has already accumulated 250,000 members. The company also expanded to Canada and the U.K., its first international markets. And it doubled its headcount to keep up with growth.
“It’s been a big year of change for us,” Gailliot said. “In our early years, we moved quickly and used our gut instincts and scrappy personalities to build systems and processes. But now, we’re finding it necessary to break apart many of our processes and rebuild them for scale. It involves the supply chain, schedules and technology processes; it’s a huge venture.”
Tuckernuck, which is profitable, has only raised a friends and family funding round, in 2015. In 2025, it will focus on expanding its retail footprint beyond its single store in its home base of D.C. According to Gailliot, the lifetime value of in-store shoppers is six times greater than that of customers online.
