The Stylish Transformation of 'Diet Sweat Suits'... 10x Sales Boost by Capturing Hellini Market

Functional Sportswear Brand Better Than Life
Interview with CEO Donghoon Lee
"50% Repurchase Rate... Increased Workout Efficiency in the Same Time"
Building Taiwan Mall... Plans to Expand to Asia and Americas

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] '50% Repurchase Rate'

Better Than Life, which gave a sophisticated image to functional sportswear once disparaged as so-called 'diet sweat suits,' has achieved remarkable results. Among 'Hellini' (a portmanteau of health and children), word of mouth spread, and the flagship product, the 'Booster Suit,' sold 50,000 units within 11 months of its debut. With loyal customers repurchasing at a rate of 5 out of 10, sales exceeded 500,000 units in less than two years.

Lee Dong-hoon, CEO of Better Than Life (37, pictured), has been introducing functional training wear since 2019. As a fitness enthusiast who never misses a day of exercise, he created the products based on his daily concerns and philosophy. CEO Lee explained, "Exercise is important, but I thought that if the fabric of the workout clothes itself could functionally support enhancing the effects, even exercising for the same amount of time could yield better results."

To develop functional training wear, he consulted with experts including university professors in sports and health trainers. After traveling domestically and internationally and conducting a six-month testing period, he completed the functional fabric called 'Hyper Steampack.' Hyper Steampack features windproof and water-resistant functions on the outside, and a special coating inside that traps heat generated during exercise. This causes a large amount of sweat to be released in a short time.

Great care was also taken in design to provide a sleek silhouette and comfort. It was necessary to enhance mobility while allowing for styling. The Booster Suit comes in various forms such as track tops, hoodies, and pants in long or short lengths. Additionally, sets of tops and bottoms are offered to expand choices. CEO Lee said, "We have an in-house system from design to production to manage everything directly," adding, "Since this is our area of expertise, we pay attention to even the smallest details."

In the early stages of the business, Better Than Life mainly attracted male customers in their 20s and 30s. Over time, the customer base broadened to include men in their 50s and 60s. Recently, the female customer base has also been gradually increasing. The Booster Suit, which sold over 500,000 units, has driven sales, resulting in overall revenue growing more than tenfold compared to the first month after the business started.

Based on domestic success, Better Than Life is expanding its business into overseas markets. In the second half of last year, it established a Taiwan mall on the global e-commerce platform Cafe24. Starting with Taiwan, the company plans to expand its reach throughout Asia and into the Americas. CEO Lee said, "Ultimately, what attracts customers is the focus on quality and completeness," and added, "We want to grow into a functional apparel brand that customers worldwide can wear."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.