It’s been a tough year for businesses, but often out of strife comes creativity and entrepreneurialism. Here are three startups that are offering customers new digital experiences across homewares and fashion this week. The Sheet SocietyName: The Sheet SocietyFounders: Hayley and Andy WorleyLocation: AustraliaLaunch date: 2017Category: BeddingHere’s what you need to know: The Sheet Society introduced a 3D BedBuilder experience that allows consumers to create their own virtual bed with sheets of any colour, size or texture the retailer has on offer. Over a month ago, this experience was launched into augmented reality (AR).Developed in Melbourne, The Sheet Society’s AR experience allows shoppers to view the sheets they have designed using BedBuilder projected on top of their bed, viewed in AR mode.“Customers are able to walk up to the sheets to see the texture and view their colour combinations in their space so they can see how they work with their walls and furniture,” the Worleys said. “There are 21 quadrillion possible combinations to choose from so the fact that we’re able to show you this in a matter of seconds is incredible.”While the BedBuilder itself can be accessed via desktop to preview linen mixes and colour palettes on a 2D render image, the newly introduced AR technology is accessible via smartphone.Now into its third year of business, the bedding business is set to turnover $4.4million this financial year gaining online followers of over 50,000.“We’ve been overwhelmed by the growth and demand for our product in 2020,” Andy Worley told Inside Retail. “When the global pandemic hit our shores, we were getting ready like every other business to bunker down, we did believe there would be a reasonable shift to online, but our sales exploded with April being our biggest month ever.”When it comes to sustainability, the Worleys said their bedsheets are farmed, not manufactured, which means they only use natural fibres in their sheets, either 100 per cent cotton or 100 per cent linen.“Not only does this make for a higher quality product, but it means that it’s also completely biodegradable once it’s time to say goodbye,” Andy said. “We don’t use any plastics in our packing materials, so everything we send to our customers is fully recyclable. We’re also big advocates for buying less, but buying better and all of our products have the highest standard components like branded YKK zippers and thick elastic trims.”According to the Worleys, they use reactive dyes, which have a high absorption rate, compared to standard dyes. Not only do they use less water to penetrate the fabric, the colour stays brighter longer. They said packaging has been completely stripped back to avoid waste with their products coming in simple recycled cardboard sleeves.“The size of our products and our packing boxes have been optimised to avoid wasted space and the need for any additional packaging materials, with no plastic including our tape,” Andy said.Andy said a post-Covid life seems like a bit of an elusive dream right now but they want to move on with some of their retail plans and continue to build trust with their customers.Karla McDougallBambar BainiName: Bambar BainiFounder: Karla McDougallLocation: SingaporeLaunch date: July 2020Category: Womenswear brandHere’s what you need to know: Bambar Baini, a Singapore-based womenswear label, is set to launch its first collection of breezy summer wardrobe staples in Spring ’21.McDougall said she saw a gap in the market for clothing made for women by women that felt easy, feminine and natural and decided to introduce the label.The online retailer, which has a direct-to-consumer approach, wants to invest in social commerce to give shoppers direct, immediate and immersive access to the brand.“Here in Southeast Asia, we’ve seen brands pivot to social selling during the Covid-19 crisis and we believe that social commerce is here to stay,” McDougall said. “It’s exciting to see brands blend community with content and commerce on social media and empower customers to converse, connect and shop, all on one platform.”McDougall said with Covid-19 creating a new normal, making selling more digitised, they see more and more brands experimenting with tools like shoppable ads and AR try-on journeys.The business also plans to open a bricks-and-mortar store in the future to give their customers a chance to experience the brand, touch the fabrics and try on the collection.Even during the planning stages of launching the brand, McDougall said they have incorporated sustainability in their company’s mission.“We have a plan to neutralise our carbon footprint, and we’ve already started,” McDougall told Inside Retail. “We start with the materials we source: choosing salvaged deadstock fabrics and natural, renewable materials wherever we can in place of synthetics.”McDougall said using the brand as a platform to promote a positive message on sustainability and ethical commitment is crucial to them“We are thrilled to be building a community of badass women that care as much about their clothes’ impact on the planet as how good they look in it or how much it costs.”All CitizensName: All CitizensFounder: Danny Charbonnet (founder and CEO)Location: USLaunch date: 2016Category: Menswear labelHere’s what you need to know: A direct-to-consumer menswear label, All Citizens offers “affordable luxury” that infuses everyday garments with premium materials, an understated and modern aesthetic and comfort-enhancing features that address the common frustrations presented by standard issue garments.“I think customers are attracted to All Citizens because of our unrelenting focus on our customer’s needs,” Charbonnet told Inside Retail.“Many larger brands lose the direct touch and interaction with their customers and therefore lose sight of what their customers truly want and need. I strongly believe that customer feedback is our strongest asset, and I will make sure All Citizens maintains that direct customer interaction so that we are always inventing and innovating on our customer’s behalf.” Charbonnet said they are currently focusing on three expansion plans for the next few years: further growth in the US market to reach more customers; geographic expansion (first to Canada, then the UK, Australia and Singapore); and to offer a wider assortment of game-changing products.According to Charbonnet, they were already in the early stages of planning a physical retail strategy, specifically pop-ups and new department store partners, but those plans were halted when the coronavirus crisis hit the US.“I likely won’t explore these channels until early next year when we have more visibility into when the US Covid situation will subside,” he said.At the moment, Charbonne is interested in AR and VR and how they are influencing the retail industry. The business has already started to explore AR’s capabilities and has built 3D models of their bestselling products.“Customers have reacted positively to the models and have mentioned that they are a much better method of showcasing the features of the products, so I plan on exploring other AR applications in the future,” he said.