Huntway: Social network & specialized shopping for hunters
iCrowdNewswire -
May 14, 2015 8:50 AM ET
Huntway
Social network & specialized shopping for hunters
Huntway is an online social network for hunters. We want to inspire to a sustainable lifestyle by supplying free tools & qualitative content and by selling handpicked clothes and gears.
The Pitch
Three hunting lovers were discussing the fact that the hunting scene was rather conservative and not appreciative of the recent increase in the interest for the sport. Creative and ambitious for what they loved they started to make plans. “You should…, they should…And what if…”.
And so we did.
Fast forwarding one year Huntway is a trusted and valued member of the hunting community in Sweden with strong presence in social media. Huntway provides a membership club for hunters (also accessible via an iPhone app), runs two web shops, an online shooting school and produce a podcast. And we spread our inspiration to hunters through the free online Hunting Magazine.
This first year has taught us a lot. We have listened to our users, adapted and developed our concept.
We are now ready for a big step. By raising 153 000 Euro to be used in the next three years we will develop further and increase sales and margins, as well as increase presence and knowledge about the brand Huntway.
Our Goal
Our goal is to increase sales significantly parallel with improving margins.
The sales will significantly increase during the three coming years. This will be achieved through high level of digital advertising in combination with qualitative content to our users through all of our digital products and other marketing activities.
We will improve margins by starting to produce our own hunting clothing line. The clothing line will contain high demand products and will be affordable and of good quality. The line will target the modern and aware hunter and other people interested in country wear and look. The production of own products will cut steps in the process, hence giving us higher margins.
Business Description
Huntway is a social network for hunters. We are on the largest social platforms, we are in your mobile phone and on your desktop. We are fun, interesting, educational, modern and addictive.
We want to inspire you to a sustainable lifestyle by supplying free tools and qualitative content to facilitate your choice of life.
Huntway handpicks hunting clothes, gears and guns for an interested and modern hunter, which can be acquired in our web shops. By our free online hunting magazine, app and online hunting club we encourage you to make the right priorities and stay hunting, sharing and caring.
The web shops Huntway acts mainly as an intermediary and does not have its own stock. This reduce risk and gives us flexibility in store content. The business agreement in the sales process is between the customer and Huntway, making us the contractor. But Huntway also acts as agent and produce an own clothing line – which increase the overall margin.
Growing Market In Old Setting
Hunting is an ancient lifestyle and hobby and the hunting community is growing quickly. More younger people turn to hunting and women hunters have become more frequent. Hunting as part of a lifestyle has also reached the modern, urban citizen.
The new hunters are younger, online and social. The old hunting community is conservative and has not adapted to the new world of digitalization and its needs of being user focused and accessible.
Many people are living stressful lives with little or no contact with the nature. At the same time the interest in, and caring of, the earth is growing.
Huntway Is Changing The Rules
Huntway wants to inspire to a sustainable lifestyle. With sustainable we mean fun, modern, healthy and eco friendly. It is our job to make it easy to live sustainable. We want hunters to keep hunting and we want to attract new people into hunting.
We are where our users are. We meet them on all the largest social platforms, socialize and engage with them through a mix of fun, educational and inspiring content.
Through our iPhone app and online hunting club we also have our own platform, totally connected to social media.
Huntway is an online social network embracing both the old and new generation of hunters.
We are a trusted and valued member of the hunting community in Sweden.
Mission and Vision
Huntway’s mission is to modernize and commercialize the image of hunting.
Huntway hopes to increase the hunting industry by embracing new groups of people as well as to inspire and support current hunters to become even better.
The vision of Huntway is to inspire to a sustainable lifestyle.
Hunting is performed in, and dependent of, a healthy nature and fauna. Hunting is an outdoor hobby, well up to date with the modern life and supports a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Our Products
Hunting shop In www.huntway.se/shop we sell hand picked hunting clothes, boots, gear and accessories.
Weapon shop In www.vapen-ammunition.se we sell hunting rifles, ammunition and training gear and products for shooting.
Hunting Club Online and free hunting club that gives you a personal platform where you can register all your hunting with details regarding weather, rifle, position, hunting friends and pictures. You also have your own blog that is published in the hunting club and the possibility to upload and share hunting pictures and videos.
Hunting App The hunting app for iPhone is connected to the online hunting club.
Online shooting school A shooting school online, published in our Hunting Magazine and can also found on our Youtube channel.
Hunting pod A short podcast “shortpod” in maximum 15 minutes with interesting and educational spots or inspiring interviews.
Hunting magazine Free and online hunting magazine where we collect all our material: interviews, podcasts, videos articles and product reviews.
Size Of Market
The Swedish hunting industry has a turnover of 2.000 MSEK. The interest for hunting is increasing and grows mainly in three directions: urban citizens, women and younger people.
Huntway sells hunting clothes and shoes, country wear, technical products and hunting accessories. Huntway also sells hunting weapon, ammunition and training guns and gadgets. The hunting style is also popular outside the industry and is used in fashion and as image setter. This broadens Huntway’s target group to include people outside the hunting industry.
E-commerce in Sweden grew with 16 % during 2014 and had a turnover of close to 43 billion SEK.
Sweden is a very mature country when it comes to internet usage which ensures the possibilities to continued growth in e-commerce. To be social online and visit social networks is part of every day life.
85 % of the Swedish internet users bought and paid products and services via internet in 2014.
53 % of the people in Sweden between 36-45 visits social networks on the internet every day.
(Statistics on e-commerce and internet comes from PostNord in cooperation with Svensk Digital Handel and HUI.)
Business Model
The main income source is sales generated in the two web shops.
Intermediary Huntway mainly acts as an intermediary and does not have its own stock. Huntway charge a fee on each transaction in the web shops. This reduces risk and gives flexibility in store supply.
The business agreement in the sales process is between the customer and Huntway, making Huntway the contractor.
Agent In addition Huntway cooperates with a small number of well-selected suppliers of hunting clothes, of which some have small or none earlier representation in Sweden.
Producer During 2015 Huntway started to produce its own hunting clothes. With experiences from the first business year, together with the knowledge about the users, Huntway has decided upon a selected range of high demand clothes to produce.
An own produced clothing line will shorten the business process and increase margins. The first products are to be launched in early summer 2015.
Sponsored several events and competitions within hunting and hunting dogs
Launched a podcast
Use Of Funds
Products Enable new areas of revenue and increasing margins by producing our own products. Huntway will start to produce its own hunting clothes (launch in late spring 2015). The clothing line will consist of affordable high demand hunting clothes and country wear in good quality and style.
Marketing A qualitative and strategic marketing plan is set. Online advertising will be supported by strong delivery of content to our users. The plan also includes attendance at selected hunting fairs as well as sponsoring competitions within hunting dog practices and shooting.
Technique Continuous system development is needed to enhance user experience. New online products will be developed and existing will be improved. This include developing the app further.
Staff Investment in staff is made to improve service level and quality of user engagement. We believe that building relationship and excel in customer expectation is a way to success. Moreover, producing a clothing line will come to logistic responsibility as packing and distribution.
Dedicated Founders
Anette Paulsson Communication expert within digital media. Great skills in web design and development. Anette also trains hunting dogs and loves the outdoor life.
Christian Paulsson Financial wizard with long experience in the financial industry and corporate finance. Christian lives for hunting and is a great shot.
Staffan Schullström Owner of two hunting stores and a shooting range. Staffan is a trainer for the olympic shooting team and hunts whenever possible.
Marketing Plan
Going forward Huntway wants to further strengthen its position in the market and in social media.
Our communication hub will be our free and online Hunting Magazine where from all content is distributed.
The content shall be a mix of fun, education and inspiration and will come in many different forms.
Newsletters
Podcast
Video
Huntway will also use traditional marketing like:
Digital and traditional advertisements
Sponsoring
Fairs
A full one year plan is set and is currently running as planned.
Team
Christian Paulsson
Chairman
Christian has experience of running companies within IT, Marketing and Financial Advisory. Additionally, Christian has many years of board experience from different industries, a wide array of companies such as Advertising Agency conglomerate, Sports Clothes Manufacturing, Financial Advisory, IT Hardware & Consulting and Manufacturing. Christian lives for hunting and is a great shot.
Anette is a communication expert within digital media with great skills in web design and development. Anette has a long background as the communication manager in a large international property company. Moreover she runs a communication consultancy offering strategic and digital media products. Anette also trains and competes with hunting dogs and loves the outdoor life.
Staffan is a shooting veteran and has been an instructor for the olympic shooting team. Currently Staffan runs a shooting range and two hunting stores, and is an exclusive agent for Perazzi, Promatic, John Rigby rifles and many other well known brands.