Lolly Wolly Doodle

Lolly Wolly Doodle

Company type	Private
Industry	Apparel, Retail
Founded	2008 (2008) in Lexington, North Carolina, United States
Founder	Brandi Tysinger-Temple
Headquarters	Lexington , United States
Area served	United States (primarily), international reach via online channels
Key people	Brandi Tysinger-Temple (Founder), Sherry Frydenlund (CEO as of 2017)
Products	Women's and children's apparel, including girls' dresses, capri sets, swimwear, boys' clothing, baby apparel, women's tops and skirts
Owner	Stage Fund (investment group)
Number of employees	250 (2014)
Website	www.lollywollydoodle.com

Lolly Wolly Doodle was a U.S.-based enterprise focused on women's and children's apparel, primarily distributed through online channels. Established in 2008 in Lexington, North Carolina by entrepreneur Brandi Tysinger-Temple, the company experienced swift growth supported by venture capital investors such as Revolution Growth and is currently owned by the investment group Stage Fund. The business broadened its manufacturing operations to include locations in New York City and utilized social media platforms, especially Facebook, as a principal avenue for sales.

2006–08: eBay

Brandi Temple launched Lolly Wolly Doodle in 2008 after recognizing a market need for affordable yet fashionable clothing for young girls. She initially crafted garments for her daughters and sold surplus items on eBay, transforming a personal hobby into a burgeoning enterprise.

The brand’s name is derived from the children’s tune "Polly Wolly Doodle" and was inspired by Temple’s niece, Lolly. By the close of 2008, the eBay storefront was generating steady supplementary revenue, motivating Temple to officially establish the company.

2008–10: Move to Facebook

In 2010, following quality concerns with dresses manufactured in China, the company opted to sell discounted stock via its Facebook page instead of eBay. This approach yielded remarkable results; in a 2013 Bloomberg News interview, Brandi Temple revealed that daily Facebook sales exceeded what was typically earned on eBay in an entire month. This success led to shifting the main online retail presence to Facebook, representing a significant strategic change.

2010–12: Expansion

During a period of rapid expansion, founder Brandi Temple contemplated selling the business. She connected with Shana Fisher, a New York venture capitalist at High Line Venture Partners, who valued the company near $100 million and contributed $100,000 to lead a seed funding round that raised $1.4 million. These funds enabled moving production from Temple’s home to a 4,000-square-foot facility in Lexington. Emily Hickey, formerly with HotJobs, joined as COO. Continued growth necessitated relocating to a 19,000-square-foot space by September 2012, while the company reached 300,000 followers on Facebook, enhancing its market footprint.

2013–2017: Revolution Investment

Lolly Wolly Doodle’s pioneering use of Facebook for flash-sale retail attracted considerable attention from both media and investors. While other retailers retreated from Facebook marketing, LWD’s just-in-time manufacturing approach offered a distinct competitive edge. Founders Brandi Temple and Emily Hickey were acknowledged by Business Insider as notable startup leaders in 2013.

In June 2013, AOL founder Steve Case invested $20 million through Revolution LLC and joined the board alongside former AOL executive Donn Young. This capital infusion supported expansion into larger production facilities and the creation of mobile applications extending sales channels to Instagram and Pinterest, broadening international reach.

The company reported revenues of $11 million in 2013 and employed 250 workers across four locations by 2014. Focus shifted toward developing proprietary software to streamline operations and sustain growth.

In September 2017, Lolly Wolly Doodle was purchased by Dan Frydenlund, CEO of Stage Fund. Sherry Frydenlund took over as CEO, leading a comprehensive restructuring aimed at revitalizing expansion efforts and increasing market influence.

2018: Transition to Outsourcing

In 2018, Lolly Wolly Doodle ended its manufacturing operations in Lexington, North Carolina, moving the majority of its production abroad while shifting certain functions to U.S. cities such as Atlanta.

Business model

Despite distributing products across various online channels, roughly 80 percent of Lolly Wolly Doodle’s sales occur through its Facebook platform. This distinctive approach has attracted interest from e-commerce experts analyzing its innovative business model.

The company adopts a just-in-time manufacturing system, processing orders as they come in and efficiently cutting and sewing garments based on shared characteristics rather than solely by size or style. This strategy reduces inventory risks and boosts operational productivity. Donn Davis, a former America Online executive and board member, likens Temple’s methodology to the way Dell transformed PC production—providing affordable, customized apparel while maintaining minimal stock.

Utilizing the social feedback loop on Facebook, Lolly Wolly Doodle directs its marketing efforts and manages inventory more effectively, lessening dependence on conventional market research. Customer input helps identify trending designs that can be scaled into larger production batches, occasionally manufactured overseas, thereby preventing the overstock problems typical in retail.

Although successful at its current scale, this model encounters challenges such as requiring customers to publicly share email addresses when placing orders, which raises privacy concerns. Nevertheless, similar approaches have been embraced by other companies, signaling potential for wider adoption within the industry.

Brands

The majority of Lolly Wolly Doodle’s offerings are sold under its own brand name, concentrating on girls' dresses and capri sets along with some swimwear items. Boys’ clothing includes shortalls, coordinated T-shirt sets, and swim trunks. The brand also features an extensive range of baby apparel complemented by adult women’s tops, skirts, and predominantly maxi dresses.

Additionally, Lolly Wolly Doodle provides a personalized clothing service called Designed by Me, enabling customers to customize girls’ dresses online with production and delivery completed within three weeks. Access to this service requires logging in via Facebook.