Handcrafted watches, leather goods, and lifestyle products built in Detroit
Shinola manufactures and sells handcrafted watches, leather goods, bicycles, jewelry, and home audio from its Detroit headquarters. The company is actively rebuilding its loyalty program and wholesale ambassador infrastructure while grappling with margin pressure and multi-entity financial reporting — suggesting a shift toward direct-to-consumer retention and operational consolidation. Sales hiring (10 open roles) outpaces design (1), indicating a pivot toward distribution and account management over product innovation.
Shinola designs and manufactures handcrafted goods spanning watches, leather goods, bicycles, journals, home audio, and jewelry. Founded in 2011 and based in Detroit, the company operates across 501–1,000 employees. Its product portfolio is distributed through direct retail (including a branded hotel property), wholesale channels, and e-commerce. Current operational focus centers on loyalty program modernization, wholesale partner enablement via ambassador programs, and financial system efficiency—reflecting growth-stage scaling challenges in margin management and multi-location accounting.
Design tools (Adobe Creative Suite, SolidWorks, Keyshot), ERP/financial systems (NetSuite), CRM (Salesforce), supply chain (NuOrder), travel management (Navan), and workplace productivity (Outlook, Teams, Zipline). Currently adopting Salesforce, Outlook, Teams, and Zipline.
Rebuilding its loyalty program, launching a wholesale brand ambassador program with monthly scheduling, and rolling out virtual training sessions. Pain points include margin improvement, reducing returns, and strengthening wholesale partner relationships.
Other companies in the same industry, closest in size