Tipsy Elves, the Christmas sweater specialty store started by long time college friends Evan Mendelsohn and Nicklaus Morton has been keeping its elves busy this off-season. The company has not only revamped its holiday collection with fresh sweater designs and accessories, but it has also been planning a huge donation campaign. With its "$1 for 1 Like" initiative on Facebook, the company is hoping to donate upwards of $60,000 in sweaters and other warm clothing items.
Tipsy Elves was started in early 2011 by Mendelsohn and Morton after they realized that the Christmas sweater market was underserved. "Ugly Christmas sweater" or "tacky Christmas sweater" parties have been a holiday staple for several years, but there are very few places to actually buy these sweaters. When they showed their first few designs to their friends, the reactions were promising.
After a few months of designing and planning, their Los Angeles warehouse was stocked with thousands of Christmas sweaters and accessories. Tipsy Elves received some impressive coverage in its first season, including a feature on the Today Show, People Magazine and In Touch Weekly, as well as sweater cameos on several TV shows, including ABC's Wipeout.
Mendelsohn and Morton have stayed busy in the off-season adding new designs and revamping the Tipsy Elves website. New designs include the Yellow Snow Sweater, the Candy Cane Vest, and the Reindeer Double Date Ski Cardigan. They have also stocked up with sweaters in dog and youth sizes.
The duo also rolled out a new website, which is now even easier to use for the eggnog-impaired customer. "We want to make the customer experience fun and easy," Mendelsohn stated. "We now offer live phone support, faster checkout options, and reduced shipping rates for both domestic and international orders," he added. Outside of the United States, Canada is the second biggest source of sales for the company.
Tipsy Elves also gives a large chunk of its profits to charities that benefit impoverished families and children. Last year, the founders attended a Christmas party hosted by a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization and distributed thousands of dollars of sweaters to families attending.
Tipsy Elves' unique twist on Christmas sweaters and their generous donation policy makes them a company to follow this holiday season.
