Design Without Compromise
When Mette Rødtnes founded her namesake brand, RODTNES, she quickly discovered the challenges of selling through traditional retailers and agents. Layers of mark-ups pushed prices higher, making it difficult to maintain both uncompromising quality and fair value.
Frustrated with a system that didn’t align with her design philosophy, she made a bold decision: to sell exclusively direct-to-consumer. In this interview, she reflects on that shift — and on why integrity, transparency, and closeness to the customer have become the heart of RODTNES.
Mette Rødtnes
Q: RODTNES bags cannot be found in any shops, but only on the RODTNES webshop. When and why did you decide to step away from retailers?
Mette Rødtnes: It happened gradually. In the early years, we worked with retailers in Denmark and abroad because it felt like the natural way to grow. But I quickly became frustrated with how the traditional retail model impacted both pricing and quality. Every layer - agents, distributors, and stores - added margins on top of our prices. To maintain the same level of craftsmanship, we would have had to raise prices to a point that didn’t feel right. And compromising on quality was never an option.
Q: What was the biggest challenge of selling through retailers?
MR: It created a kind of double pressure. On one hand, we had retailers who demanded low wholesale prices from us in order to have a high margin and make as much profit on each sale as possible. On the other hand, there was constant pressure to reduce production costs to be able to sell our bags at low prices to the retailers. It became all about pushing the productions prices and wholesale prices down and the retailers’ margins up. The only winners were the retailers - not the customers who bought bags at way too high prices, and not us, who struggled to make ends meet. And most importantly, it made it difficult to stay true to our values - using the very best materials and working with skilled artisans under fair conditions. I realised we needed to step outside the traditional system if we wanted to deliver uncompromising quality at a fair price.
Q: What changed when you moved to a direct-to-consumer model?
MR: Everything. By removing the middle layers and selling diretly to our customers, we were able to set prices that reflect the true value of the product - without the inflated mark-ups. That gave us the freedom to work only with the finest leathers and ensure every detail meets our highest standards. It also allowed us to produce responsibly, in smaller, more considered runs, without the pressure to overproduce for wholesale orders.
RODTNES’ Direct-To-Consumer model
Q: How did customers respond to this change?
MR: Very positively. Our customers value honesty and integrity - they understand that when they buy a RODTNES bag, they’re getting the best materials and craftsmanship at a fair price – a price that is way below what they would have to pay for quality like this in a traditionl set-up with retailers. We’ve built a closer relationship with them, too. Selling directly means we can speak with our customers, listen to their feedback, and design pieces that truly serve their needs. It feels much more personal, which is exactly what I want RODTNES to be.
Q: What are the key benefits of this model for you?
MR: There are three main things:
Uncompromising quality - we never have to cut corners to fit a price point.
Fair prices all year round - no artificial mark-ups, no seasonal sales.
A closer connection with our customers - we design for them, not for a retailer’s shelf.
Q: Does this approach reflect the RODTNES design philosophy?
MR: Completely. Just as we strip away everything unnecessary from a bag to focus on pure form, function, and material, we’ve stripped away the unnecessary layers in our business model. It’s all about integrity - in design, in production, and in the relationship we build with the people who carry our bags.
For us, selling directly was never just a business decision. It was about protecting what matters most: the experience of owning a RODTNES bag - the materials, the craftsmanship, and the thoughtful design. That’s where our worth truly lives.