As many parents may know, puffy winter coats are not typically supposed to be worn while a child is in a car seat. This is because, in the case of a car accident, the puffy layer of the coat gets flattened, leaving a big gap between the child and the car seat harness. Thus making it easier for the child to slip out of the harness. Not to mention, a bulky coat makes for less comfortability in the seat. Unfortunately, this has been a well-known struggle for parents as they don’t exactly have many other options. Children need a warm coat during the winter; however, thinner winter coats are less likely to keep them warm. So what’s left?
Dahlia Rizk, a mother of three children, was all too familiar with this struggle.
The biggest issue she found with standard winter coats, aside from them having to be removed in the car seat, was the zipper. Since coat zippers are placed in the center of the coat, that made it more difficult to unzip and remove the coat each time. Given that, Dahlia knew she needed to come up with a better design, one that would allow coats to be both worn and unzipped while a child is secured in their seat. Shortly after, Dahlia came up with the idea of Buckle Me Baby Coats.
Buckle Me Baby Coats are really just innovative, safer winter coats for children. These new-and-improved coats are made to be insulated with a thicker material in the front, while the back of the coat is much thinner. And the inside of the coat is lined with a soft, warm fleece. Buckle Me Baby Coats also have an off-center zipper that allows parents to unzip the coat easily even while the child is secured in the car seat. Not to mention, this zipper flap can be fastened over top of the harness buckle to keep children warm, while remaining safe and secure. And the best part is, these coats are for children up to size five in toddler clothes.
Dahlia established and launched Buckle Me Baby Coats in 2017; however, she did face the typical startup struggles such as getting the word out about her product. At first, she thought she’d need the help of someone more well-known; when he realized that wasn’t true, she advertised the coats with pictures of her nephew on Facebook. The pictures went viral. From there, Dahlia decided to introduce her coats to a Kickstarter campaign, where she had set a goal to raise $5,000. Fortunately, she surpassed that goal and was able to raise $6,088.
Buckle Me Baby Coats started selling on the company’s website, as well as on Amazon. Along with that, Dahlia started a deal where she would include a coupon for $20 when a customer traded in a used coat. With those used coats, she started donating them to charities that help children in need of winter coats. For the most part, Dahlia has done quite well with her new business; however, she realizes she could use some help with better distributing the product. A task in which she needs the help of a shark.
Buckle Me Baby Coats on Shark Tank
Dahlia Rizk took the stage of Shark Tank on December 4, 2020, to introduce her brand, Buckle Me Baby Coats. She entered hoping to get an offer of $100,000 for 10% equity in her company. To start off, Dahlia pitched her brand and told the sharks all about the concept of the coats. To her advantage, she had the chance to pitch in front of Daymond John, who she knew had been in the retail of clothing and has a toddler himself. She figured he must understand the struggles and that she could potentially get a deal with Daymond.
Right off the bat, the sharks wanted to talk numbers. Dahlia responded by telling them that each coat costs about $15 to make and they sell for between $59 and $129. Given that, within the first two years following the launch, Buckle Me Baby Coats made $500,000 in sales, with another $700,000 in sales in 2020. She then begins to tell the sharks about the patents she has in place, as well as her trademarks.
Kevin O’Leary chimes in, wanting to know how Dahlia would incorporate his potential investment of $100,000 into her brand; she responds, saying that she would use the money for marketing/advertising and product distribution. Given how well Dahlia has done thus far, Lori Greiner doesn’t believe she needs an investor; she’s out. Following closely behind Lori, Mark Cuban drops out as well due to Buckle Me Baby Coats not being a brand for him. The next shark to speak up was Barbara Corcoran, who loves the idea and is interested in helping Dahlia reach her next goal. She offers $100,000 for a 20% equity in Buckle Me Baby Coats.
Before Dahlia can respond, Kevin chimes back in to suggest that she pays attention to each offer as he had a decent offer as well. He goes on to offer her $100,000 until the $300,000 is returned; he also wanted a 2.5% equity and $2 per production unit sold. At this point, Dahlia has two great offers on the table; however, Daymond hasn’t had the chance to present his offer. Daymond loves the idea as well and would like to offer Dahlia $100,000 for a 20% equity in Buckle Me Baby Coats, along with 30% of the licensing business.
Dahlia proceeds to focus on Barbara’s offer after hearing that she had made a successful business out of another apparel company. She tries to counteroffer Barbara for the $100,000 and a 15% equity; however, Barbara isn’t interested. Dahlia then attempts to counteroffer with Daymond as well, but he was set on his initial offer. After some thought, Dahlia accepts Daymond’s offer of $100,000 for a 20% equity in Buckle Me Baby Coats and 30% of the licensing business. And before she left the stage, Mark speaks up and tells her,
“you’re going to make millions of dollars on this. literally”.
Buckle Me Baby Coats Now in 2024 – The After Shark Tank Update
Dahlia Rizk appeared on Shark Tank and received a deal with Daymond John in 2020. As of 2024, the deal with Daymond has not continued and Dahlia remains to own and operate her business, Buckle Me Baby Coats. Overall, Dahlia and her brand seem to be doing great. In fact, she made an appearance on The View, where she was provided the chance to speak about her company. Buckle Me Baby Coats also was awarded the Product of the Year award that was presented by Creative Child Magazine. As of 2024, the company has a net worth of $2 million and an annual revenue of $6 million.
Shortly after the Shark Tank episode aired, Dahlia started receiving loads of orders; she even had to start accepting pre-orders when the coat inventory dried up. With that being said, Buckle Me Baby Coats are available on Amazon, the company’s website, and in some retail stores. Although the prices have been increased a bit to between $69 and $149. Along with those successes, Dahlia has launched her new Buckle Me Baby Jams for all-year comfort. These pajamas are made from soft bamboo and have sleeves and cuffs that can extend as the child grows.
Graduated from Washington Virtual Academies and have been a freelance writer for about 2 years now. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my pets, gaming, etc.
