Overview
Who is Yop & Tom?
Launched in August 2017, Yop & Tom produces high-end journals and planners that keep thoughts and goals organised. Their mission is simple: to help people take great ideas out of their heads and into the world. By disconnecting from the digital world and reconnecting with pen and paper, their customers bring their ideas to life.
The Problem
Peak-season inventory needed funding months in advance
Yop & Tom had been a successful UK-based business for years, with loyal customers placing repeat orders. Strong traction led them to expand abroad into the US and Canada — which meant funding additional inventory across warehouses globally.
Demand for journals and planners peaks at the end of the year as customers start afresh in January, and inventory must be ordered several months in advance from trusted suppliers. The pandemic stretched supply chain lead times further, and the team needed capital to purchase more stock ahead of the peak.
The Solution
Funding inventory from sales data, not paperwork
Lenkie analysed Yop & Tom's sales data to build an in-depth understanding of the business in minutes. By aggregating data from different sources, underwriting took less than a day, and funding was provided to finance their inventory. Repayments were made as a percentage of future revenue, giving the team additional flexibility. Funds arrived within four days of application, letting Yop & Tom place a larger inventory order and benefit from cheaper pricing.
The journey
01
Sales data analysis: Lenkie aggregated data from multiple sources to understand the business in minutes
02
Same-day underwriting: a funding decision was made in under a day
03
Funds deployed: capital arrived within four days, in time to place a larger inventory order at better pricing
"Lenkie has been a great way for our business to attract extra capital, so we can plan ahead, buy more inventory and grow faster"
Joppe Coelingh Bennink
Co-Founder, Yop & Tom
Results
A record December, and a sold-out peak
Yop & Tom recorded its best month of sales in December 2021. Despite ordering additional inventory, demand was strong enough that they still sold out over the retail peak. Off the back of that first facility, the team is now arranging further funding with Lenkie to fuel growth across the US and Canada.
<1 day
underwriting decision
4 days
from application to funds received
Takeaway
Yop & Tom's story shows how fast, data-driven funding lets product businesses buy inventory when the timing is right rather than when cash allows. By funding stock ahead of peak season, Lenkie helped the team turn a supply chain squeeze into their best month on record.
