Retail / news
Hulken Builds Inventory for Record Holiday Season as Wholesale Grows
Rolling tote bag brand Hulken is racing to stock up ahead of a potentially record-breaking Q4, balancing its expanding Target partnership with a growing direct-to-consumer business.
Hulken has added a third dedicated manufacturing facility and centralized its U.S. warehouse operations, according to CEO and co-founder Yoni Sheleg. The company is also evaluating when to use air freight to ensure products arrive in time for peak demand.
The brand, which has grown to a $100 million business, is preparing for what it calls its busiest holiday season yet. Its rolling totes first hit Target shelves in late 2025, and Hulken is expanding that relationship with exclusive back-to-school colorways and an endcap display scheduled to run through March 2027.
Sheleg described the effort as a race to supply multiple channels simultaneously. Hulken is working to keep Amazon and Shopify stocked for its own direct-to-consumer site while also fulfilling new wholesale commitments. “We’re racing to supply to all these channels,” he said. “And we’re making sure that Amazon and Shopify, for our direct-to-consumer, have all the inventory they need. And it’s quite a challenge, especially while we are expanding our assortment at the same time.”
The company, founded in 2018 by Sheleg and his wife Alex Schinasi, is broadening its product line with new tote bags and exclusive colorways. Its profile has risen sharply since Vogue dubbed the rolling tote bag “summer’s hottest it bag,” adding urgency to holiday planning.
The operational upgrades are meant to help the brand juggle wholesale scale and DTC flexibility without stockouts, even as it pushes into more retail doors and categories.