Case Study: Oldhat achieves a successful online business selling handmade recycled hats with Shopify

Oldhat - Customer Case Study

Oldhat is a Winnipeg-based maker of handcrafted hats that grew from a 2004 DIY fix when the founder remade a too-small “Castro” hat from recycled fabric. What began as gifts and local consignment sales faced the challenge of turning a slow, sustainable craft into a viable business while sourcing enough recycled materials and staying true to its values.

The founder solved this by handmaking all hats in Winnipeg using recycled fabrics (and even salvaged ice cream pails for visor stiffeners), buying small supplies locally, and selling directly at house concerts and folk festivals before expanding to an online Shopify store using Shopify POS. The result is steady sales growth from festival and online channels, low-waste shipping via Canada Post, and a strong, locally rooted brand built on sustainability and transparency.

Oldhat