My Skincare Line Now Makes $360K/Year
This is a follow up story for Heliotrope San Francisco. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 5 years ago, check it out here.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to! Has the business been growing?
I don't recall where we left off last time, but the big news to report is our wholesale growth. We experienced two evolutions that happened at approximately the same time: 1. the explosion of retailers throughout the US & Canada that catered to eco-minded customers who bought in bulk and/or brought in their empties to be refilled; and 2. our ability to increase production on some of our bestselling formulas, so that we could start shipping in bulk (most gallon jugs or 5-gallon pails).
It seems like every week, there's another start-up who places an order for a few gallons of lotion, or shower gel, or shampoo. Our margins aren't as high for these B2B clients as with our DTC offering, but the volume far outweighs that. We could ship an order for two gallon jugs, and the wholesale value would be more than two case packs of soap.
On another front, we opted to close our one retail storefront in SF. Our ten-year lease was up, and we decided it just wasn't worth renewing. Not only has traffic in SF never really bounced back from the shutdown, but this year was also my 60th birthday - and as a lifestyle choice, I just didn't want to work in a retail environment any longer. With our increased volume in other channels, we really don't even miss the sales from the shop (we're lucky!)
Alongside all of this, we're working hard on updating our website, and upping our game on online marketing - making changes that will increase conversions and repeat visitors.
So there's a lot of work, but it's all been so rewarding! JP
