MEET THE MAKER
LOVE OUR COMMUNITY
HAMISH BUCKLEY - GROWTH BOMB
WHAT’S THE EVOLUTION OF THE GROWTH BOMB BRAND?
The business began during the COVID lockdowns in 2020 after co-founders, Hamish Buckley and Blair James noticed the haircare category was being underserved by not offering products that assisted hair growth and scalp health with a more natural positioning.
The co-founders invested $250K into the start-up. In the first six months, we achieved sales of $7 million and secured Chemist Warehouse and Priceline as retail partners.
We initially launched with 4 products and have now expanded the range to 22 products. We are so thrilled with the result and have big plans ahead.
YOU MUST BE BLOWN AWAY BY THE SUCCESS YOU HAVE HAD IN A SHORT SPACE OF TIME?
We are ranked #1 as the Independent hair care brand in the country in pharmacy, ranked #14 out of 160+ brands in category in pharmacy and we are the fastest growing brand in Australia over past 12 months in Australian pharmacy channel.
We have had 33% year on year growth when the category grew less than 25%, and fast forward three years, and we on track to having our product in 10,000 stores overseas.
Current in Australia, we are stocked in Woolworths, Coles, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse and Terry White, as well as Woolworths in New Zealand.
WHY IS AUSTRALIAN MADE IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Australian made is important to us as it gives us a level of credibility and comes with a level of quality that is often better than off-shore manufacturing. We also want to support local. Being Australia made does have its challenges at times as any small business will tell you. It is often more expensive and lead times are longer – however – we will continue to support local.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THE BIGGEST GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH BOMB?
Certainly, overseas is a focus for us. The UK is key with big retailers Sainsbury’s and Boots, we will be in the USA at 2000 CVS stores with a projected 5000 stores inside 12 months and we are also speaking to other retailers including in Europe & Middle East with Watsons, and in South Africa with Clicks & Dischem.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE TO SPEND YOUR MARKETING DOLLARS?
The wholesale division currently makes up 97 per cent of Growth Bomb’s revenue – we put most of our marketing spend behind supporting the retailers we are aligned with. Recently we have shifted our focus to e-commerce in markets like USA as there is growth demand for the brand over there and such a large population.
WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE TO YOU FOLLOW WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH?
It’s just a moment in time, as most days, weeks and months there will be constant challenges. You just need to keep moving forward and not getting too caught up when tough times hit. Enjoy the wins when you get them because they are often forgotten about when you keep trying to grow the business. It’s all about momentum.
