Miss Amara: Couple turn over $23million a year selling stain-proof rugs

Alexandra and Aaron Weller were told they were ‘crazy’ for investing $50,000 of their savings into a rug business, but now they’re making millions. 

The married couple from Sydney, both 37, launched Miss Amara from the comfort of their home in 2014 before the e-commerce wave skyrocketed.

The ‘hero’ product that’s captured the attention of the masses is a strain-proof rug, meaning parents and pet owners can breathe easy knowing accidents can be quickly cleaned up.

In the last financial year alone the business turned over a staggering $22.9million globally.  

After growing swiftly Down Under in the first few years, the brand launched in Hong Kong in 2017, followed by New Zealand in 2019 and in the USA in 2020. The pair now live in Hong Kong with their baby. 

Despite their thriving success, they didn’t know if the business model would work at first. 

The ‘hero’ product that’s captured the attention of the masses is a strain-proof rug that repels liquid – meaning parents and pet owners can breathe easy knowing accidents can be quickly cleaned up

Speaking to FEMAIL, the pair started the business after having difficulty finding the ‘perfect’ rug for their own home. 

At the time Aaron was advising at an SEO agency and noticed massive volume of search around the term ‘rugs’ – and with this knowledge on consumer behaviour they decided to take action. 

‘We both thought there must be something there – the current solution (at the time) was clearly broken,’ the couple said. 

The idea behind the brand was to try ‘address some of the reasons so many people gave up’ on finding a suitable rug – along with the idea that rug stores always seem to have ‘never ending closing down sales’. 

‘We wanted to flip this on its head,’ the founders said. 

In the last financial year the business has turned over $22.9million but in the first five years the couple ‘didn’t take a salary’ and didn’t think the model would work. Fair to say the risk paid off

But they feared the business would not succeed. 

‘To be honest no – we didn’t know if it would work, it seemed like we wanted to attack all the problems of the rug market from all fronts. We had so many ideals and it was ambitious,’ the founders said. 

‘For five years we didn’t take a salary, and used our savings to live. Lucky for us, at this point things turned around.’ 

In the beginning the couple say they started the business with a ‘lean strategy’ to reach profitability as quickly as possible. 

They also didn’t have their own inventory and used the unconventional business method drop shipping from local Australian distributors to built up volume and learnt what our customers loved. 

‘Then once we had significant volume we started developing our own range directly with our manufacturers.’ 

Undoubtedly what sets the brand apart from other rug stores is the range of stain-resistant, washable, hypoallergenic rugs

Undoubtedly what sets the brand apart from other rug stores is the range of stain-resistant, washable, hypoallergenic rugs. 

For instance, the Tumblelux rugs are easy to move, fold and store away and are designed with a built-in underlay to prevent any slipping or tripping.

Any stains, liquids and piddles won’t absorb – as long as you get to the area quick enough to clean with paper towels, otherwise the rug can be thrown in the washing machine or hand washed. 

‘Pre-pregnancy we were set on doing washables for fairly obvious reasons of practicality – but it was only after I got pregnant and became a mum I realised that actually the experience, feel and texture of the rug was something the market was missing,’ Alexandra said. 

‘I wanted my kids to have a soft beautiful landing for their little feet to play on. So we put the development on pause until I could deliver on exactly that and I couldn’t be prouder of the final product – known for its luscious thick pile.’ 

The Miss Amara rugs are designed by an in-house creative team, showcasing abstract concepts and patterns that are inspired from far-flung destinations around the world and timeless design style. 

Styles include Scandinavian, Tribal, Contemporary, Traditional and Mid-Century with hundreds to choose from. 

When asked how their business differs from others, the pair agreed on one essential aspect. 

‘It might seem trite when we say – we really listen to our customers,’ the duo said. 

We have whole ranges around the lifestyles and habits of our customers. All design decisions down to the characteristics of the very fibres we choose are informed by what our customers tell us they need and stylistically, décor styles they are coveting.’ 

They also describe the rugs as ‘top end of the market’ made with ‘luxe handmade wool’.