An Australian woman who quit her full-time job in early childhood education to start a business selling bath bombs and luxurious bath accessories turned over a massive $2.1 million in sales last year.
Hannah Pereira, 27, from Victoria, launched Bath Box in 2017 after she gained an online following in natural skincare products she made for herself.
Hannah told FEMAIL she originally produced face masks, soaps and body scrubs as a hobby after having difficulty finding natural products in the market.
But she transitioned to bath bombs and bubble bath items after recommendations from others.
A few months after launching the brand, her husband Ashton Pereira, 28, and sister-in-law Kimberly Pereira, 26, joined the business full-time.
The Bath Box team say they offer customers a ‘luxury spa experience’ at home and this year the brand has made an average of $120,000 per month – with a projected turnover of $5 million in 2021.
Hannah Pereira, 27, (left) from Victoria, launched Bath Box in 2017. Her sister-in-law Kimberly Pereira, 26, joined the business full-time a few months later
The Bath Box team pride themselves in offering customers a ‘luxury spa experience’ at home and this year the brand has made an average of $120,000 per month
Hannah said the business designs and creates the majority of their products in Melbourne – such as bath bombs, bath ‘dust’ and nourishing bath salts
Hannah said the business designs and creates the majority of the products including the bath bombs, bath ‘dust’ and nourishing bath salts in Melbourne .
‘By keeping this process in-house, Bath Box is not only able to handcraft the most luxurious designs, but also maintain high standards of product quality and value,’ she said.
In addition to the bath bombs, the brand also sells bath pillows for $64.95 and a lush bathroom caddy for $79.95.
The pillow is designed with powerful suction cups at the back to stick to the bath and prevent the pillow from sliding or moving.
All products are cruelty-free, environmentally-free and packaged using minimal materials.
The business has extended to offer 24/7 customer service, a money-back guarantee to any customer who doesn’t love their purchase and a rewards program called ‘Bath Babes’ for loyal customers.
From humble beginnings: Hannah said she didn’t mind making mistakes when establishing her business because it helped her move forward
Today the business offers 24/7 customer service, a money-back guarantee to any customer who doesn’t love their purchase and a rewards program to loyal customers who become ‘Bath Babes
In addition to the bath bombs, the brand also sells bath pillows for $64.95 and a lush bathroom caddy for $79.95
Hannah said at the start there was a lot of ‘trial and error’ involved in getting the business up and running – but she didn’t mind making mistakes.
‘As you do in business, if you fall down, get up as quick as you can and try your hardest to learn how to avoid falling again,’ she said.
While Hannah has limited business experience, she said she grew up with entrepreneurial parents who helped her understand the swift changes in the marketplace.
The bath pillow is designed with powerful suction cups at the back to stick to the bath and prevent the pillow from sliding or moving
Although 2020 was tough for many industries, Bath Box experienced a surge in customer traffic as Australians turned to online shopping and spent more hours at home.
‘We noticed this change in customer behaviour, and combined with targeted online advertising and marketing, made sure it was easy for customers to find us,’ Hannah said.
‘And as more customers came, the sales increased and we finished the year with a new all-time high of $2.1million in sales.’
The brand did experience some challenges at the start of last year when Hannah had to work remotely for half of 2020 and was stuck in the US.
‘What began as a short trip turned into something much longer due to travel restrictions, which had a somewhat negative impact on operations,’ she said.
Thankfully Kimberly, Hannah’s business partner and sister-in-law, managed factory staff during that time.
Hannah said she hopes Bath Box becomes a household name in Australia.