How two brothers went from driving trucks and telemarketing to making a killing by selling a hamper every 20 seconds – and helping out Covid-hit Aussies into the bargain
- Brothers Nick and Rory Boyle founded company after noticing gap in market
- For first few years ex-truck driver and telemarketer worked out of Nick’s House
- They would call companies with expensive phone book listings to pitch to
- The duo now run a Melbourne office and warehouse and employ a growing team
- Hampers with Bite credits successful 2020 to working with changing conditions
A former truck driver and his telemarketer brother have opened up about building their multi-million dollar gift business which sold a hamper every 20 seconds in December.
Nick and Rory Boyle founded Hampers with Bite more than a decade ago and have steadily grown the company since – turning 2020 into their biggest year with customers by focusing on helping people connect during extended lockdowns.
The Victoria-based brothers also turned their success last year into a way to help their community – donating 1,000 hampers to frontline workers, 10,000 food items to hunger relief non-profits, and 20,000 hot meals to underprivileged kids.
Brothers Nick (pictured left) and Rory Boyle (pictured right) turned 2020 into a surprisingly successful year for their Victorian based business despite strict lockdowns
The duo said they decided on a shift in their business to focus on what people would want during months where they couldn’t travel or visit friends and family
Rory Boyle, the half of the duo with a telemarketing background, credits a 2020 ‘pivot’ in the direction of the business, courtesy of his strategic sales instincts, for their impressive year.
‘We analysed everything we sold across the business and started thinking what are people going to want in this new environment,’ he said.
But developing their new ranges as their home state was plunged into strict Stage Four lockdowns for much of the year was not without its challenges.
The father-of-three explained one of the keys to their success was embracing remote working, which was a lot tougher for the staff who physically pack orders than those in the front office.
‘Our warehouse was forced to work at a reduced capacity while we were experiencing a crazy amount of demand … It’s not the worst position to be in,’ former truck driver Nick added.
The shift also helped them expand the philanthropic side of the business even further by developing new hampers focusing on Aussie businesses affected by drought, bushfires and Covid.
Their ‘Support Aussie Businesses Range’ puts money back into these communities by purchasing local products and showcasing them to a wider audience.
Nick (pictured at the company warehouse) and Rory also managed to raise an impressive amount of support for frontline workers and underprivileged kids who were affected by Covid lockdowns in 2020
The business model focuses on luxury and little known but quality items – with a focus on showcasing Aussie businesses
They’ve also previously developed hampers specifically for certain charities such as R U OK? and Koala Kids, with proceeds going straight to the causes.
Truck driver Nick, with his logistics background, actually had the original concept for the gift hamper venture in 2004, noticing a gap for luxury hampers in the market.
Their first sales involved looking through phone books and calling companies who spent extra cash on prominent listings – asking them if they did Christmas gifting to their customers.
Working out of Nick’s house for the first few years while utilising his freight logistics contacts, they eventually moved to a suburban Melbourne office and warehouse and began hiring staff.
They sold a hamper every 20 seconds in December marking a new record for sales for the gift hamper company founded in 2004
Intermittent state border closures were no doubt a factor in their growth in 2020 – with Australians unable to visit each other sending gifts – but the brothers business skills in reading the market had already turned them into the country’s top supplier of hampers.
And with the brothers genuinely enjoying what they do – Nick likes sourcing obscure quality products from suppliers while Rory likes the business strategy aspect – the company looks set to continue their growth for the next decade and help Aussie communities along the way.