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Tag: soap

  • Freshwater Farm launches Indigenous-inspired products

    Freshwater Farm launches Indigenous-inspired products

    Freshwater Farm, the family-run bath and body care company, has launched limited-edition products designed by an Indigenous artist to commemorate a partnership with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF).

    Worimi artist Brittney Paulson made the limited edition packaging designs. The artwork is present on six items, including the body bars, hand washes, and 1L body washes from Freshwater Farm with Lemon Myrtle and Rosewater.

    Paulson added that this is her second time working with Freshwater Farm to produce these special items that honor her background.

    Freshwater Farm will donate 50 cents for every limited edition product purchased to the ILF, up to $50,000, which will be used to provide 5000 books to children in isolated Indigenous communities.

    “The farm where we grow many of the plants which are used in our products is based on Worimi Country on the NSW Mid North Coast,” said Freshwater Farm GM Al Hutcherson.

    “This is the second year running where we’ve donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, to acknowledge the Worimi Aboriginal Community as the Traditional Owners of the land that Freshwater Farm is on.”

    The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is a national non-profit organization that works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities in Australia.

    The products are available for purchase through the brand’s website, as well as in-store and online at Woolworths.

  • Choice Hotels Asia-Pac partners with Soap Aid for eco-friendly rollout

    Choice Hotels Asia-Pac partners with Soap Aid for eco-friendly rollout

    Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has partnered with Soap Aid to rollout large format bathroom amenities across its Australian and New Zealand hotels.

    The large format products will reduce singe use plastic use by as much as 83 percent per room, per year, or 7.8kg of plastic per room per year and reduce the cost of these amenities to hotels by almost 10%.

    Choice Hotels Asia-Pac Director of Performance and Revenue Management, Anthony Stanley, said there was great enthusiasm from hotels within the group and their guests to remove single use amenities from rooms and replace them with high-quality products with a lesser environmental impact.

    “We also see a growing demand for sustainable options among franchisees and their guests, who are eager to do their part in reducing plastic waste and choose more environmentally friendly accommodation options,” he said.

    “We are excited to partner with Soap Aid and contribute to the great work they do around the world, and here in Australia,” he added.

    Soap Aid is an Australian based charity committed to saving children’s lives through improved hygiene while positively impacting the environment. It collects and reprocesses soap bars from hotels, giving a reliable and safe source of critically needed soap to communities around the world.

    Hunter Amenities Managing Director APAC and Soap Aid Founder Michael Matulick said he was proud to be able to offer sustainable solutions for Choice Hotels franchisees that had a positive global impact.

    “Not only is this range reducing plastic waste in hotels, but it contributes to the work of Soap Aid to provide improved hygiene solutions around the world,” he said

    “Poor hygiene results in 1.4 million children under the age of five dying each year due to preventable childhood infectious diseases including diarrhea and pneumonia. We know that 40% of these deaths could be avoided by improved hygiene and particularly, hand washing with soap,” he added.

    The Soap Aid range for Choice Hotels includes bath and body collection are made with skin loving and vegan friendly formulations packaged in contemporary and on trend designs. The eye-catching bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic, and all bottles and caps are fully recyclable as well.

    Mr Stanley said many Choice Hotels properties were already recycling their soap bars through Soap Aid, contributing to 200+ tonnes of soap saved from landfill and recycled.

    The Choice Hotels product range will include 500ml bottles of Soap Aid Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash installed in shower stalls, with 16g paper box soap bar for vanity and an option small lotion at vanity.

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  • Bath & Body Works delivers big sales numbers for L Brands

    Bath & Body Works delivers big sales numbers for L Brands

    As usual, the latest results from L Brands show a tale of two companies: Bath & Body Works put in a blistering performance of 8 per cent comparable growth, while Victoria’s Secret posted a highly negative drop of 6 per cent in comparable terms.

    Combined, this pushed total comparable sales for the group down by 1 per cent for the second quarter.

    The results from Victoria’s Secret are particularly disappointing, especially as the company has been actively improving ranges and trying to inject more fashion into its product mix. However, this does not necessarily indicate the company is on the wrong track. Among existing customers of Victoria’s Secret, the changes have been well received, but some shoppers are still drifting away from the brand, which has yet to win back much of the trade that it has lost over the past few years.

    Such a win-back will only come with time and more of an effort to recast the brand image of the firm. Fortunately, management appears to have now started to understand this – hence its hesitancy on initiatives such as the annual Fashion Show. That said, the lack of clarity about whether not the show will go ahead underlines the fact that Victoria’s Secret still doesn’t have a clear view as to what it actually wants to stand for, let alone how it will go about executing such a change.

    Until such clarity emerges, the performance of Victoria’s Secret will continue to suffer. The brand is still not connecting and resonating with large swathes of its target market. Indeed, Victoria’s Secret continues to be tarred with the negative connotations that surround its overt sexuality and its focus on airbrushed glamour.

    Standing in marked contrast to Victoria’s Secret is Bath & Body Works. The company’s wholesome brand image and its focus on small indulgences is paying real dividends.

    One of the main strengths of the chain is its range development, where seasonal lines and takes on hot trends like aromatherapy are driving repeat visits from consumers as well as lifting basket sizes. The integration of the White Barn concept in some refurbished stores is also proving to be successful and there is clearly much more potential for Bath & Body Works to develop its home scents and candles business.

    From GlobalData’s customer data it is also clear that Bath & Body Works is popular due to the value for money it offers. Many items feel premium but are sold at reasonable price points, something that generates loyalty and bulk purchasing. On top of this, regular promotions also help to drive volumes through the business.

    Ultimately, success at Bath & Body Works stems from the fact that the team is much more attuned to the market and consumer trends than is the case at Victoria’s Secret. The cultures at the two divisions could not be more different: Victoria’s Secret should take a leaf out of its sister brand’s playbook as it looks to reinvent itself.

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  • Lush UK to closing down most social media accounts

    Lush UK to closing down most social media accounts

    Beauty and well-being retailer Lush UK will close its social media accounts this week, citing disillusionment with the algorithms and pay-to-display policies determining how they appear in their customers’ feeds.

    The firm will shut down Lush UK, Lush Kitchen, Lush Times, Lush Life, Soapbox and Gorilla across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. US accounts will remain active for the time being.

    Lush will instead attempt to connect with followers via its website chat feature or through more traditional means of communication, although it may still work with social media opinion leaders to provide “an opportunity for our customers to connect one-on-one with people within Lush”.

    The shutdown will silence Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels followed by hundreds of thousands of fans.

    “We don’t want to limit ourselves to holding conversations in one place, we want social to be placed back in the hands of our communities – from our founders to our friends,” the firm announced.

  • Fortnum & Mason To Open in Hong Kong

    Fortnum & Mason To Open in Hong Kong

    Upmarket British food store Fortnum & Mason will launch its first international standalone location in Hong Kong this September.

    Driven by a strong international demand, the first Fortnum & Mason Hong Kong store will open along with a restaurant in the K11 Musea development at Victoria Dockside, serving Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese visitors.

    The retailer runs concessions in South Korea with Shinsegae, Mitsukoshi in Japan and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong.

    “Building on our 47 years of experience in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, our latest expansion in Asia is an important next step for us, as we extend our reach further across the world ” said Kate Hobhouse, chairman of Fortnum & Mason.

    “We have seen significant appetite for the Fortnum’s brand and products in the region, with impressive year-on-year sales growth. We are therefore incredibly proud to continue our record of investment and growth by expanding our business into new markets, and reinforcing our support for amazing producers and suppliers  and creating new job opportunities.”

    The 7000 sqft Fortnum & Mason Hong Kong space will feature an edit of Fortnum’s most popular products, including tea, biscuits and wine, and gifts such as Champagne and teaware. A restaurant space will afford views across Victoria Harbour.

    British food is popular in Hong Kong, at one time a British colony. Marks & Spencer has a chain of food stores in the territory, operated by Al-Futtaim Group, and own-brand products from supermarket giants Tesco and Morrisons are readily available in retail stores and online.

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  • Lush Prepares Itself for Growth

    Lush Prepares Itself for Growth

    Global beauty business Lush posted a £3.9 million (A$7.17 million) operating loss in the year to June 30, 2018, compared to an operating profit of £22.6 million ($41.54 million) the year prior.

    The decline was due to the rising cost of goods, manufacturing, staff, rent and administrative costs, and a slowdown in the US market, which outpaced a 6.6 per cent increase in turnover on a constant currency basis to £524.4 million ($963.9 million) in FY18.

    This reflects a 4.4 per cent in like-for-like sales and 9.6 per cent increase in online sales, compared to the previous corresponding period.

    Still, GlobalData retail analyst Emily Salter called this a “solid year” for the brand off the back of its investment in stores and innovation.

    “The retailer relocated 11 UK stores to larger units during the period which saw an impressive 39.6 per cent increase in like-for-likes, indicating Lush’s dedication to the offline channel as it seeks to further differentiate its unique offering and drive customers to stores,” Salter said.

    Salter also pointed to the recent launch of a new global website, which she expects to bolster conversion and increase basket sizes thanks to the “more attractive, aspirational and easy-to-navigate site”.

    She believes the brand is in a good position for growth due to its strong brand identity, and commitment to vegan and ethical practices.

    There is a downside to this, however, as Salter said the brand’s focus on natural ingredients was partly to blame for the increased costs.

    “The retailer must work to return to profitability in its current financial year, although the increased ingredient costs will be hard to navigate due to Lush’s focus on natural and good quality ingredients,” Salter said.

    While performance in Lush’s largest retail market, the US, was disappointing – with declining footfall contributing to sales falling by 7.5 per cent – its UK business fared slightly better.

    Lush Australia was contacted for comment.

  • Israeli brand Sabon expands to Singapore

    Israeli brand Sabon expands to Singapore

    Israel-based bath and body brand Sabon has opened its first Southeast Asia flagship boutique, in Singapore.

    Located in Takashimaya in the Ngee Ann City shopping centre, the store carries a full range of products for the body, face and the home.

    Soaps handmade from fresh herbs, fruit peels and rose petals are included in the range.

    The boutique features an experiential ‘Wishing Fountain’ where customers are invited to freshen up, make wishes, and “dive into an experience of sound and sense, texture, and scent”.

    Staying true to the brand’s philosophy, the store’s interior is decorated with natural products and materials such as whole wood and stone.

    Founded in 1997 in Tel Aviv, Sabon now has 180 stores globally.

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  • Lush Singapore opening flagship at VivoCity

    Lush Singapore opening flagship at VivoCity

    With four stores already, cosmetics company Lush Singapore is set to open its flagship at VivoCity on September 1.

    Occupying a 107 sqm basement space, it will be the largest Lush shop in Singapore.

    “The new shop will allow us to showcase the innovation at Lush with concept product displays and exclusive items,” says Lush Singapore director Sohana Chowdhury.

    There will also be new services such as hand and arm massages, and private in-depth skincare consultations.

    Lush VivoCity will also be one of the UK brand’s 20 international shops to offer the black-label range of Gorilla Perfumes.

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  • Soap Opera Productions opens its first Honeybunch Handmade store in Hong Kong

    Soap Opera Productions opens its first Honeybunch Handmade store in Hong Kong

    New Zealand manufacturer of soaps and body products, Soap Opera Productions Limited, announced today (November 16) that it has opened its first retail store in Hong Kong, Honeybunch Handmade, in response to strong demand for quality personal care products in the region.

    The new retail storeat Aberdeen Street in Central offers New Zealand handmade soaps, bodycare products as well as flower bouquets. According to the Managing Director, Mrs Lisa Jolly, Soap Opera Productions has been developing soap products for a Chinese retailer starting with only one store and now having over 20 stores in Mainland China.

    She said, “Through this business partnership, we gained the know-how and expertise in developing soap products that are suitable for the Chinese market, therefore we decided to launch our own brand in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an international city famous for its breadth of retail choices.

    It gives new brands great exposure to residents, business traders and visitors. It is the best place from which to promote our New Zealand handmade gift and floral concepts to the world.”

    She added, “I am impressed with Hong Kong’s fabulous logistic services. It offers exciting opportunities for us to extend our customer reach beyond Hong Kong through e-commerce.

    Our online store supports delivery to worldwide customers.”

    The Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Dr Jimmy Chiang, said, “Being a free port and logistics hub, Hong Kong is able to efficiently support both online and offline business operations. It offers tremendous opportunities to companies that use Hong Kong as their sales and distribution centre in Asia. Soap Opera Productions has extended its business model from a manufacturer to a retailer and we are happy that the company has chosen Hong Kong as its first overseas location.

    We wish the company every success in Hong Kong.”