We experienced a 500% increase in sales since April 2020, by onboarding and selling on Royal Mail / T-Mall. We became one of the best-selling men’s grooming ranges on the platform.
Based in Cheltenham, southwest England, Hawkins & Brimble are an award-winning British brand of men’s skincare and grooming products.
Launching in 2016, the company saw rapid growth with sales in over 5,000 stores in 24 countries across the world, from Canada and the US, to India and the Middle East.
Eager to increase their growth, Hawkins & Brimble looked to using the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) export tools. This led to onboarding new global marketplaces, from New Zealand to Singapore and mainland Europe.
The Selling Online Overseas tool helped the company determine which marketplaces catered for their product category. The tool provided at-a-glance marketplace information, and a route to apply to the marketplace.
The Export Opportunities website provided marketplace opportunities exclusively sourced by DIT trade teams. These allowed the company to express their interest and bid for the opportunities.
By selling through global marketplaces, Hawkins & Brimble found that they had widened their customer base. This brought in new customers and increased sales.
Getting the advice to achieve success
I would recommend that companies think actively about digital exporting and use DIT’s Selling Online Overseas tool and other routes into market to achieve success.
Using DBT's export guidance to support and guide them, the company enhanced their knowledge and understanding of the world of digital commerce. They received exporting advice on important markets like India, Japan and the USA. They were also introduced to new business contacts.
Hawkins & Brimble also sought support from DIT’s dedicated digital commerce specialists from the Digital Exporting Programme and Digital Commerce Team. They received guidance on how to sell on marketplaces and what regulations were required. They were also introduced to a 3PL (third party logistics) provider.
Global markets are easier to reach than ever before, and online selling is a crucial part of any company’s strategy. With help from DIT, Hawkins & Brimble gained the knowledge and confidence to progress on their digital commerce journey.