Melbourne-based zero-waste personal care brand Baresop has announced that it has partnered with national community pharmacy network Blooms The Chemist, officially launching in more than 100 branded pharmacies across Australia.
The collaboration with Blooms The Chemist comes after Baresop announced that it secured a $360,000 investment and strategic partnership with Australian pharmacy distributor Alita Sales in June 2023.
Baresop makes eco-friendly skin and body care products from organic, plant-based ingredients.
As the startup continues to expand its market share in the personal care space, the distribution deal will see Baresop launch a new product solution and build a new waterless category for pharmacy channels.
Baresop founder and CEO Prisca Ongonga-Daehn, who launched the brand in 2018, said consumers are shifting their spending towards ranges like Baresop that prioritise ESG initiatives, including products with minimal or reduced plastic and innovative processes that reduce carbon emission and water footprint.
“The pharmacy channel is evolving rapidly, and we’re excited to be a part of it,” she said.
“As more and more people seek purpose-driven personal care and beauty products, we see a fantastic opportunity.
“That’s why we’re over the moon to announce our launch in over 100 Blooms The Chemist pharmacies.
“Now, you can easily get your hands on our zero-waste Baresop products while shopping for your personal care needs at your favourite local pharmacy.
“It’s all about convenience, wellness and sustainability, and we’re here for it.”
Ongonga-Daehn said demand for the brand’s product solutions has seen rapid growth despite a turbulent market.
“We’re receiving interest from New Zealand, North America, China mainland and Singapore markets so market expansion is definitely in the cards in 2023 as well as driving innovative solutions that best solve the waste problem across categories,” she said.
“We’re lasor-focused on how to best meet our customers’ needs and sprint to our goal of avoiding 1 billion single-use plastic bottles from landfill, 50,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided from our atmosphere, and 600,000 litres of water conserved by 2035.
“Of each litre of water we conserve, we make that accessible to grassroot communities that have no access to clean and safe drinking water.”
In a bid to make its premium health and wellness products more accessible to Aussie customers, Baresop earlier this year announced its expanded retail partnership with health and wellness food store chain Go Vita, which saw products roll into more than 200 Go Vita stores across Australia.
Speaking about the partnership with Blooms The Chemist, Ongonga-Daehn said products that embrace both environmental sustainability and human wellbeing aren’t just needed in personal care.
“It’s a necessity that transcends various product categories,” she said.
“This strategic shift holds immense potential for us to grow and cultivate innovation side by side with our pharmacy channel partners.
“Through close collaboration, our goal is to deeply understand the specific challenges customers in this channel encounter and, consequently, help bridge these gaps.
“The fact that we’re obsessed with the problem we exist to solve, not the solution, is impactful in how we look at our product innovation pathway.
“We ask ourselves a number of questions when looking at our innovation strategy; does this new innovation help us get to our mission faster or slower? Is it empathetic to our customer lifestyle and needs, is it empowering or enabling positive change?
“We’re in stealth mode with our next phase of new and improved waterless product launches which is a first of its kind and combines wellness and planet needs like it’s never been done before.
“Watch this space.”
Blooms The Chemist head of retail and e-commerce Michael Foran said that today’s consumers prefer to support products and brands that prioritise people and the planet.
“We are always proud to align with another purpose-led brand, and look forward to introducing Blooms The Chemist customers to Baresop’s sustainable approach to creating zero-waste personal products,” he said.
