Bowral’s Peppermint Grove is joining companies from across the state forging new paths to export at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Having started in 2014 with only three employees, the Bowral-based company is making the most of the opportunity to sell its luxury products including candles, diffusers and body care products directly to China.
Peppermint Grove co-founder Hannah Staples said the business now employed more than 40 locals and with a recent deal with a UK department store, she expected the business to grow by up to 80 per cent in 2019.
“We’re now looking for further export opportunities in China and the rest of Asia where consumer demand for luxury goods like ours continues to grow,” Ms Staples said.
“This is good news not just for us but also for our local regional community. As we grow we’ll be looking to expand our workforce and we’ve recently commissioned a locally designed and manufactured wax pouring system.”
Minister for Trade and Industry Niall Blair is in China heading a trade mission promoting new opportunities for NSW exporters in key industries such as food, agriculture and consumer goods.
ALSO READ:
“We hear a lot about the demands out of China’s growing middle class and Peppermint Grove is showing how to capitalise on selling niche global luxury goods,” Mr Blair said.
“It’s fantastic to see a regional town producing a luxury product that is lighting up homes the world over.”
Peppermint Grove has utilised a unique process to produce a superior product at low cost with its luxury candles and fragrances top sellers in Myer and exports already going to Europe.
“Their success in the domestic and European markets has allowed further investment in their production plant, which has in turn created opportunities to move employees into other parts of the business as it grows.,” Mr Blair said.
The CIIE is the largest trade show for imported products ever to be held in China, covering some 500,000 square metres and attracting over 150,000 domestic and foreign purchasers from over 100 countries.
Love local news? Sign up to our weekly newsletter