Eight months after the launch of their first social enterprise The BIMM Group founders Anthony McDonough and Chris Glebatsas are preparing to launch their next round of social ventures.
The new social enterprises will be partially funded through the early success of the skincare brand Unlabelled, and initial funding from impact investors.
Social enterprise Unlabelled signs with major retailers in Thailand, Israel, Hong Kong and India and with Coles supermarkets in Australia.
The Unlabelled brand, which donates all profits to youth-focused mental health charities to reduce the incidence of youth suicide in Australia, is about to appear on shelves overseas.
The Central Retail Group, a major retailer in Thailand will stock Unlabelled products across their new concept stores Tops Shop. Further deals have also been made with DNO Group, an Israeli distributor, to see Unlabelled products enter Hong Kong, Israel and, at a later stage, India.
Unlabelled is also registered as a health promotion charity with Deductible Gift Recipient status and became an Austrade accredited supplier, which has helped to create additional international pathways.
There’s a growing global trend among consumers towards more ethical purchasing from authentic brands, which retailers are eager to tap into.
The challenge with ethical consumerism up to now has been one of the trade-offs. Consumers would either have to pay more for products that supported causes or accept products of lesser quality.
“When we’re talking with retailers about stocking our products, we’re finding them to be very receptive not just to the Unlabelled brand but our future vision as well. We tick all their boxes. We’re ethical, and sustainable, with high-quality products that look, feel and smell great, all while supporting a cause close to every parent’s heart,” said Anthony McDonough.
Every social enterprise that BIMM creates will be lean, agile and built on sustainable principles.
Plans are already in place for The BIMM Group to set up further social enterprises in the household cleaning goods, petcare and beverage sectors, aligning with charities supporting the homeless, animal rights groups and LGBTQIA+ communities.