The background
BDO’s client, frank body, is an Australian business success story. Launching in 2013 with a “humble body scrub”, it now boasts an extensive range of body and face products available directly online and in some of the biggest retailers in the world, including Sephora, Ultra, Mecca and most recently, Walmart stores across the United States.
What has frank body done to address sustainability?
Balancing growth and sustainability expectations is a challenge for all retail businesses, and frank body admits it is on a continuous journey to improve its operations to minimise environmental impact.
Since 2018, the business has focused on product manufacturing and freight movements to reduce environmental impact. They have found that reshoring and localising manufacturing in the United States and Australia has significantly reduced their carbon footprint and benefited the business financially.
Co-Founder and CEO, Steve Rowley notes they quickly realised, “moving packaging less is better for the environment and your P&L”.
While the business has made significant inroads with the introduction of 100% post-consumer recycled material for scrub tubs, frank body recognises more must be done and is working towards repurposing and moving away from single-use plastics. A good example is their everyday range. The product and packaging, developed in Australia, have been designed with sustainability in mind and can be repurposed with refills.
Discover how frank body is approaching its sustainability journey
Continuously improving sustainability
Now, more than ever, retailers face increasing stakeholder pressure to address sustainability. This global sustainability movement is becoming critical as part of a business’ social licence to trade, with companies that fail to act in this space risking potential impacts on their reputation, risk mitigation, market opportunities, culture and even employee value proposition.
Where is your organisation on its sustainability journey? Our new Sustainability activation checklist is designed to help guide retail organisations as they start their sustainability journey.
Working with BDO
At BDO, we understand the challenges and opportunities facing retail and wholesale businesses.
“Working with BDO provides our investors comfort - someone external is telling us what we are doing well and what we need to work on and helping us formulate an improvement plan.”
Steve Rowley, CEO, frank body
BDO’s team of expert advisers can help you address these challenges and capture opportunities specific to your retail business, such as:
- Implementing new technology available to support your retail business
- Operationalising performance improvement
- Evolving traditional retail business models
- Fraud and loss prevention
- Acquisitions, disposals and initial public offers
- Sustainability strategy and mandatory reporting.
To find out how we can help, contact our Retail team.
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