Kiwi beauty brand Ethique signs deal to stock products in 420 Australian stores

Brianne West, founder of Ethique. Photo / Supplied

Christchurch beauty brand Ethique has a signed a deal with Priceline Pharmacy to stock its products in more than 420 stores throughout Australia.

From the end of October, 22 Ethique products will be stocked in Priceline, one of Australia's largest health and beauty retailers.

The deal is worth $8 million in the first year and the company is gearing up to sign another distribution deal with a major US retailer early next year.

Ethique was founded by Brianne West in 2012 in her kitchen as she set about creating solid shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bars wrapped in compostable packaging in an attempt to reduce plastic waste.

West said the distribution deal with Priceline meant Australia would become the company's second-largest market after the US.

"Australia's in the middle of this massive plastic-free movement and we are at right place, right time," she said.

"It's certainly going to mean that Australia is a much more significant part of our business."

Ethique has factories in Christchurch and Blenheim and two in Auckland. Combined, those manufactured 1000 units of product per day, last year.

Last year, it had a turnover of just over $3 million.

In 2015, West ran a successful crowdfunding campaign on Pledge Me that raised $200,000 that allowed Ethique to expand internationally. A subsequent crowdfunding drive last year raised $500,000 in half an hour.

The brand's product is sold in stores in Taiwan and Hong Kong and online into the US, Japan and Australia. It is also exploring retail opportunities in Europe.

Ethique has set a target to divert one million plastic bottles from landfill by the end of 2018. So far it has diverted 500,000 plastic bottles.

"New Zealanders are really, really behind us and it's really nice to see," West said.

Ethique will soon be stocked in Priceline stores in Australia. Photo / Supplied

Ethique has a 38 products in its range, including deodorant, shampoo for dogs and a self-tanning bar, and is sold in 220 retail stores in New Zealand.

West, who has a background in biochemistry, wants to shake up the multibillion-dollar global beauty industry.

"Ultimately I want to change the way we use beauty products, so there are bars in every shower – hair and skin care, without the plastic bottle – and I'm very excited to be working with Priceline Pharmacies to help drive that change."

New Zealanders throw out a combined 50 million shampoo and conditioner bottles every year. Each takes more than 500 years to degrade in a landfill.

West said she was confident Australians would take to the brand like Kiwis had.