Glasshouse Fragrances founder Nicole Eckels discusses her strategic, controlled approach to launching her successful Australian luxury brand in the competitive U.S. market. She emphasizes building brand presence through a mix of DTC, Amazon, and selective independent retail partnerships, balancing exclusivity with accessibility to maintain luxury positioning while scaling internationally.
Key takeaways
Prioritize strong domestic market foundations before international expansion; Glasshouse spent 15 years perfecting its Australian operations before entering the U.S.
Implement a "controlled growth" international expansion strategy, focusing on selective distribution channels (DTC, Amazon, targeted wholesale) rather than immediate mass market saturation to preserve brand luxury.
For luxury brands, actively manage brand perception by finding the delicate balance between being desirable/exclusive and accessible/discoverable in new markets.
Diversify product lines strategically to leverage existing brand equity and cater to broader customer needs, as Glasshouse did by expanding from candles to body washes and diffusers.
Be prepared for significant trial and error in product development and manufacturing in the early stages, even with a strong sales background, as Eckels experienced when building Glasshouse from scratch.
After hitting it big in Australia, Glasshouse Fragrances is testing out the U.S. market.
The company makes luxury candles among other high-end products, and since launching in 2005, has become one of the biggest candle companies in Australia. Now, it is focused on international expansion after launching in the U.S. last year. It is currently available in over 1,200 retail locations in the country, and has expanded to body washes, soaps and diffusers. Founder Nicole Eckels joined the Modern Retail Podcast and spoke about how she built the brand and her strategy surrounding the U.S. expansion.
“Scaling to the U.S. was very difficult because we have grown a very big business for our category in Australia,” she said. “And it took all of our resource just to supply that [Australian] market and to serve as that market.”
Indeed, over the last 15 years Eckels has been trying to perfect her Australian business. In the early days, she was doing everything from scratch. She had a background in sales, but not so much in manufacturing. “It really was a matter of trial and error,” she said -- figuring out how to make the right products and get them in the right hands. “It was really really tough in the beginning,” she said.
But now, she said that the timing is right and it’s time for Glasshouse to bring its products to the U.S. Eckels is doing this by establishing an online presence -- both direct-to-consumer as well as on Amazon. She is also seeking out distribution from independent retailers. “We’re not trying to just be everywhere and get mass distribution right away,” she said.
Still, there’s a lot of work to be done. For one, she is still building out Glasshouse’s brand presence in the States. With that, she’s trying to find the right retail partners. For a luxury brand, she said, it’s a difficult balance -- and that’s what she’s figuring out now.
“We are a luxury brand,” she said. “We don’t want to be everywhere but we don’t want to be too difficult to find either.”
Prioritize strong domestic market foundations before international expansion; Glasshouse spent 15 years perfecting its Australian operations before entering the U.S.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Implement a "controlled growth" international expansion strategy, focusing on selective distribution channels (DTC, Amazon, targeted wholesale) rather than immediate mass market saturation to preserve brand luxury.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
For luxury brands, actively manage brand perception by finding the delicate balance between being desirable/exclusive and accessible/discoverable in new markets.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Diversify product lines strategically to leverage existing brand equity and cater to broader customer needs, as Glasshouse did by expanding from candles to body washes and diffusers.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Be prepared for significant trial and error in product development and manufacturing in the early stages, even with a strong sales background, as Eckels experienced when building Glasshouse from scratch.
