BKIND has been established in Montreal since 2019, on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Its first store was located not far from Sherbrooke Street, near the bars and restaurants. Her new premises, where she moved this shop, are now those of the former Chez Serge bar, in Mile End.
“We didn’t have a good location. The SPVM came to see us at the opening to tell us that we were in a hotspot. Now, we are located very close to other small shops in a busy and more residential area. Already, we are seeing an increase in attendance,” says Marilyne Bouchard, the founder.
The company, whose turnover is between $2 and $5 million, sells online as well as through 500 points of sale. Approximately 80% of its sales are made in Quebec, 15% in the rest of Canada, and 5% in the United States.
With her store, however, the entrepreneur aims to develop a business model that is still unique in her industry. “The goal of having a physical store is to be able to sell in bulk,” says the founder. Almost all of our products can be purchased this way, and they are 30% cheaper than pre-packaged products. »
Bulk sales remain rare in the cosmetics industry and this is precisely what pushed Marilyne Bouchard to develop this formula.
“BKIND, at its core, is a company based on my personal values. My products were vegan initially because I am vegan, and the eco-responsible side came later because I became interested in it. »
After diving into the world of zero waste, the entrepreneur noticed that cosmetic and personal care products weren’t really available in bulk.
Customers, for their part, are showing a marked interest in this formula: bulk products represent around a third of in-store sales. The founder also says she is frequently asked to open another store in Quebec. “It’s going to happen,” she said. But it’s quite a project. »
Especially in the current economic context. Like many other stores, BKIND has benefited from the buying local wave during the pandemic – its daily sales went from 15 orders to 200 overnight – but feels the tightening economy could affect it in 2024.
“Our team went from 5 employees before the pandemic to 17 today, so things are still going well in that regard,” says Marilyne Bouchard. But we feel that 2024 will be worse than this year in terms of sales. For the moment, we will therefore exercise caution in our major projects. »