The Internet saw this with Iyia Liu’s waist trainer, and it happened again on social media as another fashion product: the resistance band.
A pair of Palmerston North couples selling training bands designed to enhance derrière spent $16,000 to start their e-commerce business and have already exceeded $280,000.
Micah Hatch, 29, and Jessica Wong, 26, founded The Peach Builder Co in February and used Instagram, social media influencers, including Shaaanxo and Lauren Curtis, and online giveaways to drive sales and brand awareness.
On average, the currency pair issues about 300 orders per week and expects sales to exceed $1 million in April next year.
“I exercised in the gym and often felt pain. I would be very heavy and often found my waist hurt, so I quickly searched for something that could help, met the resistance band, and started using them…. .. and realized that they have a gap in the market,” Wong said.
Wong said that she could not find a resistance band in the local area, so she decided to import about 500 from China – sold out in the first month.
“We have been out of stock a few times, but the demand already exists, so we continue to order.”
Fast forward for nearly 9 months, the couple has sold thousands of resistance bands, placed 8 shipping orders and registered the trade name The Peach Builder Co.
Most of the band’s sales will go to its main market in Australia, which has 45,000 fans on Instagram and more than 10,000 fans on Facebook.
Peach Builder Co relies on Instagram and influential people to publish its products, using an average of two influencers per month. It also uses Facebook marketing.
Wong, who holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, resigned from the management of Massey University earlier this month, working full time.
She expects waist trainers, Luxe Fitness, Bambi Boutique and recently celebrated Box founder Iyia Liu to do a lot of work using social media to tag the business and increase sales.