Sellout Bare and Boho reusable nappies go on sale in Aldi’s Special Buy

A stay-at-home mum is surprised at how her blog and side hustle grew into a shopping frenzy after she was approached by Aldi with a deal.

The founder of Bare and Boho never expected her blog and small side hustle would ever eventuate into the shopping frenzy it has.

Jordan McGregor started a blog and small e-commerce business from her home in 2017 after becoming a mum, sharing her passion for baby products with other mums.

“It was going to start off as a little hobby business with motherhood and my passion for baby and mum products, but then it took on a life of its own,” she told news.com.au.

A year later, Aldi discovereed her brand on Instagram and approached the mum at the Pregnancy, Babies And Children’s Expo in Sydney in 2018 with a proposition.

“They loved our products and branding and wanted to launch a cloth nappy in stores,” she said.

Bare and Boho reusable nappies have been an Aldi Special Buys sellout. Picture: Supplied

Now Bare and Boho nappies and products are part of Aldi’s Special Buy for the third consecutive year. After last year’s rapid speed sellout, Aldi anticipates her range to fly off the shelves this Wednesday December 2.

The cloth nappies and accessories regularly sell out through her e-commerce store and social media platforms, but the Aldi deal has taken the business to another level.

“It was surprising to see the range became such a trending product in Australian and global households,” Jordan said. “It was an underground product at the time.”

Bare and Boho is an eco-friendly brand with Australian designs. Picture: Supplied

Jordan has taken the once “underground” reusable cloth nappy trend to a new level.

“We have been a big player in bringing it from the underground to the global space,” she said.

“The partnership with Aldi flourished because cloth nappies prior to our launch were only available online or in some boutique retail stores for a high price.”

Jordan said she wanted to “disrupt the idea” of paying a high price of around $30 for a cloth nappy.

Bare and Boho nappies sell at Aldi for $45 for a three pack – just $15 each.

“We’re budget-friendly, accessible and have an affordable price,” she said.

While some parents might conjure up images of labouring over a pile of stinky nappies to handwash, Jordan is quick to remind parents that these days it’s nothing like that at all.

“It’s a modern concept, all done in the washer and dryer,” she laughed, adding that cloth nappies absolutely suit the “modern parent who is busy”.

The cloth nappies and accessories are much more environmentally friendly than disposable nappies. Picture: Supplied

MORE ECONOMICAL

Compared to disposable nappies which Jordan labels as “wasteful”, cloth nappies are more economical in the long-run, despite the upfront cost.

“The average family will spend anywhere from $600 to $2500 or $3000 on nappies from birth to toilet training,” Jordan said.

“For a healthy stash of cloth nappies – a 12 to 24-pack – you’ll be spending around $500 dollars including all the accessories,” she said.

While this may seem like a large sum upfront, Jordan said that it works out to be less over time compared to the cost of disposable nappies.

“There is more of an upfront expense but when you compare the two you’ll be saving,” she said.

With options such as Afterpay payment plans, it becomes more affordable, she said.

“A lot of new parents will put it out to their friend group or baby shower group,” Jordan said. “It’s a really mindful gift.”

Jordan said parents are conscious of budgeting but are also wanting to be more mindful of waste in the home for the environment.

“A nappy could be on the bum for 30 minutes and then ends up in the bin and takes 500 years for a disposable nappy to break down,” she said.

She explained that cloth nappies can be reused over and over for about two years or more, depending on how often they’re washed.

Jordan said the eco-friendly items make a ‘mindful gift’ for new parents. Picture: Supplied

BABY STEPS, GIANT LEAPS

When Jordan launched the website and brand herself from home, she never expected it to take off the way it did.

“When we launched in 2017, it was in my home with a pallet of goods, thinking it was going to take a decade to sell,” she said.

“It was all very organic with the intention to spread the word, almost like a blog with the element to sell goods on the side.”

Jordan then shared a video on her social media platform in May 2017 which skyrocketed sales.

“We sold out of that entire pallet of goods straight away,” she said. “We got to the expo and had absolutely no stock.”

Jordan explained that the brand went from a single production facility in 2017 after working from the home garage to three facilities in China by 2020.

“We’ve gone from a little home working from the bedroom and garage to a small warehouse in 2018 to a larger warehouse in 2019 and now we’re going to have to do another reshuffle into a larger warehouse,” she said.

Jordan expanded beyond cloth nappies into accessories but said nappies are the ‘hero’ product. Picture: Supplied

While she planned to expand the business eventually, the unexpected opportunity with Aldi “fast-tracked” things.

“At the time we had only been in business for a couple of years. We would do the expo events, the rest would be on social media and e-commerce.

“When Aldi approached us we had to pick up our game,” she said. “It was a crazy few months.”

Bare and Boho worked closely with suppliers to get compostable recyclable packaging. “That’s something that is revolutionary with the cloth nappy world because they are always packed in plastic,” she said.

“It wouldn’t have made sense to offer plastic. We have always gone for the most sustainable option.”

Bare and Boho is on sale in Aldi’s Special Buys this Wednesday December 2.