Beginning Boutique racks up $30m in sales as continues to expand into the US

Brisbane online fashion entrepreneur Sarah Timmerman’s Beginning Boutique is thriving in the US and is now eyeing another new market.

Fashion entrepreneur Sarah Timmerman’s Beginning Boutique is turning over about $30m a year as the online retailer expands its reach into the US market.

The business, started by Ms Timmerman from her parents’ home back in 2008 when she was a 21-year-old with no fashion experience, now handles 20,000 to 30,000 orders a month.

The brand had a core focus on going out and festival attire but pivoted when the pandemic hit, with Ms Timmerman saying new lifestyle choices changed the business completely.

“Our core market was all about going out and doing fun things, but I think our lifestyle is very different now, so we have had to change our product offerings and how our staff work,” she said.

“It is a totally different market now and the transition from Millennials to Gen Z, I would say we are a totally different business than what we were pre-Covid.”

The online retail pioneer now employs 70 staff at her head office and warehouse in Brisbane, stocking more than 5000 products.

Up to 50 per cent of the orders these days are destined for US customers and she is growing that market daily.

Like most businesses, Beginning Boutique has also struggled with rapidly rising inflation and global supply chain issues.

“We have had supply issues with China doing hard shutdowns due to Covid, affecting several factories at once,” she said.

“Shipping is phenomenally expensive. It has increased by three times (the amount) in the past two years.”

She said the company would continue to grow in Australia, New Zealand and the US over the next 12 months and had no immediate plans to push into new markets.

“Expansion for us is about customers rather than geography,” she said.

Ms Timmerman stated that the company is attempting to keep prices as consistent as possible, but that prices cannot be guaranteed for the next 12 months.

“We will react to the market and do our best to give our customers the best product at the best price.”

Fashion retailer Sarah Timmerman at Beginning Boutique warehouse in Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker

As part of focusing on customers, Beginning Boutique is in a research and development phase to expand its clothing lines into the “curve” range, which includes sizes 18-24.

The business is aiming to see at least 20 per cent of its range in size 18 by the end of the year, with Ms Timmerman hopeful for further expansion in the near future.

“We need to change our entire production model to make sure 18-24 fit perfectly because it’s a brand new spec and fit to make clothing feel and look incredible. We are currently aiming to get that extra sizing in at different factories so we can make beautiful clothing that fits perfectly.

“I’m always hoping for it tomorrow. We definitely want to be playing in that space with aggressive targets for it next year. We want to do it right.”

Beginning Boutique is also largely playing in the sustainability space, with one warehouse being 100 per cent solar powered while a second building is using green energy.

In the warehouse, the boutique has diverted 80 per cent of its waste from landfill to recycling while offsetting 8000 tonnes of carbon in 2021.

Ms Timmerman remains positive about the company’s carbon footprint while recognising there is still a long way to go.

“We recognise that we aren’t perfect and we still have polyester and fabrics that are harder to recycle, but if we can at least change as much as we can quickly, we will,” she said.