Bulk sales surge on back of Tiktok and Instagram Gen Z wellness shopping
Bulk said sales across its range of protein shakes, creatine and products for skin and nails were up 94 per cent, as the company ramps up its presence on Tiktok to attract wellness obsessed Gen Z shoppers.
The protein powder company, which has previously been promoted by the likes of heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, reported a 30 per cent rise in sales last year to £123.1m.
The firm, which was launched 18 years ago by Adam Rossiter and business partner Elliot Dawes, added 790,000 new customers last year, helped by a growing interest in weight lifting from women.
Bulk has over 336,000 followers on Tik Tok and a further 376,000 on Instagram.
It has previously partnered with celebrities such as boxer Anthony Joshua and also Barratt Sweets, launching a range of protein products which taste like Flump or Fruit Salad candies.
On Tuesday, it was reported that pre-tax profit reached £6m in 2023, up from £66,000 the year before, when margins were hurt by supply chain issues caused by the war in Ukraine, as well as cost inflation.
“We’re back to normal levels of profitability after a couple of tough years in the supply chain,” Rossiter told The Times.
Bulk has plans to further expand into Europe this year after opening a distribution site in Poland in 2021.
The company has a site in Colchester in Essex as well as offices in central London.
The wellness company created 83 new roles in 2023 and now has a total headcount of almost 400 across its three sites.
Rossiter, founder and chief of Bulk, said: “When we founded Bulk almost twenty years ago, we had a vision to become the highest quality nutrition brand in the market.
“Whether it is the calibre of our ingredients, the standard of our testing and manufacturing, or the efficacy of our formulations, our unwavering commitment to quality is what makes Bulk unique. “
He added: “As a brand, we have combined an experienced executive team, a targeted growth strategy and smart product innovation to deliver for our customers. This balance of factors has enabled us to achieve record results in 2023 and continued strong growth in 2024. “