Beija London

Idea

Introduction

Growing up surrounded by the family's lingerie manufacturing business, we (Abbie and Mazie) created Beija London in response to noticing what was missing from the market. We set out to make a relatable lingerie brand that considers your feelings as well as your fit. Women have suffered because of the over glamorisation of the intimates sector, and we are here to rebalance and heal that problem.

Every single bra that we make is built on the belief that different cup sizes have different needs. We believe a bra should be simple but beautiful, structured but comfortable and built to last.

As the company grows, we remain committed to making women feel happy and content in their bodies and redefining what is perceived as 'commercially beautiful.’ Our ethos has attracted a cult of followers and endorsements from influencers,celebrities and wholesale clients who share our values.

Substantial accomplishments to date

Beija was founded in 2016 by sisters Abbie and Mazie under the parent company Aura Lingerie. The company demerged from Aura Lingerie in 2020 to become an independently run company and have received investment to date of £1.8m in equity finance.

Milestones achieved:

- Developed ten ranges of products in X-Y-Z size groups (a total of 39 size variations!)

- Opened flagship store at Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross.

- 49% repeat orders; 44% repeat customers in 2021.

- Rated with 5 stars by over 90% of customers.

- Net promoter score of 57, top 2% in the retail industry.

- Approached by Victoria's Secret US in 2019 to help them expand their offering and to be more inclusive of different body shapes.

- Wholesale to Victoria’s Secret (US) and ASOS from 2020.

- Launched a very popular online bra fitting service with +1300 fittings completed since launch in April 2020.

- Double Page Spread Feature in the Times Magazine.

- Revenue growth CAGR 186% in the last 6 years*.

- Revenue FY20 £559k*.

*Source: Unaudited management accounts.

Monetisation strategy

Last year, Covid forced us to shut down the store temporarily, but our online sales have grown during that time.

Beija London has introduced an online fitting service with great success. This is a product born out of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and has developed into a significant pillar. We have fitted over +1300 customers since March 2020, and with a high 65% conversion rate, these customers spend on average 18% higher than if they were to shop online without using the online fitting service. As a result, our sales have grown stronger Quarter by Quarter.

On May 21, we reopened our flagship store in Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross. Taking the learnings from the lockdown, Beija has implemented a booking system for in-store bra fitting appointments. As a result, we now have a fully booked calendar and a high AOV at £91.90. With restrictions eased, Beija is in the right position to supply an intimate and safe shopping experience that women have been missing.

Use of proceeds

Beija has a proven concept and is a recognisable and distinctive brand with a credible reputation. The funds will be used to increase the exposure of our brand to customers that don’t yet know about us and turn them into loyal repeat purchasers and advocates for the brand.

We have years of experience in running successful, targeted and impactful digital marketing campaigns. We have shown that we can retain customers and turn them into loyal advocates for the brand.

Funds will also be used to ensure we are in stock of fast selling fashion lines that boost cash flow and increase the lifetime value of our loyal customer base. In addition, with the anticipation of growing sales, Beija is collating digital data sources into a central location that will ensure we are never out of stock on core products and will be able to match growth with supply.