LUMEN Winter 2019 - Flipbook - Page 32
A business
in full bloom
The SA powerhouse behind the
home-grown gift business taking on the world.
STORY BY ALANA GRIMALDI AND MICHAELA MCGRATH
G
rowing up in the small South
Australian town of Balaklava,
country girl Kelly Jamieson always
aspired to own her own business.
Little did she know that one day she would head
up international gifting empire Edible Blooms.
Eager to cut her teeth in the marketing world,
Kelly travelled overseas for the first time at
21 years old to work in London’s magazine
industry before returning down under to develop
her experience in professional services.
In an effort to gain business management
acumen, she enrolled in a Graduate Certificate
in Management at the University of Adelaide
in 2005.
In the same year that she completed her Graduate
Certificate, the budding businesswoman founded
Edible Blooms with her sister Abbey Baker.
Back then, she said “the term 'entrepreneur'
wasn't one you heard very often.”
“That was only for Richard Branson and people
like that, I was just a business owner starting out.”
Driven by a love of thoughtful gifting, the sister
duo threw everything at their self-funded
endeavour. Kelly even dressed as a giant
strawberry in the early days to deliver
the bouquets.
“I solely dedicated myself to the business in the
first year. I’ve never worked so hard. I think that’s
what life’s about – when an opportunity knocks
you’ve got to grab it.”
And it paid off. At the close of Edible Blooms’
30
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
first full financial year, the gifting retailer had
racked up $1 million in sales and opened four
stores nationally.
Fourteen years later and this determination
has seen the duo go from strength to strength.
What began as “just nine fruit bouquets,” the
company has expanded to provide a myriad of
edible gifting experiences and employs more than
70 staff during peak seasons.
Just last year, the Australian gifting empire went
global, planting roots in London and Geneva
under the sister brand Gift Rebellion. The move
saw Abbey relocate to the UK as they settle into
the European market.
Today the e-commerce juggernaut delivers an
edible gift every two minutes.
Looking ahead, Kelly and Abbey show no signs
of slowing down. While they strengthen Gift
Rebellion’s foothold internationally, the sisters
are adamant to continue improving customer
experiences closer to home through technological
advances and an ever-expanding gift offering.
“We’re moving into a really strong suite of
personalisation. Our next stage of growth is all
around customising products,” said Kelly.
“People want to feel connected to a brand, they
want to know that there’s real people behind it.
“Technology for us is about getting closer to
our customers, so anything we do is always
about how we can improve that customer
connection and we see some big opportunities
going forward.”
