Baddie Labs Glows Up When BigCommerce Shows Up
Discover how customizable, cost-effective and reliable BigCommerce is and why we built it that way.
50%
increase in orders
105%
increase in revenue
191%
increase in customers
Performance metrics compare January-August 2021 to January-August 2020.
Beauty for women of all shades
At the onset of COVID-19, Dr. Keneshia Berkley found herself in a daunting situation almost any woman can sympathize with: Her perfect shade of makeup had been discontinued. With supply chain issues across the globe forcing production delays and discontinuation of many products, finding her go-to product became virtually impossible. With African-American beauty products representing a smaller portion of the market and product selection restricted to certain locales, Keneshia knew the same would be true for other women of color as well.
So this Doctor of Pharmacy set out to take her expertise from the lab to lips, foundation and more by founding Baddie Labs Cosmetics. She was determined to use science to formulate the perfect makeup line for women of all shades.
Keneshia understood the value a high-quality, highly pigmented and perfectly matched product would bring to women of color across the globe.
Backed by science, statistics and studies, she created her line of beauty products and now needed a way to sell them.
Challenge
Finding a platform fit for a one-person show
From CEO and product designer, to ecommerce developer and marketing guru, Keneshia donned many hats in addition to her lab coat. Baddie Labs needed an ecommerce platform that she could easily launch, manage and scale on her own.
“BigCommerce allowed me to really take my vision and transform it into whatever I wanted it to be,” said Berkley. “Every time that I read something saying, ‘You need a blog. You need a newsletter.’ — I was able to go on the BigCommerce platform and create that newsletter, create that blog, and build my own website.”
“I felt a stronger pull to BigCommerce. I saw a lot of Shopify platforms, and I just didn't feel like they were as interactive or as beautiful.”
Dr. Keneshia Berkley Founder, Baddie Labs Cosmetics
Solution
Trust powered by BigCommerce
With the platform’s ease of use, native functionality and BigCommerce’s support team just a chat away — Keneshia was able to build Baddie Labs’ website in just one month.
“In the first stages, developing the website, having your own URL, having a secure URL with the ‘s’ at the end — those were all extremely important things to not only gain recognition, but also gain trust. Because here you are, a brand new website with no reviews, and people have to trust you. So, I feel like being powered by BigCommerce was extremely helpful,” said Berkley.
When compared to Shopify, BigCommerce initially stood out for its eye-catching design and user experience capabilities. With the tools provided by BigCommerce, Keneshia felt confident in being able to build a beautiful site, just the way she wanted it.
“I felt a stronger pull to BigCommerce,” said Berkley. “I saw a lot of Shopify platforms, and I just didn't feel like they were as interactive or as beautiful. When you go on my site — even though I created it myself — you really feel like you're on a site that houses cosmetic products. When you compare my site to those of bigger brands, I have the same vibe and feel.”
BigCommerce’s ability to scale with the company was another important factor in Baddie Labs’ decision to launch on the platform. BigCommerce provided the necessary functionality to get started, while offering the ability to add additional channels, more robust analytics and third-party applications as the business grew.
Highlighted Applications:
Email & SMS Marketing: Omnisend
Shipping: ShipStation
Sweepstakes & Promotions: ViralSweep
“Every time that I read something saying, ‘You need a blog. You need a newsletter.’ — I was able to go on the BigCommerce platform and create that newsletter, create that blog, and build my own website.”
Dr. Keneshia Berkley Founder, Baddie Labs Cosmetics
Results
A glowing performance
So far this year, the brand’s 2021 performance has been nothing shy of glowing, with revenue increasing 105%. “As my business grew, so did my website,” said Berkely.
The BigCommerce platform is helping the brand reach and build connections with customers through third-party channel listings.
After hearing about Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator Program, Keneshia wondered how Baddie Labs could begin selling on Amazon. The brand was able to easily connect to Amazon and Walmart thanks to BigCommerce’s integrations with Codisto. And, while Keneshia is getting her beauty sleep, Facebook and Instagram automation makes it easy for Baddie Labs to expand the brand’s reach. “Immediately, we set up channel integrations with Facebook and Instagram. Every night, it refreshes. When I see my product in the middle of the night, I ask myself if I put it there?,” said Berkley.
Additional automations like BigCommerce’s abandoned cart saver emails and Omnisend’s SMS alerts have attributed to recovered sales for the brand.
And Baddie Labs hasn’t stopped there. The brand has also tapped into BigCommerce’s capabilities to power unique user experiences like its Shade Finder tool. Baddie Labs is also using ViralSweep, an app that enables merchants to run sweepstakes and contests. The brand ran its first sweepstakes Oct. 1-Nov. 15, 2021 to give away four of its Ombré Lipz Matte to Gloss Lip Kits.
“I couldn't see my business succeeding in the various marketplaces without the help of BigCommerce.”
Dr. Keneshia Berkley Founder, Baddie Labs Cosmetics
Looking Ahead
Keeping things beautiful
To further its commitment to women of all cultures and ethnicities from Black and Puerto-Rican to Haitian African, Asian, Dominican and Caucasian, Baddie Labs has plans to expand internationally thanks to cross-border capabilities with BigCommerce and ShipStation.
As a result of successful selling on third-party marketplaces, the brand plans to expand its reach through even more selling channels like Google Shopping and eBay.
“I couldn't see my business succeeding in the various marketplaces without the help of BigCommerce. And there are still other marketplaces to connect as well,” said Berkley. “Every time I get connected to one, BigCommerce comes out with a completely different channel that we can connect to — so I'm excited about that.”
Baddie Labs knows being in the beauty industry is more than just looking the part. The company is also committed to knowing and understanding its customers, and therefore has plans to tap into BigCommerce’s Big Open Data solutions to provide even more personalized customer experiences based on geography and demographics.
Baddie Labs plans to continue utilizing new BigCommerce features, product updates and partnerships to continue its growth — and ultimately power its mission of helping women of all colors feel beautiful.
Published: October 2021
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