Lessons in Global Growth From Crocs and BioSteel

Leverage, local knowledge, and high margins. That's the recipe Andrew Nichols (Warroad Original Hockey Co.) has learned to grow a consumer brand across new channels and countries.

His perspective comes from more than 20 years in consumer brands, starting at Unilever, spending nearly a decade at Crocs in Canada, and growing BioSteel to a sale in 2019.

He joins Lavina Suthenthiran on this week's Global Lens to share what separates brands that scale at retail from those that stall.

INSIDE THE EPISODE:

Find the retailer that shares your goal

Specialty chains like GNC demanded steep margins from new brands, so BioSteel started in sporting goods stores, where shoppers already spent on peak performance. Grocers growing their wellness aisles followed by the time BioSteel approached GNC, its sales elsewhere gave it leverage to negotiate fairer terms.

Every market buys differently

Canadian shoppers tend to spend more cautiously. The US offers room to grow fast. Europe brings strict rules and multiple languages on every hang tag. Brands that invest in people and infrastructure before understanding a market's pricing and readiness risk pulling out entirely.

Margin decides how far a brand can go

Selling direct online means paying a long line of partners before the brand sees a dollar. Advertising on Meta alone can eat up to 25% of revenue, and Shopify, warehouses, and shipping carriers all take their cut too. Without mid-to-high 70s margins at full price, a brand can't cover those costs as it grows.

Listen above to hear how Crocs outlasted predictions of its collapse in 2008, and why a brand built on a real customer need can outlive any trend.