Norfolk based vegan protein brand Gorilla Juice have achieved Amazon Vendor Central status after engaging with Akcela to support with their business development and growth programme. Another milestone in a year which has seen the brand move from strength to strength.
Akcela have been supporting Gorilla Juice in their growth programme at key points, offering business coaching, mentoring and FMCG strategy.
Founder Harry Barratt describes the year as “exciting”, whilst looking forward to the future for the brand. “It’s been an interesting year. One where a lot of businesses have struggled. So we are grateful through this we can be seen as a good news story. When you see some of the news out there at the moment. What’s happening to businesses where things aren’t so good. It’s a tough time. When we came to Akcela. We knew the potential of the brand and we had something that struck a chord with people. We knew the quality the product carried and that’s been something we haven’t compromised on.” Harry stated.
“Working with Akcela, there’s been a raft of changes. I don’t think we could have got here without them. We have gained outside investment, which allowed us to ramp up our stock levels and buying power. We’ve turned a big corner in sales, which has helped give us a really great base to move on from. We are at a point now where we can start looking at the exciting things. The exciting customer opportunities and collaborations. It’s been a lot of work, but we were never shy about that. Now we are ready to really kick on.”
Akcela director James Adams commented on the success that Gorilla Juice has had over the past year, whilst keeping an eye firmly on the next stage of development.
“Gorilla Juice has been a great project for us, working with Harry and bringing others into the team for the long haul. I think early on, we saw the opportunity for the brand, but we had to put the fundamentals in place. The team have worked incredibly hard to achieve that.”
“Moving to an Amazon managed brand is great for Gorilla Juice as it helps to start to streamline the sales process and drives quantity through the business. The next stage for us is to actively seek out partnerships that continue to drive that brand awareness and growth. You don’t become an Amazon managed product without throughput and quality. Where Gorilla Juice really holds up is the quality of the product. It is a premium offering and that’s the next step for us. Finding premium partnerships that value the brand for its quality and its approach.”
Akcela will continue to work with Gorilla Juice, with James continuing his role as a member of the management team. If you would like to understand more about working with Gorilla Juice, or understand how Akcela can support in developing your FMCG brand.
This story was originally published on the Akcela website – you can find out more about Akcela management consultants on their website.
