Australian wellness company Kic is rolling out its new hydration range across more than 480 Priceline Pharmacy, Priceline and The Memo stores, as the founders plan further product launches.
Founded by Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, Kic launched its new hydration range online on October 12, ahead of a national retail rollout throughout the month.
It is Kic’s first foray into physical products, following the launch of its first fitness studio in Melbourne earlier this year.
Smith told SmartCompany that the deal with Priceline would help the business connect with women who hadn’t previously engaged with its digital fitness app.
“Having Kic Hydration available in more than 480 stores is an incredible opportunity to introduce the brand to a whole new audience, while giving our existing community another way to access the product,” Smith said.
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Kic has released two ranges of hydration products: Kic Hydration Everyday and KicBump Hydration for pregnancy and postpartum.
Both were developed with an accredited practising dietitian, Caitlin Ireland.
Henshaw said they had noticed that there were no electrolyte products for women who weren’t engaging in high-intensity exercise.
“We felt that the everyday woman was being underserved by a growing category in hydration, and we felt there was a real opportunity to create something to really support them,” Henshaw said.
Kic’s Everyday range has more potassium than sodium, in contrast to high-sodium sports hydration products. Henshaw noted potassium’s role in fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve signalling.
From clicks to bricks
Smith and Henshaw launched Kic in 2015, initially selling digital fitness programs and later releasing nutrition products, podcasts and other wellness content.
Kic reported having as many as 2.8 million members, with more than one million downloads of its KicApp across 120 countries.
The company opened its first fitness studio in Cremorne, Melbourne, in April this year and has studios going out across Australia.
The business has needed to adapt to the move into physical products.
Henshaw said one of the hardest adjustments was the amount of time it takes to create and stock products, compared with pushing an app update.
“A new update within the KicApp can be shipped and approved by the app stores in a matter of hours, whereas this is very different when it comes to physical product,” Henshaw said.
“Timelines are obviously much longer when it comes to retail; we need to work a lot further in advance, and last-minute changes are almost impossible, which has been a challenge with how we like to work.”
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Smith said the founders have had to become more strategic with their time and money as they explored new markets for Kic.
“We’ve learnt as founders is that unfortunately, you truly can’t do everything at once, even when you’re really excited about the opportunities in front of you!” Smith said.
More products in the pipeline
Kic doesn’t plan to prioritise any one part of the business over another as it expands.
“Over the next three years, it’s about focusing on growing each area of the business holistically, rather than treating them as separate,” Henshaw said.
Smith also left the door open to international retail expansion.
“We’re certainly not short on ideas and are already working away on the next thing!” Smith said.
The products have launched as demand for electrolyte drinks has grown. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows per capita consumption rose 64 per cent over the six years to June 2024.
Expert Market Research predicts the broader sports drinks market in Australia will grow from US$953 million (AU$1.3556 billion) in 2024 to US$1.8 billion (AU$2.56 billion) by 2034.