A near-obsessive focus on the user experience and cracking the delivery code has helped a new mum establish an award-winning and fast-growing baby rug brand from her Bondi apartment.
Rugabub, which delivers unique playmats that look like designer rugs, has soared to one of Australia’s top homegrown baby rug start-ups, thanks to owner, Dana Weil’s unique business model.
In the first full year of business, Rugabub had a year-on-year turnover of $700,000. One year later in 2022, this figure had more than doubled, surpassing $1.4 million. Rugabub was also awarded an Australian Good Design Award in 2022, first place and Editor’s Choice in the Baby Accessories Category of the Clean & Conscious Awards 2023, and a 2023 Parent & Baby Award.
Weil says the Rugabub model places user experience at the heart, which starts from the moment an order is placed, through to the parcel arriving on time to the customer’s doorstep. This has not only helped her standout from a crowded baby mat market but has seen the mumpreneur make lifelong friends with customers.
Reflecting on the Rugabub journey that began in Sydney in 2020 just weeks after Covid-19, Weil spurred to action after her husband lost his job as a helicopter pilot when their baby was only two months old and the e-commerce start-up was born from a market gap and the inside scoop on what mums want.
“We’d just had a new baby mat delivered and although it was simple, it just didn’t blend in with our decor. This was the lightbulb moment that led me to design play mats that would blend in with people’s decor beautifully,” Weil said.
“I know how much little bits of beauty and being in a space that brings joy can mean to a parent, so I began creating baby rugs and mats that looked like designer pieces without sacrificing functionality.
“Beyond the rugs, the important element of my business is the customer experience. Parents are time poor and don’t want more mental load. When they order items online, reliability and timely deliveries are worth their weight in gold. While a top UX experience isn’t necessarily always part of the e-commerce business model – especially when you have low profit margins like we do – it has remained paramount.”
The biggest hurdle to creating the perfect business model quickly became delivery partners, with Weil working her way through just about every parcel and courier company in the country before finding one that was reliable and aligned with her own business model.
“At our height we were shipping 1,000 rugs a day and I was on the verge of hiring another person just to fill the operations role as the endless delays and hands on problem solving required was creating headaches for our business and customers,” she said.
“We then found CouriersPlease. Their values not only aligned with ours, but the UX experience they offer rivals mine. Delivery queries are most often solved instantaneously and that not only saved me from hiring another person but allowed Rugabub to flourish. Our business development manager, Kim Murray is always just a phone call away, ensuring I receive answers to anything urgent within minutes.”
Weil has become friends with her local courier, Russell and is able to directly call his mobile for second pickups. “Russell has honestly saved me on more than one occasion, and I feel like he’s now a part of the Rugbabub team.”
Likewise with franchise partner, Adam: “He constantly goes above and beyond for me when I get a container in and quickly need to ship back orders. They know I’m a family business, they know how much is at stake and they bend over backwards to do their part.
“My customers mean the world to me and to have this level of reliability and trust with our deliveries has proven to be the final winning ingredient for us.”
CouriersPlease is Australia’s fastest growing franchised courier service and provides shipping solutions for e-commerce retailers. CEO, Richard Thame says being a vital part of an inspiring start-up journey like Rugabub’s remains one of the best parts of his job and is fundamentally why the franchise is continuing to expand so exponentially.
“When it comes to e-commerce, good customer service and reliable deliveries can mean the difference between success and failure. That’s why, just like Dana, we recognise just how important the human element is and aligning with businesses like Rugabub is precisely why we do what we do.”