UK company fourfivecbd has seen a 150% sales increase of its muscle rub CBD balm following its listing on global on-line market place Amazon.
Formed by two professional athletes, the company was approached by Amazon to participate in its CBD product pilot programme six months ago.
Unsurprisingly, it was keen to accept and is now set to see its full-range on-boarded over the coming days.
Dom Day, an ex-professional rugby player and former Welsh international, who played in the number four shirt spoke to BusinessCann.
Health And Wellness
He said: “The sales data is pretty good. A lot more people have been visiting Amazon during Covid with health and wellness playing an increasingly important role in people’s lives.
“Our muscle rub has been building over time on other e-commerce sites and the Amazon sales have boosted this by a further 150% – and the rest of our range is due up on Amazon any time, soon.”
The US retail giant listed the muscle rub at the start of August, and, as its successful pilot continues, fourfive CBD’s full range is expected to be on-boarded over the coming days.
Mr Day explained that Amazon first approached the company six months ago to discuss plans for its CBD pilot project.
Amazon Staff CBD Savvy
“We spoke with one of their Vendor Account Mangers and as the conversations progressed we discovered that they are very knowledgeable about CBD.
“They had done a lot of research and in some cases probably more than some of the retailers we have spoken to in the UK.
“They were very adamant on what rules and regulation need to be adhered to and this included being compliant with the up-and-coming Novel Food rules.
“Then there were the issues around making medical claims and ensuring everything was packaged correctly, highlighting the recent guidelines on recommended daily CBD doses and concerns over vulnerable groups.
“They approached fourfive as they loved the sporting angle; our USP of being professional athletes. They are looking for authentic products, with good provenance.
“The Muscle Rub went live about 10 weeks ago. We put this up first to get some presence on Amazon, and in the meantime we have gone ahead with listing the rest of the range, and signing-off on label compliance, traceability and testing certificates.”
He went on to say that the Amazon pilot programme is still running and it continues to on-board products and brands as it progresses.
BusinessCann reported on the pilot last week with Amazon saying it is only available in the UK market-place.
Amazon Pilot Programme
It wasn’t prepared to elaborate on the reasons for this. However, fourfive’s comments demonstrate how the UK’s desire to treat CBD as a well-regulated Novel Food is opening the way for the major brands to enter the space.
Mr Day went onto say fourfive continues to grow with sales up 100% year-on-year. He formed the business with fellow rugby professional and England International George Kruis, who plays in the number five shirt.
He continued: “From the start we have been adamant we will always roll with the regulations and be compliant. We are in Boots and they have very similar constraints and requirements.
“Our aim is to be in the market for a long time. Once we get through this Novel Food process more people will feel more comfortable with CBD and the market will continue to grow.”
Commenting on the significance of the Amazon listing for both itself and the industry, he added: “It marks a significant shift in thinking and acceptance for the widely-growing sector,
“To be one of the few chosen brands, and to tick all the boxes from Amazon – one of the biggest companies in the world – well, that is a great endorsement of the quality that we have been striving for, and the provenance of our products.”
