Bliss Gifts & Homewares: Growing Against All Odds

The story of Bliss Gifts & Homewares is one of resilience and an astonishing turnaround from devastation to growth.

As quickly as the peak season started, with half a million dollars in stock to sell, it was halted with the presence of devastating bushfires hitting the region and bringing tourism to a standstill. Like so many small businesses affected by the events of 2020, Melissa was left wondering “how is my business going to survive?”

As a traditional brick-and-mortar shop relying mostly on foot traffic, she knew she had to adapt quickly. She always had a hunch that online was the future - now it was necessary for survival.

At the same time, Melissa received an email from her local business chamber inviting small business owners to a Grow with Google virtual training for bushfire impacted regions. With little prior experience in online marketing, she immediately signed up. The training helped her understand the importance of optimising her online presence, and she learnt digital skills like how to activate her free Google Business Profile, conduct Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and run paid Google Search Ads. Melissa leveraged these new skills, and Bliss’s online presence started to grow.

Against all odds, Melissa and Bliss have been able to flourish during this period of uncertainty. In the space of a few months, she was able to improve the performance of her digital ads and drive a 36:1 return on her investment - resulting in a 50% increase in her business’ revenue in the wake of the bushfires.

Going online also helped Bliss expand to reach customers Australia-wide. Melissa was able to hire new staff and move into a bigger warehouse (that they're already outgrowing!) Today, 90% of her sales come from digital channels and in Melissa’s words, “online is now our home.”

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