From day one The Cheeky Panda has been focused on bringing sustainability to the mass market, and the impact the business has had is incredible. They've saved 18,000 tonnes of carbon, 182,000 trees and reduced 10 tonnes of plastic out of the supply chain, and they intend to do even more!
After dating for about a year, Chris Forbes's girlfriend at the time, Julie, had an idea to make tissue out of bamboo, the world's fastest-growing plant. This idea lead to a successful partnership in life and business. The Cheeky Panda was founded in 2016 producing bamboo products as a sustainable alternative to what was already out there.
As a first step it was important to ensure the factory they worked with in China to manufacture the goods and everything about the process was "green". It was then time to test the market. They soon realised that the demand for sustainable household products was huge. Their first crowdfunding target of £10,000 was met within a matter of weeks.
The Cheeky Panda has gone from strength to strength over the last six years. The turnover in their first financial year was £100,000 and they've just finished this financial year with a turnover of £11.3m. But it's not simply about the money for them, they care about the planet and aim to inspire other entrepreneurs to do the same.
From processing orders in their house during their first year to having their products featured in an Anne Hathaway film, Chris tells us all about The Cheeky Panda's growth journey and their plans for the future.
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