How AspenClean found success selling on Amazon’s marketplace

Omnichannel selling is essential for a successful commerce business today. But each new channel demands time and resources. As a marketplace merchant, how does one convince sellers to trust their marketplace and dedicate resources to selling on it? 

To answer this question, we sat down with Alicia Sokolowski, the co-founder, president and co-CEO of AspenClean.

AspenClean is a Canadian household cleaning brand best known for its eco-friendly, all natural products. You can find AspenClean’s products across many sales channels, including Whole Foods, Well.ca, Amazon, or directly through its e-commerce site.

In this interview, Alicia helps us understand why she chose to start selling on marketplaces and how she carefully selects the marketplaces AspenClean sells on. 

Takeaway for marketplace merchants:
Easy onboarding isn’t enough to attract sellers to a marketplace. If your marketplace has mission-oriented sellers and buyers, you need to understand their motivations and offer the features they need to amplify their values. 

N: It’s clear you run a value-driven business. 

Can you tell me more about AspenClean’s mission and why you started the company?

A: My husband and I started AspenClean back in 2004 — over 20 years ago! We believed the world was ready for a “cleaner” way to clean. At the time, we lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, and we were really into organic food and healthy living. Once we had kids, cleaning became more important because they’re so messy. But the cleaning products on the market really didn’t align with our values. We learned just how toxic many of them were, and that’s what sparked the idea for AspenClean.

We started by offering cleaning services. First, in Vancouver. Then we expanded to Calgary and Toronto. From there, we shifted our focus to developing our own cleaning products, starting with microfiber cloths.

In 2009, we launched AspenClean’s product line as it exists today: effective, all-natural, plant-based cleaning solutions free of harmful chemicals or harsh odors. We got into Whole Foods pretty quickly. At the time, there was nothing else like our products on the market. We were the first to prove our cleaning products were cruelty-free, vegan, and all-natural by becoming Environmental Working Group (EWG) verified, ECOSERT certified, and Leaping Bunny certified.

N: I have the EWG app on my phone now! Being the first certified cleaning product on there, I imagine that’s been great for marketing and building consumer trust.
You mentioned you started with Whole Foods, but now your products are available through various channels, including some marketplaces. 

Can you walk me through your current sales channels?‍

A: Absolutely. We have an e-commerce store on our website, we sell at Whole Foods, and to other natural health food retailers like Well.ca through our Canadian distributors. More recently, we’ve expanded into other marketplaces like Amazon.ca, and Amazon.com. Amazon has become our top-performing channel. Even though our own ecommerce store has been around much longer, Amazon.com is now matching—or even exceeding—our website sales.

We don’t list every product on Amazon, but we’re constantly adding more to take advantage of the visibility and growth potential. I was hesitant at first about selling on Amazon, but it’s definitely been worth it.

N: Obviously not all marketplaces offer the sellers the same functionality or benefits.

When deciding where to sell, what are the important features for AspenClean?

A: In addition to a qualified pool of buyers and delivery, it was very important for us that the marketplace offered two things: 

First, reviews

We get fantastic feedback from customers, and that speaks volumes about our brand and reputation. Reviews are how we stand out. We see ourselves as a cut above, and our reviews are proof of that. 

We’re also always looking for ways to improve, so we use reviews to guide product development. Customer feedback helps shape our roadmap. Recently, we learned from reviews that many customers want to extend the life of their clothing. So, we started including ingredients specifically designed to help with that for items like gym clothes.

Second, understanding of our mission

Building trust with our customers is very important to us, so we’re very selective about where we sell. Our products are premium. It takes a special type of consumer to appreciate it and a certain type of business to sell it properly. Our ingredients are cosmetic grade. A lot of our reviews come from people who have tried other environmentally-friendly products and had a negative experience. When they try our products, they say they finally found a product that works and reflects their values. So, selling on a marketplace that has like-minded customers is important. 

N: It sounds like Amazon is one of the channels that meets your requirements. 

What made you hesitant to try Amazon, and how did you ultimately decide to become a seller?

A: Our Amazon business grew very fast, and I’m glad I pushed past my initial hesitation and became a seller. At first, I was reluctant because of the extra fees, even with the exposure and growth potential Amazon offered.What ultimately changed my mind was when EWG started working with Amazon. When we made the leap, right away, we were assigned a dedicated Amazon sales rep who really set us up for success. They made sure our products were live before Prime Day and helped us position the environmentally friendly aspects of our products.

N: And now Amazon is your number one selling channel. That’s pretty wild!

How do you balance being an Amazon seller while keeping pace with other sales channels? 

A:  Once we were set up, our sales rep connected me with a company that could manage our Amazon sales. I didn’t want to take it on myself or build an in-house team. This company specializes in working with environmentally friendly brands on Amazon, so they really understand our product requirements. We’ve been working with them for over two years now, and it’s been a great partnership.

N: A third-party is a great way to take off the load, while still benefiting from the additional revenue and exposure. 

Being an Amazon seller has clearly been very fruitful for you, but did you encounter any challenges along the way?

A: Selling via third parties always has its challenges, especially when you’re allowing someone else to distribute and warehouse your products. We did encounter one big issue. Our pods can't be frozen. But one winter, Amazon kept our container outside, and the pods froze. They were still delivered to customers, who then experienced issues. We apologized, pulled the inventory, and absorbed the cost. 

At the end of the day, it was growing pains and a process of learning and adjusting. 

And it wasn’t all bad. This experience ended up guiding product development. Right now, we're working on a laundry powder that won’t have the same issues as the pods. 

N:  That’s a great way to make lemonade out of lemons. 

How has selling on Amazon impacted your overall business? 

A:  Amazon has been very positive for all our sales channels. I mean, it is the go-to channel for buyers. Since we’ve been on it, more consumers are looking for our products than ever before. We’ve seen a substantial increase of both brand awareness and organic search traffic to our ecommerce site. 

N: Finally, what’s next for AspenClean?

Looking forward, I would definitely consider new marketplaces because of our Amazon success. In five years, I hope we’re selling internationally, continuing to produce new products, and changing the way people clean. 

N: I can’t wait to see what the future holds for AspenClean. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! 

You can explore AspenClean products on Amazon. Interested in getting more insight into what makes a marketplace appealing to sellers? Hear from the marketplace sellers themselves in interviews from our seller success series.

Your next read: Becoming a Full-Time Marketplace Seller with June Child Ceramics.