Kailo Nutrition is headed to the United States with Neiman Marcus.
The Brisbane, Australia-based supplement brand will roll out into 10 Neiman’s doors this week in Texas, California, Arizona and Florida with its collagen- and nutrient-infused powders, including Feel Well, $129, a gut health version, and Look Well, $129, a beauty-boosting formula. The overall range focuses on beauty, sleep and gut health.
The Kailo company, founded by Kath Merlo & Kristy Morris in 2018, began with a flagship medispa located in The Calile Hotel in Brisbane, which offers massages, facials, laser treatments, IV drips, injectables and more. While the luxury medispa has been successful, welcoming more than 30,000 guests a year and winning numerous awards in Australia, during COVID-19, Merlo and Morris decided to create a brand that could offer results at home. After two years of development, working with functional medicine doctors, nutritionists and naturopaths, Kailo Nutrition launched with a focus on powders.
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“It’s an easy way to add into your day,” said Morris of the powder format. “What you would have to take [to equal what’s] in one of our products, it’s like 20 tablets.”
As powder supplements have become increasingly popular across the wellness category, especially with the rise of the sleepy girl mocktail featuring magnesium powder, Morris said the brand’s higher infusions of collagen, up to 19 grams, are a key differentiator.
In addition, powders allow the user to engage with the product and get creative, making smoothies, muffins, açai bowls, etc., Morris said. It’s this type of engagement that the brand is tapping into for its U.S. launch. To create brand awareness, Morris and the team will be hosting events across the Neiman Marcus locations — think pop-up smoothie shops and mocktail bars featuring the brand’s products, as well as medispa experiences. The team plans to be at Neiman’s locations every six weeks for brand events.
The brand is entering the U.S. market with a bit of exposure though, as it was featured in a gift guide on Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s site Poosh and was in the gift bag at the Oscars last year.
The Hollywood connection doesn’t stop there. The brand has also tapped actor and podcast host Oliver Hudson, Kate Hudson’s brother, as an ambassador, as well as Australian influencer, actress and model Ellie Gonsalvez and health and fitness expert Jay Cardiello, who has worked with celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Seacrest.
While the brand is entirely focused on the Neiman Marcus launch for the next year, continued U.S. expansion is on the horizon, according to Morris.
“In five years, we’d like to have a flagship store over here,” she said, hinting at New York City or Los Angeles as possible locations.
According to Morris, the 10 stores selected were intentional based on feedback from Neiman’s on where wellness is performing best. Currently, the two teams expect Kailo Nutrition to reach $10,000 in sales weekly, and upon hitting this target, the brand will likely launch in more locations.