Bluebasil Brownies may have been founded a decade ago, but it was during a global pandemic that they found their stride in the brownie delivery business. While this year has seen difficulties for businesses of all kinds, this English brand was able to adapt, and even expand, by offering a service that helps people connect when they need it most.
Making celebrations a priority
With the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing measures in full effect, people have been looking for new and unique ways to reach out to each other. Bluebasil Brownies offers a service with a personal, homemade touch that helps their customers connect. Their award-winning brownie gift boxes can be purchased through their Shopify store and delivered to a recipient exactly when the customer wants.
“In these uncertain times, the Bluebasil team realized that receiving a box of brownies could make a huge difference to someone’s day,” says Bluebasil Brownies’ marketing director Laura Woodward. “We made it our mission to carry on, working tirelessly to ensure that the UK’s birthdays, anniversaries, and new babies didn’t go uncelebrated.”
The company even donated products to their local National Health Service and carehome workers to help buoy spirits during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expanding despite COVID
Bluebasil Brownies has seen a rise in demand for their brownie gift boxes, so much so that the company actually made the decision to shut down the coffee shop they were operating in addition to a small bakery and instead focus solely on their brownie delivery business. They even moved into a larger space during the summertime height of COVID-19 to accommodate their growing business.
“2020 has been a year no one could have anticipated and we have had to adapt our business in this new COVID-19 world.” says Woodward.
New customers coming forward
The business has seen an additional spike not only in customers sending gifts to loved ones, but also in corporate orders being sent to clients, suppliers, and remote workers in lieu of making in-person connections. This demographic presents a new opportunity for the brand, according to Woodward.
“Having moved to a bigger space will allow Bluebasil to expand even further,” says Woodward. “We’ll be baking even more brownies and sending out even more gift boxes and fulfilling larger corporate and wholesale orders.”
Online store features that customers need
The majority of Bluebasil Brownies’ customer base are gift-givers and many customers like to order their gifts ahead of time to ensure they don’t miss a special birthday or anniversary. To accommodate this, Bluebasil Brownies offers a delayed delivery option to their customers.
“We love our bespoke Preferred Delivery Date option at checkout,” says Woodward. “This allows customers to preorder up to three months in advance. If ordered before 10am, Next Day Delivery is also available.”
People also need to see the products they are ordering to feel confident in making a purchase, so Bluebasil Brownies’ website features detailed photographs of all their products.
“We love to be able to show off our beautiful brownies,” says Woodward. “With Shopify and Out of the Sandbox, it’s easy to create banners and product galleries to display our brownies in all their glory!”
To visually showcase their products and create an easy shopping experience for their customers, Bluebasil Brownies is using Out of the Sandbox’s Responsive theme in their Shopify store.
Powering through a pandemic
Woodward cites the Bluebasil Brownies team’s adaptability and perseverance as a driving force in the brand’s recent success.
“Although the pandemic made things tricky, there was never any question of giving up,” says Woodward. “Whilst we closed one part of our business, we are extremely proud to have expanded during this difficult time.”
The brand’s customers have responded to Bluebasil Brownie’s quality product and simple but effective user experience, something that Woodward advises fellow ecommerce merchants to focus on.
“Sell a product you truly believe in,” says Woodward. “Be adaptable and always focus on a great customer experience so that they will want to come back again.”
