Australian swimwear brand Budgy Smugglers has reported a 50% increase in sales from the previous summer, selling over 100,000 pairs of togs.
Budgy Smuggler head of partnerships Jimmy Exelby said the growth came from organic marketing tactics and partnerships.
In one example, Exelby said its Groom Wedding Smugglers (togs with “groom” on the back) featured in over 200 weddings over the summer.
"In addition, more than 3000 people in our smuggling family decided to spice up their summer with the Chilli Willies product, and a similar number had a ducking good time in the sun rocking out in the Rubber Ducks item - our top two selling men's pairs,” Exelby said.
"We also continued our strong commitment to Aussie heroicism. Our friend Rhiannan Iffland won her sixth consecutive cliff-diving title in her hometown of Newcastle and Nedd Brockmann completed his momentous run across Australia for homelessness.”
According to Exelby, over 57 kilometres of fabric was used to make its swimwear in Sydney last year, up 47 kilometres on 2021.
Exelby said Budgy Smuggler remains committed to local manufacturing in Australia, through its facility based in Sydney.
"We hope to see other retailers re-engage with local workers as a way to maintain strong employment figures and allay supply chain concerns."
Around 60% of Budgy Smuggler products are sold online, with another 30% being custom swimwear for teams, schools, businesses and other brands, and 10% through its two retail stores and pop-up activations across the country.
Meanwhile, the swimwear brand is set to open a satellite office in France next month, in time for the European summer and ahead of the Rugby World Cup in October and the Olympics next year.
Budgy Smuggler GM Brenden Hartmann said the brand has been selling through Europe since 2017, when it launched its first eCommerce site in the UK.
The following year, it launched its pop-up events in France, and then signed on Rugby France as a partner in 2021.
"This is important context in our decision to set up an office and enable quicker deliveries across Europe," Hartmann said.
By 2025, the brand is preparing to lean further into the growth happening in France and across Europe, and open more retail stores in Australia.
"What comes after that... who knows, but we'll follow the data and wherever our customers lead us," Hartmann said. "It looks like the US may be on the cards once we're comfortable with operations in France/Europe."