What started out as a five-person team with the simple vision of preserving food at home with homemade beeswax wraps became SuperBee - a household brand known in kitchens across the world. Inspired by founder Antoinette Jackson's grandmother, this homegrown beeswax wrap brand from Thailand has transcended from a simple kitchen table idea to a thriving small business promoting sustainable household goods.
Established in Chiang Mai in 2016, and nestled in the picturesque mountains of northern Thailand, SuperBee's mission is to reduce single-use plastic products by offering eco-friendly and reusable products for the home, such as beeswax wraps and food bags, while at the same time creating opportunities to empower women in Thai communities. Now staffed with 20 dedicated local employees, SuperBee is headed towards expanding this social enterprise overseas to build a greener future, one beeswax wrap at a time, with the help of FedEx.
The brand was progressing well until the pandemic hit. Challenges began to pile up, including the slowing down of orders and overseas shipments being delayed or lost. That's when SuperBee realized that they needed a reliable logistics partner and they turned to FedEx for support in 2021. Since then, Jackson has seen her company grow four-fold from its humble beginnings. This includes shipping up to THB 14 million worth of merchandise per order to a supermarket chain in the United States. While SuperBee operates an offline business through wholesale and small retailers, its main sales channel is through e-commerce where close to 80% are overseas customers. To ensure a seamless shipping experience for its e-commerce operations, SuperBee chose FedEx for its expertise in customs clearance and connections to more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, as well as for its innovative delivery options and comprehensive pickup arrangement.
Chomchanach Yanaharn, Logistics Manager of SuperBee, said, "FedEx offers a comprehensive portfolio of services to support small businesses with e-commerce shipping needs. Because our products are made from the heart, we want our logistics service provider to deliver them with care, so that they arrive safely in the hands of our customers. Since we normally ship large orders to the United States, we need to ensure that the products can clear customs at the destination without any hiccups. Moreover, it's so easy to arrange a pickup with FedEx, even though our company is in a remote location. FedEx pickup service is easily accessible and flexible. It enables us to choose a pickup date and time that is most convenient for us."
SuperBee and FedEx share a similar vision in building a greener and sustainable future. SuperBee places high importance on promoting women's empowerment through creating employment in rural areas and offers 20% more than the minimum wage in Thailand. The beeswax wrap brand is also committed to providing a safe and supportive working environment for their employees through family-friendly working hours, proper working conditions, and adequate tools and information on how to live a greener lifestyle. Delivering high standards of processes, equipment, and practice from start to finish is what makes SuperBee stand out and live up to their commitment on the product packaging that 'the product is hand-crafted with love'. SuperBee donates a portion of their earnings and products to support sustainable projects globally, as well as actively promotes ethical businesses through their social media channels.
Tien-Long Woon, Managing Director of FedEx Express Thailand and Malaysia, said, "FedEx has always been an avid advocate of small business owners in Thailand for the last 40 years of its operations in the country. SuperBee has demonstrated that by combining determination and passion, anyone can succeed. Moreover, SuperBee and FedEx both share the same vision, which is our commitment to do good and to put people first while caring for the local people in their communities and the planet. We're proud to connect small businesses to more possibilities and expand their footprint to other parts of the world. A great logistic partner that knows the markets and your products can help you go further down the road. We're honored to join SuperBee in their journey towards growth and help small businesses grow internationally."
FedEx is launching a campaign for more customers to learn how SuperBee is building a sustainable brand through logistics on FedEx social media channels, such as Facebook, LINE and YouTube. FedEx customers will have a chance to win SuperBee products and limited premium items during this period.
To help local businesses in Thailand tap into cross-border trade opportunities, FedEx offers a wide range of logistics solutions, such as FedEx(R) International Connect Plus (FICP), an international e-commerce shopping service which combines competitive delivery speed with attractive prices ensuring most shipments are delivered within 1 to 3 business days within AMEA. Business owners also have the option to control and choose where and when shipments are delivered with FedEx(R) Delivery Manager International, and FedEx Electronic Trade Documents for online submission of documents to facilitate seamless customs clearance.