A record summer surge – selling one pack every 12 seconds in December – has propelled Melbourne functional beverage brand Bae Juice deeper into mainstream retail, with new ranging in Coles and Costco adding to its national footprint of more than 7000 outlets. Behind the sales velocity sits a supply chain engineered to manage offshore manufacturing, sea freight lead times and big-box retail compliance
Founded in 2019, Bae Juice produces 100% Korean pear juice sourced, pressed and packaged in Naju, South Korea. Finished goods are shipped to Australia, where inbound logistics, warehousing and retail delivery planning are managed locally. As demand for the popular anti-hangover remedy rose and volumes increased, packaging and pallet configuration became central to maintaining availability.
Export-grade packaging for sea freight
Because production is offshore, secondary packaging is designed specifically for ocean transit.
“As an imported product manufactured in South Korea, we required export-grade corrugated cartons engineered for sea freight,” says Tim O’Sullivan, co-founder and director at Bae Juice.
Cartons are specified with high stacking strength and moisture resistance to withstand the two-to-four week journey. Dimensions are optimised for pallet efficiency and full container utilisation, with stretch-wrapped pallets used to minimise load shift.
“With eight-to-12 week end-to-end lead times including production and shipping, cartons must withstand compression, vibration and humidity exposure,” O’Sullivan says.
That design discipline becomes critical when scaling volume, particularly during peak trading periods.
Ambient distribution streamlines scale
Bae Juice is distributed ambient, enabling standard dry warehousing and supermarket shelf placement without cold-chain logistics.
Packaging priorities therefore focus on shelf-life stability and stacking strength rather than insulation performance.
Ambient distribution has supported rollout across grocery, liquor and petrol forecourt channels, including Ampol Foodary.
Big-box compliance drives packaging shifts
Securing shelf space in Coles and Costco marked a turning point in the brand’s supply chain execution, and introduced additional packaging requirements.
National chains typically require shelf-ready packaging, GTIN compliance, clearly labelled outer cartons and adherence to pallet height limits. Costco often requires heavier-duty cartons and bulk or display-ready configurations.
“Retail compliance around case packs, pallet builds and labelling is critical,” O’Sullivan says. “As you move into national chains, those specifications tighten.”
Case configurations and pallet builds were adjusted to align with retailer distribution centre systems and replenishment programs.
Lessons from a record December
The December sales spike – driven by weddings, festivals and end-of-year celebrations – exposed the pressure points in offshore manufacturing.
“The scale of December highlighted just how long offshore lead times can be,” says O’Sullivan. “When you’re operating with 8–12-week supply windows, forecasting becomes critical.”
In response, the company has increased safety stock levels, brought production scheduling forward and strengthened forward planning around seasonal peaks to reduce out-of-stock risk.
For emerging brands transitioning into major retail, that shift from reactive to predictive planning is often the defining operational milestone.
Distributor partnerships improve efficiency
To support national reach, Bae Juice activated key distribution partnerships, most notably with Royal Foods.
Working with a national distributor has driven more standardised case sizes and pallet configurations aligned with distribution centre picking systems. The result is improved freight consolidation and reduced handling inefficiencies.
“Distributor partnerships refine pallet builds and improve national distribution efficiency,” O’Sullivan says, adding that alignment with DC systems is essential once a brand moves beyond boutique retail.
Export ambitions
With forecast FY26 revenue of $4 million – up from $2.5 million the previous year – Bae Juice is preparing for expansion into New Zealand and China.
“As overseas demand ramps up, we will review material efficiency, including lightweighting and recyclability, to balance freight costs with retailer ESG expectations,” O’Sullivan says.
For a brand travelling thousands of kilometres before reaching shelf, packaging design and logistics execution remain tightly linked.
Bae Juice’s rapid growth underscores a broader lesson for scaling FMCG brands: velocity at shelf begins with engineering upstream.
