The Gymshark Success Story: From Garage to Global Brand
In 2012, a 19-year-old university student named Ben Francis began building a fitness clothing brand from his parents’ garage in the UK. With no formal business background and limited resources, he borrowed a sewing machine, learned how to design clothing from YouTube, and stitched his first few gym vests himself.
What started as a side hustle—selling fitness supplements online—evolved when Ben saw a gap in the market for stylish, high-performance gym wear. He pivoted to manufacturing his own branded products and leveraged the power of social media influencers to build buzz.
He sent Gymshark products to fitness YouTubers, who showcased them to millions of followers. Gymshark also used their YouTube channel to highlight new products and boost brand visibility. Sales exploded!
Today, Gymshark is worth over £1 billion. It’s become one of the UK’s most successful sportswear brands, all without ever being stocked in traditional high-street retailers. The brand is still privately owned, has a global customer base, and continues to lead with a strong sense of identity and community.
The takeaway? You don’t need a massive investment or a retail chain to launch a successful product. With the right mindset, brand, and strategy—you can start small, grow steadily, and build something truly powerful.
What is a Brand and Why Does it Matter?
A brand is so much more than just a logo or a catchy name—it’s the unique identity that sets your business apart in a crowded market. Coca Cola itself is a brand that’s recognised more than any other drinks brand in the world and Disney is known as the king of theme parks, and people will pay a premium to visit.
For ecommerce businesses, especially those selling private label products or white label products, building a strong brand identity is essential. Your brand encompasses everything from your brand logo and brand style guide to your brand assets and brand kits. These elements work together to create a memorable brand image that resonates with your target audience.
A well-defined brand helps you stand out from other brands, making it easier for potential customers to recognize and trust your business. In the world of label products, where many companies may be selling similar items, your brand is what makes you different.
By creating a consistent and compelling brand, you not only attract more customers but also build loyalty and credibility over time. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your ecommerce business, investing in your brand is one of the smartest moves you can make.
Your brand is not only the visual aspect but also the service you will offer your customers. Amazon became the Goliath of ecommerce business today not just because of its visual branding but the high level of customer service that it offers.
When you order from Amazon, if you don’t receive your order for some reason or you’re not happy with your purchase, you can return and have a refund without any problem. Mostly this can be taken care of within your Amazon account without the need to even talk to a customer service agent too. Excellent service levels reflect well within Amazon’s brand kit.
The Power of Private Label: Build Products Around Your Vision
Step One: Identify and Establish Your Product Range
The first step is to identify your niche and product idea. For some coaching and ideas on what you can sell, read out blog, “What Can I Import and Sell to make Money“.
Private labeling means taking an existing product—or developing a new one with a manufacturer—and branding it as your own. Working with a manufacturer creates opportunities for custom product design, allowing you to differentiate your brand and maintain quality control. It gives you full control over how your product looks, feels, performs, and sells.
- Luxury – sleek, elegant, and aspirational.
- No-frills and practical – honest, minimal, value-driven.
- Fun and expressive – bold colors, cheeky tone, viral potential.
- Eco-conscious – sustainable materials, ethical sourcing, biodegradable packaging.
With access to global suppliers worldwide like China, India, Turkey, or Eastern Europe, the possibilities are quite literally, endless. You can choose the product quality, the features, the packaging, and the price point that suits your brand and the audience that you’re targeting. When sourcing from different countries, remember it’s important to understand the industry standards and trends to ensure your products meet market expectations.
Whether you want to:
- Launch a luxury product line with premium packaging,
- Offer mid-range essentials for everyday consumers,
- Create budget-friendly products with wide appeal, or
- Create your own products tailored to your brand and audience…
The choice is yours. You are in full control.
When developing a new product, unique product design is crucial to stand out in a competitive marketplace and avoid intellectual property issues. More on protecting your intellectual property in our next blog.
Expanding into multiple product lines can help you reach a broader audience and strengthen your brand presence. Sticking with Gymshark as an example, rather than just sell gym T-Shirts, a range of products can be more profitable by including shorts, training shoes, womens sportswear, microfibre training towels (you can have that one for free!) and the list goes on.
Some examples of successful private label products include custom high quality candles made from essential oils, high quality eco friendly household products and products designed for the ever growing digital nomad parket. These illustrate how private labeling can help you capitalize on market trends and create your own unique offerings.
Your Brand Identity
A strong brand identity is a crucial step for your business looking to make an impact in the market, especially when selling private label products or white label products. Your brand identity is made up of your brand logo, brand style guide, brand assets (website, packaging, labelling etc.), and the overall personality and voice that you project to your target market. It’s about more than just visuals—it’s how your brand feels, sounds, and connects with your customers.
To build brand awareness and develop a strong relationship with your target customers, your brand identity should be consistent across all your marketing channels and platforms. This means that whether a customer encounters your brand on your website, social media, or through product packaging when they receive their order, they experience the same brand personality and brand image.
Apple has one of the strongest brand identities and a loyal customer base. We’ve all seen on the news, the queues of people lining up in the streets when there’s a new iPhone launch or new Apple product.
From the interaction at your local Apple shop, the Apple website, receiving your new iPhone in the crisp new box to switching on your new iPhone and seeing the white Apple logo flare up on your phone, it’s all part of the branding that makes Apple worth billions.
For businesses selling label products, a professional and cohesive brand identity not only helps you stand out from competitors but also builds trust and encourages repeat purchases. By investing time in creating a clear brand identity, you lay the foundation for a successful and recognizable brand in your chosen market.
Control Quality, Price, and Product Standards
When you create your own brand and your own products, you set the company’s standards.
That means:
- You choose the materials.
- You define how the product should be made.
- You decide how it’s packaged and presented.
- You ensure the quality through sampling and inspection.
This is where many importers gain a competitive edge. Generic products often compete only on price. But when you control the branding and the quality, you can set your own price—and customers will pay it because they trust your brand. Product pricing strategies directly impact your profit margins, allowing you to maximize profitability by setting prices that reflect your brand’s value.
After you establish quality control, the company’s standards ensure consistent product quality across all batches. Maintaining high standards also protects the company’s brand reputation and builds long-term customer trust.
Pro tip: Before placing a large order, always order samples and consider using a third-party quality control company to inspect the goods before they leave the factory. This gives you peace of mind and avoids costly returns or damage to your brand reputation. Private label models also allow you to start with a low upfront investment, making it easier to launch your own brand.
Branding: Your Secret Weapon
Branding transforms a product into a business.
Think about it:
- A plain white t-shirt is just a t-shirt, no different from any other and maybe worth $10.
- But put a Nike swoosh, a luxury label, or a cause-driven message on it—and now it’s something people will pay triple for, I’ve seen some t-shirts sell online for $200!
Your brand gives your product meaning. It shapes how your customer sees, feels, and talks about it.
You get to choose the style and tone of your brand:
Defining your brand voice is essential to ensure consistency across all channels and touchpoints.
With your own brand, it’s also much harder to copy. Competitors can’t simply duplicate your logo, your brand’s unique messaging, your assets, or your brand’s story.
Example: Think about Dollar Shave Club. They took a boring product (razors), added a humorous brand personality, and used their brand’s story to disrupt a multi-billion dollar market. Unilever acquired Dollar Shave Club for approximately $1 billion in cash!
Strategic branding is key to building a successful brand that stands out and endures.
Get Creative – Imagine the Possibilities
You don’t have to invent the next iPhone to succeed. Many of the best private-label brands simply took an existing idea and improved the branding, solved a small problem, or added more style.
Ask yourself: What product do I use every day that I wish looked better, worked better, or aligned with my personal values?
That’s your starting point and if you haven’t read it yet, for some ideas on what you can create, read out blog, “What Can I Import and Sell to make Money“.
Designing Your Brand Logo
Your brand logo is often the first thing potential customers notice about your business, making it a vital part of your brand identity. A well-designed logo should be unique, memorable, and versatile enough to work across all your platforms—from your website and social accounts to your product packaging.
When creating your logo, think about your target audience and the brand personality you want to convey. For example, a business selling custom products or private label products might choose a logo design that reflects innovation, quality, or sustainability, depending on their brand image.
Consider how your logo will look in different contexts, such as on digital platforms, printed materials, and packaging as well as different coloured backgrounds. A strong logo not only helps your business stand out but also reinforces your brand’s values and story every time a customer interacts with it.
Investing in professional logo design ensures your brand makes a lasting impression and sets the tone for all your future branding efforts and these days, doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Before you start designing your products, consider creating your own logo and other branding elements. Using user-friendly and hassle-free design platforms makes it easy for anyone to get started and bring their ideas to life.
Developing a Brand Style Guide
A brand style guide is your roadmap for maintaining a consistent and professional brand image across all marketing channels and ecommerce platforms.
This essential document outlines the rules for using your brand logo, brand colors, typography or font, and approved imagery, ensuring that every piece of content you create aligns with your brand’s identity. By clearly defining your color palette, logo usage, and visual style, your brand style guide helps your team—and any partners or agencies—produce marketing materials that look and feel cohesive.
For businesses operating on multiple platforms, a brand style guide is especially important. It guarantees that your brand image remains strong and recognizable, whether customers find you on your website, social media, or through online ads. A well-crafted style guide not only streamlines your marketing efforts but also builds trust and professionalism in the eyes of your customers.
Conclusion: Your Brand, Your Rules
This is your chance to build something of your own.
With the tools available today—global sourcing, e-commerce platforms, digital marketing—you don’t need millions in investment or a team of experts. All you need is a product idea, a brand vision, and the drive to get started.
Like Gymshark, your brand could be the next success story.
We’ll help you with the logistics and import process, so you can focus on building your brand, reaching your customers, and growing your business.
Logistics Support: How We Help at ABTS®
Once you have your product idea, we help you bring it to life.
At ABTS®, we’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses navigate the logistics of importing and exporting. We can assist you with:
- Finding overseas suppliers
- Understanding shipping options and Incoterms
- Handling customs clearance, taxes, and duties
- Calculating freight and insurance costs
- Making sure your products arrive on time and in good condition
We take the stress out of the process so you can focus on what matters—growing your brand and selling your products.
Contact us if you’d like to have a chat.