When he wasn’t working, former investment banker David Phan spent as much time outdoors as he could, whether diving in the ocean or backpacking through the wilderness. But wherever he went, he couldn’t ignore the constant presence of plastic waste. During one backpacking trip, he came across a startling statistic he couldn’t shake: more than one billion plastic toothpaste tubes end up in landfills every year.
“I saw the world polluted with lots of trash,” said Phan. “It wasn’t being taken care of the way I wanted it to be, and I knew I had to do something about it.”
In 2020, Phan quit his job and launched Huppy, what Phan described as a “sustainable oral care brand” that makes toothpaste tablets without saccharin, parabens, artificial dyes, or many of the ingredients commonly found in traditional toothpaste. Most importantly, the products are packaged without plastic.
“Our products come in a refillable tin with compostable refills, so the experience is just as good as anything in the toothpaste aisle without the environmental cost,” he said.
Amazon’s Brand Registry and A+ Content help Huppy protect its listings and tell its sustainability story
Despite its growth, Huppy has stayed focused on its environmental mission. The company is a member of 1% for the Planet, donating a portion of annual revenue to environmental causes.
When it came to selling the product, Amazon was Phan’s first point of call. Using Brand Registry, Phan was able to protect his listings and products from copycats and counterfeiters while building a storefront that reflected the company’s mission. Because toothpaste tablets are still unfamiliar to many shoppers, Huppy also used A+ Content to educate customers with enhanced photos, videos, and product storytelling.
“A+ Content really helped us tell the Huppy story rather than just showing a product image,” said Phan. “It’s also helped with conversion since toothpaste tablets are still a newer format for many shoppers.”
Subscribe & Save turns first-time Huppy buyers into repeat customers
Since launching in Amazon’s store, Huppy’s sales have grown rapidly, with many customers opting into recurring deliveries through Subscribe & Save, a program that allows customers to set up automatic, scheduled shipments of products they use frequently and save up to 15% on each order. The program increased their repeat purchases and allowed the company to better forecast demand and plan inventory.
Strong Amazon sales lead Huppy onto shelves at Whole Foods and Erewhon
That consistent sales velocity caught the attention of national retailers, including Whole Foods and Erewhon, who brought Huppy onto their shelves.
“Strong Amazon performance has helped in conversations with retail buyers who want to see that a product actually sells before taking a chance on it,” Phan said. “Amazon gave us national distribution before we had the retail relationships to support it.”