White Lotus
White Lotus develops skincare, beauty tools and wellness products based on traditional Chinese medicine principles, which are now sold through retailers, distributors and online channels around the world.
Need
As international demand accelerated, White Lotus needed additional working capital to purchase inventory and support growing export sales. The business had historically funded its growth through sales and savings, but increasing demand from major overseas retailers meant it needed a more scalable financing solution.
Solution
We provided a Small Business Export Loan, enabling White Lotus to purchase stock for customers in the US and UK markets. The funding helped the business meet growing demand, manufacture inventory ahead of peak sales periods and continue expanding internationally.
For more than two decades, White Lotus has been growing its presence in Australia and overseas. Driven by new retail partnerships and online sales, the business has expanded rapidly across the US, UK and Europe. With our support, White Lotus was able to purchase stock, meet growing demand and continue expanding into key export markets.
Founded in 2004, White Lotus began with a vision to bring traditional Chinese medicine-based beauty treatments to a wider audience. After studying and training in China, founders Kamila and Anthony Kingston returned to Australia and established what they believe was the world's first specialist cosmetic acupuncture clinic.
As demand for their services grew, Kamila and Anthony recognised they couldn’t continue scaling through one-on-one treatments alone. The business began translating its expertise into products, home-use kits and educational resources before developing their own skincare range in Australia, creating a model that could reach customers around the world.
Over the following two decades, White Lotus became known for its innovative approach to wellness and beauty, helping popularise tools and treatments such as gua sha, jade rollers, microneedling and facial cupping long before they became mainstream.
We knew we couldn't self-fund that growth anymore. We needed access to credit to buy stock at the scale that we're growing. It was critical for us, at that point in time.
Kamila Kingston
Co-founder, White Lotus
“We were really first to market and innovative with our treatments, treatment plans and guides,” said Kamila. “We're now seeing more and more of these things becoming mainstream offerings.”
Today, more than half of the products White Lotus exports are manufactured in Australia, helping bring Australian-made wellness and beauty products to customers worldwide.
Scaling up for global demand
International growth accelerated as White Lotus secured placements with retailers including Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Superdrug, Holland & Barrett and Debenhams. The business also established fulfilment operations in the US and UK, helping it better serve international customers.
While the company's growth created significant opportunities, it also presented a new challenge.
Since the beginning, White Lotus had funded its growth through sales revenue and savings. But as export demand increased, the business needed additional capital to purchase inventory and build stock ahead of the Christmas trading season.
“We knew we couldn't self-fund that growth anymore,” said Kamila Kingston. “We needed access to credit to buy stock at the scale we're growing.”
Traditional unsecured finance options proved expensive, and accessing funding through conventional banking channels was challenging for the growing small business. Seeking a solution that would support continued growth, White Lotus approached our team.
A Small Business Export Loan provided the working capital needed to purchase stock ahead of peak trading periods, helping the business meet demand from overseas retailers without constraining its day-to-day cash flow.
Growing around the world
With additional inventory in place, White Lotus has continued expanding across established markets while exploring opportunities with new retailers and distributors, including in Canada.
For Kamila, the funding arrived at a critical point in the company's growth.
“The Export Finance Australia team were very supportive. The whole application process was easy to go through, and there was really high-touch communication throughout.”
With growing international demand, expanding retail partnerships and a strong reputation built over more than 20 years, White Lotus is well positioned to continue bringing Australian wellness innovation to customers around the world.
