An Adelaide health and nutrition brand that started packing orders from a home kitchen has landed on the shelves of Whole Foods Market across Canada.
Happy Way, founded by South Australians Benjamin Germein and Hien Nguyen in 2015, has secured placement in Whole Foods stores across Ontario and British Columbia, marking the latest step in the homegrown brand’s international expansion.
For the co-founders, the milestone is a long way from where the business began more than a decade ago.
“We started Happy Way in 2015, packing and shipping orders from our home kitchen,” said Hien. “Our first storeroom was literally the back garden shed.”
Both Hien and Ben came from the fitness industry, with Hien working as a personal trainer for more than 16 years and Ben previously owning franchise gyms. Working with clients every day, they noticed a gap in the market for health products that were both natural and enjoyable to consume.
“Most protein powders were bland and full of artificial sweeteners and preservatives, and our clients hated the taste. We wanted to make something clean and natural that actually tasted good, so people would look forward to having it. Health should be fun, not a chore,” shared Hien.
That idea has since grown into a business selling its products through more than 2,000 stockists, with the range expanding beyond protein powders to include collagen, gut health products, snacks and kids’ gummies.
Now, the brand is entering another significant international market through Whole Foods Market in Canada. The opportunity came through Canadian natural health distributor Purity of Life, which helped introduce Happy Way to Whole Foods.
But getting onto the shelves wasn’t an overnight success. The process took almost two years, with the Adelaide business having to navigate Canadian regulations, change its labelling and work through compliance requirements, while also attending trade shows to build awareness of the brand.
“There’s been plenty of challenges. Different labelling rules, shipping to the other side of the world, and starting from scratch in a market where no one knows who you are. You also have to rely on good partners over there because you can’t be everywhere.”
The first time Hien saw Happy Way products on a Canadian shelf was only recently, during a visit to Toronto.
“After almost two years of work, walking into the store and seeing our products on the shelf was a pretty special moment. It felt like all the hard work had finally paid off,” said Hien.
For the founders, landing in Whole Foods is particularly significant given the retailer’s focus on ingredients and sourcing, and comes as Happy Way continues to build its presence both in Australia and overseas.
“We started this out of a garden shed in Adelaide and now people in Ontario and BC can buy our products at Whole Foods. We’re really proud.”
While international growth has become a major part of the business, the founders say they remain focused on maintaining the principles that shaped Happy Way from the beginning. Hien said one of the things she is most proud of after 11 years is that the business has continued to prioritise its ingredients, even when cutting corners might have been easier.
Hien also credits the community that has grown around the brand, particularly the support it received in South Australia during its early days. But for now, the focus is on establishing Happy Way in its new Canadian stores and continuing to grow from there. And despite now reaching customers around the world, Hien says there is one thing that won’t change.
“We want to keep growing in Australia, and Canada is just the start overseas. But we’ll always be an Adelaide brand.”
Find Happy Way at these 12 Canadian Whole Foods Markets:
Ontario
Yorkville, Toronto (87 Avenue Rd)
Leaside, Toronto (1860 Bayview Ave)
Yonge and Sheppard, Toronto (4771 Yonge St)
Etobicoke (904 The East Mall)
Square One, Mississauga (155 Square One Dr)
Oakville (301 Cornwall Rd)
Unionville, Markham (3997 Highway 7)
Lansdowne, Ottawa (951 Bank St)
British Columbia
Victoria (3587 Blanshard St)
Cambie, Vancouver (510 W 8th Ave)
Kitsilano, Vancouver (2285 W 4th Ave)
Robson, Vancouver (1675 Robson St)
North Vancouver (120 E 13th St)
West Vancouver (925 Main St)
North Burnaby (4420 Lougheed Hwy)
For more information, click here.
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