Started in the early 1990’s as a family run fruit and vegetable shop in Sydney’s affluent suburb of Double Bay, Top Juice has since become a chain of fruit juice and salad bars across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and ACT with 70 stores.
The chain sources 95 per cent of its produce from Australia and in 2015, the company joined BRW’s Fast 100 list of Australia’s fastest-growing companies with 75 per cent of stores now franchised.
Inside Retail recently caught up with Top Juice general manager, Barry Barber, who has plans to continue the chain’s expansion after seeing revenue increase eight fold over the past four years.
Inside Retail: What has been the main driver behind the rapid expansion by Top Juice?
Barry Barber: We put it down to the growing importance of a healthier lifestyle and the demand for fresh products in the market. This in turn has led to a lot of sustainable interest from fantastic franchise partners who have been able to assist us fund this rapid growth.
IR: Is Top Juice’s recent success helped by increasingly health-conscious consumers?
BB: Yes, definitely, this has allowed us to increase our business eight-fold in the past four years. The growing importance of a healthy lifestyle continues to thrive, and we believe that it isn’t just a fad.
IR: Are there any logistical challenges brought about from sourcing nearly all products from Australia?
BB: No, if anything it would be a lot more challenging to source our products from overseas. As our brand is based largely on perishable ingredients with a limited shelf-life we have no issues sourcing produce within Australia and have very good relationships with our suppliers. We never compromise on the quality of freshness of the products we use or sell, as we always want to deliver on our brand promise of ‘top quality, top freshness’, and we also get to support our local growers in the process.
IR: What are the plans for the future of the business?
BB: We will be focusing on sustainable growth through successfully opening stores and engaging great franchisee partners, it will also be dependent on the right opportunities in prime locations.
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