Where were you raised and what influenced your career at a young age?
I was born and raised in Perth. From high school, I had a desire to build a tech business although I was unsure exactly what it would do and how to get it started.
After school you did a Master of Arts at the School of Business and Social Studies. What were your ambitions then?
I was interested in knowing more about management/business and was tossing up being a tech entrepreneur or going into academics. I was working in London as an IT manager for a hospital and given an opportunity to study whilst living and working there.
What led you to China and to found Digital Jungle?
I was a vice president in a tech start-up company in San Francisco. I lived the crazy 1990's venture capital love with tech start-ups and the tech bubble. When NASDAQ popped, and VCs returned into their shells, I headed back to Australia to work in another tech start up.
For this business, we developed AI and machine learning algorithms to better serve advertising (content matching) into publisher websites. I was responsible for building the tech team and delivering the solutions.
China was seen as a good tech outsourcing location in early 2000 so I relocated and set up the China operation. After listing this business on the ASX, I remained in China where I started my own tech start-up focusing on search marketing technology and ad serving platforms - the forerunner to Digital Jungle, a digital marketing agency.
We were one of the first digital agencies in China providing Western companies easy access to the Chinese market. I am on the board of Digital Jungle and remain its largest shareholder, although my daily activities now revolve around running BuyNatural.
Why was BuyNatural created in what is a saturated skin and cosmetics market?
Australian products are known worldwide to be of the highest quality due to our clean air, clean soil and clean water, yet many Australian products including skin and cosmetics products receive little recognition or exposure here at home.
It is difficult for them to reach shelves and the attention of consumers as the big supermarkets and retailers tend to opt a lot of the time for big brands with big budgets that can afford to splash their advertising all over the TV. Many of these are overseas brands.
BuyNatural is about giving Australian brands a platform to reach the market in a way that supports and promotes them. Australian products are the best in the world and now we are providing a place where all Australian natural, organic and eco friendly brands can be showcased, sold and shipped to Australians all over the country. Not only do we put Australian brands in front of Australian consumers, we help the brand owners to grow their brands.
Why is the first store in Woy Woy?
I actually live in Woy Woy and so it is close to home. We are growing so fast we needed to establish a larger warehouse facility to store, pick, pack and post the products to consumers across the country.
We found a location in Woy Woy that not only provides this space but also includes a front store so we could provide shoppers with a place to come to try, experience, and learn more about the products - and ultimately buy. The cost of the larger warehouse is cheaper than Sydney and people in the regions support their local businesses.
What does your research show of the buying patterns of consumers at the present time?
COVID has pushed people home, inside and online. Online shopping has nearly doubled in some cases. Australian consumers are also buying local seeking to support Australian-made products.
There is a genuine desire to support local businesses and buy products that are made in line with the highest standards of manufacture in the world - Australian products.
What is the in-store experience like at Buy Natural?
With many businesses shutting stores and moving online - we are moving in the other direction. We are engaging in 'retro retail' - offering our platform online and opening physical stores to provide shoppers with the ability to try, learn and order products.
We want to become the Amazon of Australian natural products - helping Australian businesses to prosper and enabling shoppers to buy Australian.
Dr Mathew McDougall
Our in store experience offers shoppers the ability to touch, feel, smell and taste the products. We even offer meet the brand owner events and educational events to help shoppers get to know brands and products.
We want to become the Amazon of Australian natural products - helping Australian businesses to prosper and enabling shoppers to buy Australian.
What is in the pipeline for BuyNatural?
The business will be heading to IPO later this year.
BuyNatural is seeking to roll out more Touch, Learn, Order stores across the country and push forward with its desire to be the Amazon of Australian natural, organic and eco products.
