When it comes to self care, the best route is usually to turn away from the complexity of modern life and head back to the sanctuary and simplicity of nature. Effortlessly chic skincare brand La Marcotterie embodies this sentiment, winning over legions of devotees with their understated but powerful products, handcrafted with carefully selected botanicals
Botanical Engineering
“If I told you that I was a civil engineer not so long ago, would you believe it?” smiles La Marcotterie founder, Elodie Marcotte. The brand began in 2015 as a creative journey arising from a late-night hobby. With a thirst for knowledge and a desire to find an alternative solution for her eczema, Elodie started exploring the science of natural cosmetology, combining her engineering background with a newfound love for botanical ingredients.
While still working as a full-time civil engineer, she started to dedicate evenings and weekends to creating products, which she sold on Etsy. “Given my French-Canadian origin” she muses, “I am dedicated to crafting bath and body products with a French influence, embodying a minimalist approach, all while maintaining a focus on using natural ingredients to deliver luxurious, eco-friendly cosmetics.”
The Sweet Scent of Success
Everything took a turn in the spring of 2020 – “for me and for the whole world” recounts Elodie. As Covid-19 spread and lockdowns were imposed, people were encouraged to support local businesses and shop for handmade goods. “When Mother's Day rolled around, since most people couldn't visit their moms, the big thing was to send them a thoughtful gift by mail”, remembers Elodie. Offering self-care gift sets on Etsy, one day she got her lucky break – the brand was featured on the front page of Etsy USA. On that day alone, a flood of 160 orders rolled in, and the days that followed were almost as wild. “To put things in perspective” explains Elodie, “I was used to receiving one or two orders per week prior to the spring of 2020.”
Filled with excitement, but also worried that she wouldn't have enough products to fulfill this sudden avalanche of orders, Elodie turned to her family, who, due to Covid, were all temporarily out of work. They all rallied to her aid, working day and night from her basement, while Elodie continued to maintain her full-time role as a civil engineer.
A Leap of Faith
The balancing act couldn’t continue forever – something needed to change. Gathering her courage, Elodie took a leap of faith and left her engineering job to chase her business dreams. Just a month later, she had to bring on two employees and the pace of La Marcotterie didn't slow down for the rest of the year. Her business revenue skyrocketed from a modest $30K annually to $320K in just a year. “The following year brought its own challenges”, she recalls, “constructing a new workshop space, hiring a third team member, setting up my own website, and investing in larger production equipment to keep up with the soaring demand”.
Wholesale Improvements with Order Printer Pro
One aspect of the business that’s helped La Marcotterie scale is the right tech solutions. When Elodie was in search of a dependable method to send invoices to her wholesale clients, Order Printer Pro came to the rescue with its convenient feature of including the invoice link in the order confirmation email. “This not only saved me valuable time, eliminating the need for manual invoice sending, but also delighted my retailers by sparing them the task of requesting invoices via email. It's a win-win for everyone!” says Elodie. Additionally, Order Printer Pro allows for the inclusion of tax identification numbers in the invoice template. “The app is straightforward to install, comes at a reasonable cost, and boasts exceptional customer support. Choosing this app was a no-brainer for me.”
What’s Next for LaMarcotterie?
After such remarkable success, where is Elodie taking the brand next? In 2024, the main goal is to increase brand visibility. Over the last three years, the overwhelming demand prevented her from focusing on SEO efforts, but with the changing economic landscape, she recognized the need to dive into mastering tools like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel and more, to establish an effective SEO strategy and boost their position on search engines.
Watch this space – if the brand’s stratospheric trajectory is anything to go by, we’ll be seeing a lot more from La Marcotterie in the years to come.
