Sustainable soap brand seeks international growth

A Cotswolds-based natural soap company is branching out into new markets at home and abroad.

Little Soap Company was founded in 2008 by Emma Heathcote-James to fill an untapped gap in the market - natural, pure soaps that are good for the skin and kind to the planet. Now, the company is focused on the next phase of expansion after securing a finance package from Lloyds. 

From hand-making soaps in her kitchen for selling to local farmers’ markets, the business quickly upscaled, using UK factories to make their four brands - Organic, Naturals, Eco Warrior and Little Beast – supplying all major UK retailers. Its products now cross-category, sitting in soap, haircare, shave, skincare, men’s and baby and child aisles, plus a line of pet shampoos too.  

The company’s commitment to sustainability is a key contributor to its popularity, with its Eco Warrior range winning the Queen’s Award for enterprise innovation in 2022 and its flagship Shampoo Bars winning the UK’s Best Overall Shampoo Bar for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024 in The Independent’s Indie Awards.  

Emma, her wife Sharon, and their team of ten staff sell millions of products a year, via every major UK retailer, including Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda, Amazon and Boots. 

The funding package from Lloyds will support the installation of a new, advanced software to enable greater automation of order fulfilment and forecasting, making it faster and easier to process retailer and online orders and better integrate with manufacturing as they grow both in the UK and into international markets. The business is currently venturing into Taiwan, Netherlands and Ireland, with the aim to also enter the US and other areas of Europe, and the implementation will accelerate scalability to support this expansion 

These markets are vital as areas where a growing number of consumers are discovering the benefits of sustainable, natural skin and body care. The firm’s expansion will ensure it continues to achieve year-on-year growth while remaining profitable and 100% founder-owned. 

Little Soap Company can also make use of Lloyds’ International Trade Portal, which provides essential resources and market insights to ease the transition into new territories. The portal connects businesses to trade opportunities, offers regulatory guidance, and include tools to manage the risk associated with international transactions. This support will empower the firm to confidently expand its reach and achieve a stable foothold in key markets, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in sustainable personal care products and making it easier to introduce these products to customers worldwide. 

Emma said: “I was inspired to start the Little Soap Company by my Gran, who built a collection of luxurious, kind-to-skin bar soaps while she travelled. However, when I searched for similar organically produced products at home, the options were few and far between, uncovering the need for a planet-friendly range. 

“I’ve banked with Lloyds since I was a teenager so when searching for a bank for the business, it was essential to find one that understood the brand and knew how to work with us, something that was important to me as a neurodivergent business owner. Thankfully, Lloyds Bank has been on board since the very beginning and their support has allowed us to grow our vision and push the boundaries of what’s possible. 

"We can’t wait to see Little Soap Company products on shelves worldwide, sharing our passion for sustainability and eco-friendly living." 

Lloyds has a new partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce to support more SMEs with their international trade ambitions. The partnership will include developing insight to understand better the barriers that that businesses are facing in more detail, and bringing together businesses from across the UK to delve deeper into how businesses and finance providers can provide the practical support that will really help more businesses achieve their international trading goals and achieve growth from expanding their international trading.

Paul Kempster, Managing Director and Head of Relationship Management at Lloyds said: "Firms who export overseas tend to grow faster than domestically focused peers, and build greater resilience through the diversification of their customer base and become more innovative to meet the needs of a global audience. Estimates show that only around 10% of UK businesses currently export. It’s great to see how the Little Soap Company has geared up for global expansion.’