When Flora & Fauna and Nourished Life collapsed under BWX, it looked like two of Australia’s most loved ethical retail brands might be lost for good. But Abel Butler wasn’t having it.
The HealthPost CEO, whose mum started the business in their Golden Bay basement selling natural supplements, quietly stepped in. Two weeks after bringing it to his board as a throwaway “should we look at this?”, he owned the businesses. Six months later, they were trading again.
No fluff. No founders’ egos. Just clear-headed execution from a family business that’s been doing sustainable ecommerce since before it was a thing.
And if you think this is just another turnaround story, think again. Abel didn’t just reboot two brands. He rewrote how purpose-led eCommerce can grow in tough times, without trading off your values.
Here’s what you should take away.
Product Data Isn’t a Backend Job: It’s a Compliance Gate
Running three brands across thousands of SKUs and more than 40 filterable product options is no joke. So naturally, you’d expect a big, juicy PIM system sitting behind the scenes at HealthPost.
Well, nope.
Abel’s team runs lean: NetSuite for the backend, SmartSheets for flexibility, and Shopify on the front end. But the magic isn’t in the tools. It’s in how they use them. Instead of chasing perfect automation, they’ve baked supplier accountability into the data process itself.
If a supplier can’t provide transparent sourcing info or answer key environmental questions, they don’t get listed.
That turns product data into something far more valuable than a customer filter. It becomes a quality and integrity control.
⚠️ EXPERT TIP: Remember, your product info isn’t just UX. It’s your brand’s risk management layer.
Discounting Wins the Month. Loyalty Wins the Movement.
Like most smart retailers right now, Abel’s not above using discounts to re-engage lapsed customers and fuel growth. It works. But where it gets interesting is what HealthPost’s loyalty program is becoming.
Yes, they’re using Yotpo. No, it’s not about stacking points for 10% off toothpaste.
Soon, customers will be able to use loyalty points to fund real-world environmental projects, like restoring seabird habitats in Abel’s backyard through the HealthPost Nature Trust. This means that customers aren’t just buying products: they’re buying into purpose. And that’s the kind of loyalty that feels less like a spreadsheet and more like a cause.
📣 eCommerce takeaway: Transactional loyalty is table stakes. Emotional loyalty builds movements.
Move Fast. Don’t Break Things. Hire Better People.
Turning two broken brands into functioning eCommerce machines in under six months sounds insane. But Abel didn’t sprint in every direction. He went deep, not wide. Instead of chasing the latest tools or starting from scratch, he doubled down on what already worked: Shopify for the front end, NetSuite and .wms for operations, and agency partner Moustache Republic to help make it all sing.
But the real advantage was definitely a tight-knit New Zealand team who already knew the business inside out. There were no bleeding-edge AI experiments, no overengineered rebuilds: just clear priorities, experienced hands, and a ruthless focus on execution.
As Abel puts it,
“We were basically operating on a shoestring… but we knew what worked.”
The takeaway here is simple: speed isn’t dangerous if you’re building on a solid foundation. Stick to trusted systems, lean on your best people, and don’t confuse motion for momentum.
What’s Next?
HealthPost’s growth is now compounding naturally in Australia. They’ve earned trust back with legacy customers, built unit economics that stack up, and are expanding through smart partnerships. They’ve proven that value-based businesses can absolutely scale if you do the work.
So if you’re wondering how to make your eComm business grow with integrity without falling into the Greenwashing 2025 Black List, take this from Abel:
💻 Don’t overcomplicate your tech. Trust your fundamentals.
♻️ Use your product data to reflect your values, not just your catalogue.
🤝 Build loyalty that does more than push discounts. Make it mean something.
And if you can bring some seabirds back while you’re at it? Even better.
👉 Listen to the full episode now and hear how a quiet Kiwi operator is making big moves without the hype:
