How to Build a Community of Shoppers and Retailers?

When Andrew Fallshaw created Australian accessories brand Bellroy in 2010, alongside his three co-founders, he hoped that, beyond designing incredible products, the brand would connect like-minded consumers through community.

Now 12-year-old Bellroy has grown to become a $300 million brand — an impressive growth trajectory from a company that was valued at $83 million just three years ago. Currently, Bellroy sells 82 products across several categories, including wallets, bags and accessories, on its website.

One of the biggest credits to Bellroy’s success has been the team’s ability to create clear boundaries for the brand. You won’t see Bellroy coming out with a fragrance or foraying into areas that Fallshaw considers outside of the “carry scope.”

“In 2010, we launched our first product, which was five slim wallets. … We re-engineered the wallet from the ground up … They took off [and] they found incredible resonance. That notion of slim wallets, which hadn’t really been a focus before then for brands, grabbed hold,” Fallshaw shared on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We had a few years of rocketship growth, but our intention was always to fill into the carry space and help people with how they organize their things and move through the world.”