Ex-Unilever Execs Shake Up Cleaning by Thinking Small
Smol cuts costs by making concentrated detergent tiny enough to be sent via regular mail. It recently raised $34 million.
Smol cleaning subscription products are made from concentrate.
Source: Smol
As a former marketing executive at Unilever Europe, Paula Quazi knew the problems with laundry detergent. Products were too big, too heavy and too unattractive. It had become a pet peeve.
After leaving the maker of Dove soap and Surf detergent, Quazi joined former Unilever colleague Nick Green to develop cleaners that were eco-friendly, affordable and looked good. They founded Smol, a subscription service in Britain. It cuts out the supermarket middleman, proclaiming on its website that “big is dead.”
The startup, founded in 2018, is among a growing number of businesses offering low- or no-packaging products as the global backlash against single-use plastics gains momentum. Smol has so embraced the trend that it ships its concentrates in compostable cardboard boxes slim enough to fit through door mail slots. The laundry and dishwasher capsules come in vibrant colors such as pink and turquoise, and the company says it saves consumers as much as 50% compared with major brands. It also sells fabric conditioner and surface sprays.