How Bliss Gifts & Homewares Turned a Small Ecommerce Startup Into $60,000

From Local Boutique to National E-commerce: The Bliss Gifts Story

Back in 2016, Melissa Stone, driven by experience from three generations of retail and importing, opened the doors to Bliss Gifts & Homewares in Australia. What started as a small shopfront soon became a growth engine, riding the acceleration of online retail and continually adapting as the industry shifted. Melissa, rooted in her family’s background but eager to stand out online, began sourcing stylish and affordable products, mainly via Australian suppliers with items bulk-imported from China.

Jumping Into E-commerce Ahead of the Wave

By 2017, Bliss Gifts saw real traction. Online store visits increased, orders stacked up, and Melissa, with just one workday a week for herself, let her six-part-time-strong team run the day-to-day tasks: packaging, fulfillment, and customer questions. Smart delegation kept costs down, freed up time, and kept her in the driver’s seat for strategy and sourcing updates.

Crisis, Opportunity, and Shift Online

The devastating New South Wales bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing storefront rethink all over the country. For Bliss Gifts, this wasn’t just a hurdle—it became the turning point. The company doubled down on online, shut down its retail outlet, and went full throttle from a warehouse, focusing fully on web sales. They capitalized on an early digital pivot, getting ahead of slower or indecisive competitors. Site traffic soared, including 81,074 monthly page views and 14,266 unique visitors. Outreach efforts and community engagement, a boost from lockdown-induced online shopping, and affordable pricing all played major roles.

Built on Systems, Not Just Products

Bliss Gifts didn’t just offer stylish home décor. What really gave them an edge was documenting and refining internal processes. Melissa formalized fulfillment steps, streamlined supplier relationships, set social and email schedules, and set up a customer-first support policy. By sticking to these principles, they weathered rocky periods—no drama, no scrambling behind the scenes when demand surged. As a result, repeat business and positive reviews mounted, including over 289 five-star Google reviews and a 3.63% email conversion rate.

Digital Marketing: More Than Just Posting

Melissa knew Instagram wasn’t just about pretty photos. She and her team built communities, running frequent promotions and interacting directly with buyers. Facebook, Pinterest (with 32,600 monthly viewers), and regular newsletters to 14,000 email subscribers kept traffic flowing and the brand memorable. They learned quickly—social runs best with consistency, and shoppers return when they feel recognized.

Recognition and Media Attention

The store’s surging momentum brought accolades, including nominations in the Power Retail Big Bash All-Star awards and selection as a finalist for Emerging Online Retailer of the Year 2021. Melissa’s leadership was even documented on International Women’s Day, spotlighting her story for other entrepreneurs.

Listing on Flippa: The Road to a $60K Exit

Come October 2021, Melissa listed Bliss Gifts on Flippa, targeting buyers ready to scale. On the first day, Melbourne-based entrepreneur Nirmal Pandya, looking for complementary additions to his e-commerce holdings, entered discussions. Negotiations and due diligence went quickly, fueled by clear documentation and the willingness to let the Bliss team stay in place. A $60,000 USD deal was sealed within weeks.

Opportunities Left on the Table

Melissa advised that bigger wins were there for the taking: expanding into wholesale, international shipping, dropshipping, advanced paid social strategies, and raising prices on high-demand ranges. Her case? The right buyer, ready to standardize and market at scale, could double or triple current profit margins, especially by leveraging Shopify’s robust ecosystem and paid digital acquisition.

Lessons From Bliss: What Mattered Most

• Invest in core digital assets—website, email, social—early.
• Systemize everything. Make the business run without you.
• Don’t wait to pivot fully online when signs point to e-commerce. Move fast.
• Grow and maintain an engaged email and social following. They boost sales in uncertain times.
• Track your metrics closely: web traffic, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction give clues when it’s time to tweak your offer.
• The sale prepared for itself: documented SOPs, committed team, and clean financials inspired instant buyer confidence.

Conclusion: How Any Store Could Follow This Model

Bliss Gifts started with one person, a clear vision, and laser focus on online growth. By relying on process instead of hustle alone, leveraging local and international suppliers, and prioritizing social-conscientious branding, they transformed routine e-commerce into a $60,000 payday. It’s proof: with systems, digital footprint, and dedication, even a modest store can land a buyer and a meaningful return.