Exotic Bazaar invests AUD $2.35 million in Ballarat site

Exotic Bazaar has invested AUD $2.35 million in a new manufacturing and fulfilment facility in Ballarat, supported by the Victorian Government through the Victorian Investment Fund.

The Australian food brand says the site will combine manufacturing, warehousing, eCommerce fulfilment and its headquarters in one operation. It expects the investment to create 18 jobs over three years as it moves work currently handled by external providers into the facility.

Founded in 2019 by Iranian Australian entrepreneur Gilava Pour, the business sells meal bases, spice blends and specialty baking products through its online channels and supplies selected Coles supermarkets across Australia. The Ballarat site marks a shift in how it manages production and order fulfilment as it expands across retail and direct-to-consumer sales.

Until now, Exotic Bazaar has relied on third-party logistics and external manufacturing partners. Bringing those functions in-house is intended to give it tighter control over inventory, order packing and production planning.

Customer orders

A key focus of the move is the customer experience after an online purchase. Bringing fulfilment in-house will allow the brand to play a closer role in how orders are prepared, packed and presented.

That matters for a business that has built part of its identity around direct contact with customers through its online store. Internal control over fulfilment also gives it more flexibility to adjust product bundles and support promotional campaigns tied to eCommerce sales.

"As we've grown, one thing I've really missed is having that personal connection with our customers when they receive their orders," said Gilava Pour, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Exotic Bazaar.

"We've built Exotic Bazaar around bringing people together through food, and I want that experience to extend beyond the products themselves. Bringing fulfilment in-house gives us the opportunity to put more care and personality into every order, while having greater control over how we serve our customers," said Pour.

Production shift

The investment also gives the company its own blending and packing operation. At present, external manufacturing arrangements shape production schedules and can make smaller development runs harder to organise.

The new setup should make it easier to trial recipes, adjust existing products and respond to customer feedback. Bringing production closer to inventory and fulfilment could also help the business coordinate stock across supermarket and online channels.

For food businesses selling through multiple channels, stock allocation is often a practical challenge, particularly when retail supply and direct sales draw from the same product range. A single site for production, warehousing and fulfilment can improve stock visibility and help businesses respond more quickly to shifts in demand.

In Exotic Bazaar's case, the integrated Ballarat operation is intended to support product launches and seasonal campaigns without the need to coordinate separate external suppliers at each stage. This should provide more flexibility as the business grows.

Retail and export

The expansion follows the brand's entry into the grocery sector through selected Coles stores nationwide. While domestic retail and eCommerce remain the immediate focus, the company is also considering export opportunities once the manufacturing operation is established.

New Zealand is the first market it plans to examine for exports. Other international markets will be assessed through research rather than immediate rollout.

The Ballarat facility may also open a new line of business over time. Once its own operations are established and if capacity allows, Exotic Bazaar sees scope to offer small-batch contract manufacturing services to other food businesses.

The project adds to regional manufacturing activity in Victoria as smaller consumer brands reassess how much of their supply chain to outsource. For some growing businesses, bringing production and fulfilment in-house can offer greater control, though it also requires capital investment and the management of a more complex operation.

Ballarat will become the centre of Exotic Bazaar's manufacturing, warehousing and fulfilment as the company builds out that model. The investment, backed through the Victorian Investment Fund, is expected to create 18 jobs over three years.