Estia
Estia's drinkware was selling well. The problem was that none of it was really theirs. We helped them design a range from scratch that they own outright, one that looks and feels like Estia and sells like it. More than 20% sales growth over the range it replaced, at a higher price and a better margin.
What we were asked.
Like most homeware brands, Estia sourced its drinkware from China, picking from designs any competitor could also buy. It sold, but it didn't feel like Estia, and it could never set them apart. They wanted a range of their own, without losing the price point and practicality their customers loved.
What we answered.
Owning a design doesn't have to mean starting a new factory. We learned what Estia's existing suppliers did best, then designed something original around it. The idea that held it together was simple: every product looks as if it was chiselled from the same slab of stone. That one story gave Estia a family, not a collection, and a look no one else on the shelf could copy.
Seven products across water, sport and coffee, each one carved from the same imagined slab of stone. The forms are solid and monolithic, softened just enough to feel good in the hand and sit calmly alongside the rest of Estia's homeware. Every crease line and proportional split lines up across the family, so a bottle, a sports bottle and a coffee cup read as pieces broken from one rock. Underneath sits a modular system. Lids swap between bottles and cups. One base fits everything. Carry loops, coloured caps and bases mix and match, and Estia sells them as add-ons at the till. The cold coffee cup was made for the Greek freddo, with a straw that feels just like the one people already know.
We started with the factory, not the sketchbook. Learning what Estia's suppliers did best let us design something original that could still be made at the right price. From there it was hands-on. Prototypes in hand early, testing how each piece felt to hold, carry and drink from. A full printed line-up on the table, so Estia could swap the lids and see the range as one family before committing. Then we stayed with it through production, alongside Estia's factory making sure what came off the line matched what we'd designed, down to every crease.
It sells. More than 20% sales growth on the previous range. Because the product felt more distinctive and more valuable, Estia raised its prices and still grew, improving gross margin along the way. Shared parts keep stock simple across the range, and add-ons create extra revenue from every customer who wants to make their bottle their own. For the first time, Estia can tell customers it designs its own products, and it has a design language to build on.
More than 20% sales growth on the previous range. Because the product felt more distinctive and more valuable, Estia raised its prices and still grew, improving gross margin along the way. Shared parts keep stock simple across the range. And for the first time, Estia can tell its customers it designs its own products, with a foundation to build on.
The new Estia range delivered sales growth of more than 20% compared with the previous range. Element's work helped us create a more distinctive product with stronger perceived value, enabling us to increase retail prices and achieve a meaningful improvement in gross margin.
