Brothers’ start-up soars to £1m sales in two years
A brand, built from the frustration of being unable to find a suitable backpack to hold gym equipment, has reached more than £1m of sales in just two years.
Nick Costello, a former personal trainer and CrossFit enthusiast, was unable to find a functional, durable, stylish backpack that could meet his gym requirements, so, in 2018, he decided to create his own – and already boasts a 26,000-strong customer base.
Taking the classic military design as a starting point and following months of testing and redesigning, he created the Hero Backpack, and the Built for Athletes brand was born.
The brand has shipped thousands of the backpacks worldwide, increased its product range and seen turnover increase from six figures to seven figures year-on-year.
Nick Costello said: “2019 was a fantastic year for Built for Athletes – the Hero Backpack was shipped to more than 20 countries worldwide and endorsed by athletes such as Obi Vincent, Ollie Marchon and Zack George
“Today, thousands of CrossFit athletes across the globe are using our products regularly.”
He added: “2019 also saw my brother, Danny, join the business, and with his marketing experience we have been able to exceed our growth targets and build a loyal customer base.”
Trusted by fitness industry experts and elite athletes, the best-in-class fitness backpack won numerous best buy award titles in respected fitness magazines during 2019, leading to the Manchester brothers creating a smaller version of the product, as well as increasing its product range.
Danny Costello, head of marketing, said: “After such a successful year we decided to kick off 2020 by extending our range of backpacks and accessories.
“The new additions to the range include new colours in the 25L and 45L Hero Backpack, as well as much-needed accessories such as mobility water bottles, reusable coffee cups, meal preparation boxes and protein shakers.
“At Built for Athletes we believe an athlete’s mindset is to surpass boundaries, continually striving for high performance, to never settle once a goal is achieved but raise the bar higher and go again and myself and Nick mirror that mindset.
“Our aim in 2020 is to continue to push the brand in the right direction, giving our customers the right tools and equipment for them to succeed and achieve their own goals.”
