Bae Juice retail expansion follows December sales surge

Melbourne founded anti hangover startup Bae Juice has recorded its strongest summer trading period to date following a sharp rise in national retail distribution.

The brand sold one pack of its Korean pear juice every 12 seconds during December 2026. This marked its highest monthly sales result since launch.

The increase followed new national retail agreements with Costco and Coles. The product also entered more than 700 additional retail locations across Australia.

December sales reached $495,988 with more than 220,000 units sold. This represented a 230 per cent increase year on year compared with $150,000 in December the previous year.

Stock shortages occurred across petrol and convenience stores, online platforms and independent grocery outlets. Retail velocity increased across all major channels during the period.

Bae Juice now forecasts $5 million in revenue for the current financial year. This is up from $2.5 million in the previous year.

The growth builds on a trajectory that began with $127,500 in revenue in 2019. Revenue later rose to $560,000 before surpassing $1 million as distribution widened.

The product is now stocked across major supermarket chains, metropolitan convenience outlets and independent bottle shops. Expansion into New Zealand and China has also been confirmed as the next phase.

Retail expansion and seasonal demand

Co-founder Sumin Do said product simplicity remained central to the brand as it scaled.

“Bae Juice, meaning simply ‘pear juice’ in Korean, is exactly that, just 100 per cent pure, organic Korean pear juice,” Do said. “But it’s now so much more than that. We’ve tapped into a new cultural territory somewhere between wellness and the real world need for functional drinking habits that help you feel human the next day.”

“It isn’t selling optimisation or detox, but a tomorrow of not hurting,” she said. “So, in other words, Bae before you play.”

Co-founder and director Tim O’Sullivan said December trading reflected predictable seasonal behaviour.

“December was enormous for us, our biggest yet,” O’Sullivan said. “Weddings, work drinks, festivals, end of year blowouts, it all lands at once, and Bae Juice has become part of that rhythm.”

“It’s the thing people buy before or at the same time they buy their drinks,” he said. “Now it’s right there on the counter at independent bottle shops and supermarkets, as well as on shelves at Woolworths, Coles and Costco.”

“People don’t stop going out, they just want Monday and Sunday to be less painful,” O’Sullivan said. “That behaviour is powering Bae Juice and shaping how the brand grows.”

Unlike celebrity-backed beverage launches, Bae Juice has scaled through repeat purchases and retailer reorder rates. The company attributes growth to sustained demand rather than short-term promotion.

Co-founder Liam Gostencnik said the current summer period had reset expectations.

“With most major events happening in late summer, social behaviour continues to rebound post COVID,” Gostencnik said. “This season has already reset the category and will continue to do so throughout the year.”

Founded in Melbourne in 2019, Bae Juice produces 100% Korean pear juice. The brand is stocked in more than 4,500 retail locations nationwide, including supermarkets and petrol and convenience networks.