Swimming in plastic bags and without a method of sorting groceries, Jen and Farzan Dehmoubed finally reached their breaking point. The plastic epidemic was the cause.
So in April of 2017, the Southern California couple launched Lotus Trolley Bag, a four-bag system focused on organizing groceries and taking on the single-use plastic waste epidemic.
As an online retailer, the couple saw within weeks the resounding response to their product, which spread across the shopping trolley like an accordian. They sold out three times in their first six months of business, became an Amazon bestseller and began making plans to expand their market and product line.
“We have been blown away by the amazing response and reaction from our customers,” said Farzan Dehmoubed, co-founder of Lotus Trolley Bags. “We have received requests from all over the world, but knew Australia was where we wanted to be next.”
Lotus Trolley has now expanded into Australia through the company’s Kickstarter campaign. He said the recent decisions by Coles and Woolies to scale back on plastic bags, along with aggressive legislation in several Australian states, made for an easy decision to enter into the market.
They are hoping Australians will take to the unique system the way American customers have. The couple is betting shoppers are tired of carrying dozens of plastic bags from the store and eliminating plastic bag chaos in the home.
Jen Dehmoubed said the bags make shopping easy, simple and faster. The set features an insulated bag, which keeps items cold for up to four hours, wine and egg pockets, and pockets on the exterior of the bags to hold their latest addition, the Lotus Produce Bag, which are designed for fruits and vegetables.
Manufactured with quality and durability in mind, each bag is designed to carry 22 kilograms of groceries. But the bags are not just for groceries. In fact, many customers use the bags when visiting the beach or camping or other activities.
“It’s such a simple concept,” Jen Dehmoubed explained. “It really speeds up the process in the store and reduces trips from my car to my home. Plus, we have so much more free space in our kitchen because we don’t have plastic bags holding our cupboards hostage.”
Another passion for the couple is taking on the plastic waste epidemic. Through the company’s first year, they have eliminated 37 million plastic bags and counting.
It’s one reason they chose Australia. Another is all but one state has enacted aggressive legislation on single-use plastic bags. Plus, with the decisions from Coles and Woolworths announcing their plans to scale back on plastic bags, the Dehmoubeds knew it was time to act.
Australian consumers use nearly four billion plastic bags per year, with only a small percentage being recycled. Consumers are driving retailers to act, which the Dehmoubeds are hoping translates into an explosion of customers tired of paying for bags at the store.
“With everything happening in Australia, and the response we’ve received there, it just made sense,” Farzan Dehmoubed said. “We just want people to have a more pleasant shopping experience, while taking action to help the environment.” Lotus Trolley Bags can now be purchased online at www.LotusTrolleyBag.com.au
