Gewürzhaus Spice House

Gewürzhaus began in 2010 as a physical retailer with strong in-store sensory experiences, such as self-scoop spice tubs, conversations with staff and the natural aromas of the spices in store. This model drove early growth and built a solid customer base for the company.

As retail started to shift online, the founders realised they had under-resourced digital marketing because most sales had been through their shops. They were also struggling to define whether Gewürzhaus should be more marketing-led or sales-led and lacked a clear strategy to drive loyalty beyond the first purchase.

As Maria Konecsny, Co-Founder and Managing Director, explains, they hadn’t asked the fundamental question: “who exactly is the customer and what problem are we solving for them?” There was a need to properly define their wider strategy: whether they were trying to grow the business overall, or hit the top or middle of the funnel, or re-engage existing customers.

“It doesn’t matter what industry and business you’re in, if you’re not getting digital right, you are missing out on communication channels to your customers.”

Maria Konecsny, Co-Founder and Managing Director

To resolve challenges and further grow the company, Gewürzhaus took part in the ANZ Business Growth Program delivered by the Australian Centre for Business Growth in 2022. This included learning about the “three C’s”: who the Company is and what they excel at, who the Competitors are and how they differentiate from them, and what their Customers need and want.

The company already had a clearly defined mission and values, all centred around a love of home cooked, quality food.

Knowing this enabled them to hire the right people from the beginning. All staff – “from bookkeeper through to store staff” – are asked what they’re cooking right now and what they like to cook. As well as onboarding and training programs, all staff get a weekly “spice allowance” so they become personally familiar with the products and can discuss them with customers.

To better understand its customers, Gewürzhaus carried out market research through an external agency. This revealed that age range and demographics didn’t play a big role. Instead, the data identified distinct customer profiles, such as home-cooking enthusiasts looking for good quality ingredients and start-up cooks beginning to explore.

Konecsny believes that it’s a lot harder to have these conversations digitally than it is for someone to engage an individual person. Customers end up walking away with products they didn’t know they needed, or even existed, due to a genuine connection with sales staff about food and cooking.

The company also ramped up digital advertising and SEO and having more digital touchpoints for customers. Having tried a traditional marketing agency without success, digital execution and strategy were bought in house. Ad spend steadily increased and new channels, such as influencer marketing, were tested and adopted. This has helped them reach new audiences.

“I think for us the real key is connection, both for short term sales and long term sales, because it builds loyalty. We genuinely love getting people to cook.”

Maria Konecsny, Co-Founder and Managing Director

Since taking part in the Business Growth Program, Gewürzhaus has seen a measurable impact. Through prioritising digital channels, the business has seen a significant uplift in both e-commerce sales and in-store foot traffic. Between FY23 and FY25, online sales grew 36.1% while overall growth achieved a 25.5% increase. Targeted campaigns consistently deliver new customer acquisition, while influencer partnerships have extended the brand’s reach to new audiences.

Equally important has been the growth in customer loyalty. The introduction of the Spice Club and regular recipe-driven communications have kept customers engaged well beyond their first purchase, encouraging repeat use of products and increasing the frequency of re-orders.

These outcomes have positioned Gewürzhaus as a modern omni-channel retailer, blending a distinctive in-store sensory experience with data-driven digital engagement to scale sustainably. As a result, staff grew 9% between FY23 and FY25, while their store footprint increased by 45%.

“People love to put their mission and values in the marketing sphere. But I would sit that as a completely separate thing at the top of the business. They’re our North Star and they drive everything for us. Regardless of whether or not they make sales, that’s what you do, because that’s what you’re here to do.”

Maria Konecsny, Co-Founder and Managing Director