Dearest Smugglers,
It's a legitimate honour to send this Xmas wrap to our smuggling community and share some highlights from 2023, on the eve of our 20th year of smuggling!
We’ve largely run Budgy Smuggler as a hobby and this continues, but in 2023 we’ve taken steps to go to another level in building a business that our home country, Australia and the rest of our smuggling community can be proud of.
Below are 3 highlights that we hope help to make you proud to be part of our smuggling fam.
Budgy Smuggler France Arrives
We opened our first European HQ in Bordeaux in the South West of France and close to smuggling hot spots like Toulouse & Biarritz.
We did forget to confirm the opening date with La Poste which meant several days of carting close to a tonne of swimwear some 500m to the post office.
La Poste avec Linny, Nathan Linny, Guibbo and Nicolas with the first day of orders!
New Flagship on Manly Corso
Part Art Gallery, Part Retail Experience... we were stoked to open up a new home on the Corso at Manly Beach in Sydney!
A special shout to my wife Liz for the design alongside the mighty Omar, Shanon and Milly who helped bring this concept to life. My Dad even hand-cut the floating wall of arses which is a particular highlight in a 40 year engineering career plus Mum helped to secure the lease so it was a real family affair.
Our new Manly Flagship store
World’s Most Ordinary Rig Crowned
Lilo. We love you.
It’s a core of our philosophy that everyone, regardless of shape, size, colour, whatever should feel good in a pair of smugglers and every rig who entered this competition has helped achieve this. To all the rigs, THANK YOU!
Top image is Chief Smuggler Linny and mini Smuggler Louis modelling a new design
What’s on the radar for 2024
The time in France really helped build our understanding of how retail businesses run and our Australian and French teams are collaborating on some totally crazy things we’ve never done product-wise before.
The key for us is to ensure the same quality we have in swimwear is mirrored in our future ranges.
👀
Sneak peek of new Smuggling attire under development. Each garment is inspired by the colour palette of our Swimwear.
We’re also keeping a keen eye out for a couple more retail stores as we’d love to get a physical home closer to our smugglers. Feel free to send us an email if there’s somewhere you think would be a cracking strip for Budgy’s next store!
Annnnnnd that’s a wrap!
To each of you who have read this, who smuggle with us, who’ve been with us for many years or who are new to Budgy, thank you for being a part of our community and we’ll continue every day trying to make you proud.
With Smuggler Love,
Linny
Top image is Chief Smuggler Linny and mini Smuggler Louis modelling a new design