LETS TALK PERIODS!

In February, we sat down with Matt and Gee from The Period Co. who has been with us since 2019. The co-founders Matt and Gee have always been a strong pillar of The Green Collective. They are constantly engaged in conversations about sustainability and more in the community. It is therefore no surprise that they were the first few retailers of the alternative menstrual cups in Singapore.

Looking to reduce the footprint of your menstrual journey? You can get started here.

We caught up with Gee and Matt and explored on their journey with The Period Co.! Here is an excerpt of that conversation.

TGC: What made you start The Period Co. and how has the journey been?

Matt: The idea of The Period Co. came about when we came across an article on menstrual cups shared on a local news site. We realised there were no retailers of menstrual cups or other alternatives on our sunny little island. In fact, a majority of the public in Singapore and the region were still not aware or knowledgeable of the alternative menstrual products available to them.

As early adopters and huge fans of menstrual cups, we wanted to introduce more people to the convenience of reusable menstrual products, as alternatives to the disposables currently available in our market. We first brought in menstrual cups to test if the market was ready for such a product. Slowly, we expanded our offerings to include other reusable menstrual products. 

It has been a great experience introducing reusable menstrual products to people who go on to inform us that these products have changed their experience with their periods. It truly feels like we are making an impact on people and helping them to be more confident and free during their periods. Not only that, the menstrual waste created is also reduced. 

Lunette menstrual cup, cup wipes and cleanser from The Period Co.

TGC: What were the challenges you faced when you were starting out? 

Gee: When we first started out, most of our logistics processes such as receiving, storage and fulfillment were done out of a spare room at my place. As The Period Co. started to scale, the “store” room was getting too small for storage and a lot more hours were spent on packing and shipping the orders. We knew we needed to outsource this portion of our operations and it was great timing that Danielle introduced us to Envregy. It was probably the best decision we have ever made and we now have more time to spend on other aspects of the business.

“It truly feels like we are making an impact on people and helping them to be more confident and free during their periods. Not only that, the menstrual waste created is also reduced”

TGC: Now that you have been doing this for a while, were there any interesting episodes that you could share with us?

Matt: Before we started The Period Co. in 2016, we were trying to validate if there was a demand for menstrual cups in Singapore. We created an account on Carousell and listed products for sale even though we didn’t actually carry any stocks. There were enough enquiries for us to make our first wholesale order of menstrual cups.

“The dream would be to see a wide variety of menstrual cups, cloth pads and period panties stocked on shelves beside the disposable pads and tampons in local pharmacies and supermarkets.”

TGC:  That is a bold move! Since we have talked about the past, what are your future plans and how do you see your brand in 5 years?

Gee: Since we started The Period Co 5 years ago, we have seen a huge growth in the sustainable movement and many of our customers are from this category. In the next 5 years, we hope to see reusable menstrual products becoming more mainstream and not just a niche product category. The dream would be to see a wide variety of menstrual cups, cloth pads and period panties stocked on shelves beside the disposable pads and tampons in local pharmacies and supermarkets.

Gee sharing about reusable menstrual products with a group of NUS students 

TGC: I will love to see that too, last but not the least, how has TGC helped you in your journey? 

Matt: With a physical retail site, we can put up samples of our products. This is very helpful for interested customers to see and touch the actual products. As there are hardly any places that sell menstrual cups on the shelves, it is difficult for most people to see the products in real life. 

Gee: A computer or phone screen is not able to convey the size, texture, firmness and other physical attributes of the products. People who go down to TGC to look at the products can also decide to purchase from there, which is convenient.

You can check out The Period Co. menstrual products here.