If you’ve been to any mall in America, chances are you’ve also stepped into a Bath & Body Works. That, or you’ve caught an errant whiff of Japanese Cherry Blossom shampoo or Mahogany Teakwood body cream. Whatever the case, the brand knows how to get the attention of a customer.
But one thing you might not know about this beauty goods giant is that their global supply chain is condensed into one location…and it’s here in the US. New Albany, Ohio, is the engine behind Bath & Body Works and the site of the majority of the manufacturing for the brand.
The Shift From Foreign to Domestic Production
Before their seismic shift to a US-production system in the early 2000s, the steps to create a bottle of soap were erratic. A bottle made in Canada, a pump made in China, and a label made in New Jersey all had to make their way to the same place before filling with soap from Virginia. It doesn’t take a business mogul to see that the system just doesn’t make sense. Yet, it’s one that so many big companies employ in the hunt for the most bottom dollars.
As it turns out, though, this global system produces waste in time and resources and doesn’t yield the best revenue. Thus, Bath & Body Works chose to “reshore” their production to the United States. This move, though costly upfront, has led to a grand escalation in net sales, hitting 7.56 billion in 2022. On top of improving profit, Bath & Body Works also reports that their domestic supply chain allows them greater flexibility and opportunity for innovation.
So, where does all this domestic manufacturing take place? Just follow the Moonlight Path, and you’ll find yourself in a bustling manufacturing hive aptly named Beauty Park.
A Ticket to the Beauty Park
In a sprawling and interconnected epicenter of production, Bath & Body Works manufactures their products, from raw materials to final touches, in one fell swoop. It all happens in New Albany, Ohio, where they’ve gathered a barrage of packaging and production companies in one location. These companies include KDC, Vee Pack, Anomatic Corp, and more.
The park is composed of 10 different manufacturers across millions of square feet of facility space and employs up to 5,000 people at this mega-manufacturing locale.
It’s like a geniusly designed domino effect of production, as each step of the process has its own dedicated facility. There’s no traveling thousands of miles from product to packaging, as it all happens on the same grounds. Instead of the extended timeline of foreign import, it only takes 21 days for a product to go from factory to floor.
Home of America’s Favorite Fragrances
One of Bath & Body Works’ leading Core Values is “It matters how we play the game.” The company lives this value by making the right choices, like reorganizing their supply chain to a majority US production. On this move, the brand stated, “In recent years, we have moved more production to North America, our largest market, to not only improve supply reliability, but also provide speed and agility to our business and help reduce our supply chain’s carbon footprint.”
And that’s how Bath & Body Works really became “Home of America’s Favorite Fragrances.” Of course, it just makes sense that the fragrance was also made in America too.
Image credit: Bath & Body Works
