Bamboo loo roll brand Cheeky Panda has set its sights on growth after winning major supermarket listings, including its entry on to Tesco shelves today (27 October).
The company, which registered 5% growth to generate turnover of £13.3m last year, has built on a 2024 rebrand to win space in Morrisons in September and now place two SKUs in Tesco: its Silky Soft Toilet Roll three-ply and Quilted Soft Toilet Roll four-ply, both made with FSC-certified bamboo fibres.
The £400k rebrand, heightened shipping costs, and the appointment of a chief marketing officer – and subsequent new marketing spend – knocked Cheeky Panda into an EBITDA loss of £322k in the year to 31 December 2024.
The company also fell from a pre-tax profit of £145k to a loss of £787k.
But thanks to its efforts, the company was now in a “stronger position for long-term, sustainable growth” according to CEO and co-founder Julie Chen.
“We made a profit in 2023, and the profitability potential is still there as we scale,” she said. “This year’s result reflects a one-off rebrand investment, a strategic move that puts Cheeky Panda in a stronger position for long-term, sustainable growth.
“The business remains fundamentally strong and well-positioned for expansion, with new distribution rolling out across two major supermarket partners in 2025.”
The rebrand saw Cheeky Panda launch a new website and new products including sanitary pads, a new dispenser range and the UK’s first bamboo-fibre four-ply loo roll available in supermarkets.
The two rolls launched to Tesco will feature prominently on Tesco’s ‘eco bay’, designed to highlight more sustainable toilet paper options to shoppers.
The Silky Soft Toilet Roll three-ply (rsp: £6.95/nine rolls), with 190 sheets per roll, will launch with a promotion at £5.20 in November. Its Quilted Soft Toilet Roll four-ply (rsp: £7.25 /nine rolls), with 155 sheets per roll will likewise launch with promotional pricing booked in for December.
Launched in the UK nine years ago with just toilet roll, Cheeky Panda now offers 16 paper products, including kitchen roll and tissues, across 25 countries.
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