David (Davie) Fogarty

Davie started out by baking biscuits to sell at school, and by 16 ran a side hustle, reselling products on eBay. He tried some 10 businesses before he found his groove with the Davie Group in 2018. Now an eCommerce sensation, Davie, 27, says his failures were crucial steppingstones to success.

Standing on the fleecy shoulders of The Oodie, the wearable blanket that became the uniform of choice in Australia’s COVID lockdowns, sales have moved from 100% onshore to a 60/40 Australia/international split. Davie’s vision is that the group will grow from its South Australian base to become a global household name in eCommerce.

Data and predictive analytics drive decisions and rapid iteration as Davie and his team use their own tech stack to analyse trends and hypothesise products which they then test, validate and launch. Within three months, they can release products across multiple markets. The data gives confidence there is a pool of customers, and their social-media campaigns locate them, entice them and convert the sales.

The group has already launched more than 10 brands – including weighted blankets and calming dog beds – the result of testing 100s of products each month. Davie’s bold and ultimate ambition is to launch up to 1000 different products across 300 new brands in a single year.

Davie was an early student of growth hacking digital marketing – trying multiple tactics to grow sales. If sales drop off, he changes up the product, the campaign – or both. He leverages the fan base of Disney, Warner Bros, Star Wars and the like by licensing their hot properties to appear on his products.

On the hunt for “the next big thing”, Davie and his team spend one “future day” each week brainstorming where the company should be heading. Committed to continuous learning for him, his team and others, Davie shares his knowledge via lively and detailed YouTube tutorials.