Boost Oxygen is the top global seller of portable, supplemental oxygen canisters. They offer lightweight cans of pure oxygen for non-medical use, catering to athletes, older adults, those at high altitudes, or anyone facing poor air quality or wildfire smoke.
Since starting in 2007, they’ve carved out and dominated their market category, now holding a 99% market share. With online sales through their Woo store, they’ve expanded their reach and consistently grown sales.
“We built and continue building this category. We want Boost Oxygen to be as synonymous with oxygen canisters as Xerox is with copying and Google with search,” said Matthew Slywka, Ecommerce and Digital Growth Director at Boost Oxygen.
Since 2011, they’ve utilized WooCommerce for online sales and operations, experiencing significant growth. “WooCommerce has been a flexible, customizable platform for scaling our business,” said Robert Neuner, CEO and Founder. “That’s why we initially chose it, and we’ve grown with it.”
In 2019, Rob pitched Boost Oxygen on Shark Tank, securing a million-dollar deal with Kevin O’Leary. After the episode aired, they saw a 30% increase in sales from 2018 to 2019, expanding to over 8,000 retail locations, including Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, and independent pharmacies.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 highlighted respiratory health, leading to a 50% sales increase from 2019 to 2020. However, the surge led to a sellout of six months’ inventory in just three days. With some oxygen filling partners shutting down, they faced supply challenges.
In early 2021, they moved all manufacturing and fulfillment in-house.
Everything from manufacturing to sales to marketing to fulfillment occurs within Boost Oxygen’s 38,000 square-foot facility in Milford, Connecticut.
Founded in 2007 with two employees in a 200 square-foot office, they’ve grown to over 55 employees, with headquarters covering 17 offices plus warehouse, shipping, and manufacturing areas. They also have a dedicated sales team across the US and several international employees.
Boost Oxygen integrates warehouse operations with WooCommerce to ensure smooth operations. They use the FarApp API connector to push orders from WooCommerce to NetSuite, where orders are approved and then fulfilled by the warehouse.
As their business grew, their target audience shifted from sports to altitude service and older adults, reaching their primary audience and others with similar needs.
Since inception, they’ve focused on solid operations, logistics, and customer service, avoiding flashy gimmicks. They invest heavily in retail distribution, education, and point of sale materials like floor stands, case cards, and shelf displays. Director of Marketing Bill Banks likened their approach to “blocking and tackling” in American football.
Managing a multichannel sales strategy
Their ecommerce strategy follows the same ethos. Their website has been transformative in educating consumers.
By leveraging their blog for educational articles and optimizing SEO, their traffic and sales surged, making boostoxygen.com integral to their business. Currently, about 90% of online sales are D2C.
From the start, they’ve operated as both a wholesale and D2C business. Part of their D2C strategy includes subscriptions, accounting for nearly 10% of sales. Subscribers can save up to 20% depending on the pack size.
Their multichannel strategy includes marketplaces and retail. Boost Oxygen owns 90% of the oxygen market on Amazon, comprising 25% of their business. Their brick-and-mortar distribution includes CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, as well as mountain resorts where they’re the primary O2 tank sold.
“WooCommerce is ideal for businesses starting a site or seeking a high-quality site at an affordable price,” Matthew noted. For Boost Oxygen, WooCommerce offers a high-performance online store without a hefty price tag.
“WooCommerce packs a ton of functionality into an affordable package. I’ve worked on more expensive platforms lacking WooCommerce’s features and functionality.”
— Matthew Slywka, Ecommerce and Digital Growth Director, Boost Oxygen
Boost Oxygen’s growth continued beyond the COVID-19 bump. Matthew and Rob credit much of their
