How Ozlo Increased International Returning Customers 148% While Expanding Globally

About Ozlo

Ozlo was founded by former Bose engineers who helped create the original Sleepbuds product and set out to redefine sleep technology for a new generation of consumers.

As excitement around the product grew, so did demand from customers around the world. From Kickstarter through launch, international interest was clear. Customers were not only discovering Ozlo in the United States but were also actively seeking the product across global markets.

Rather than waiting years to expand internationally, Ozlo saw an opportunity to meet customers where they already were. The challenge wasn’t demand. It was delivering the kind of customer experience that would earn customers’ trust, encourage purchases, and keep them coming back.

By partnering with Passport, Ozlo accelerated international expansion, improved customer experience across key markets, and built a scalable international business powered by stronger conversion and customer loyalty.

The Challenge: Global Demand, International Complexity

Many brands wait until they reach significant scale domestically before investing in international expansion.

Ozlo didn’t have that luxury. Demand already existed, but delivering a seamless experience across international markets meant navigating a growing web of operational and regulatory complexity.

As Charlie Taylor explains, expanding globally involves far more than shipping products across borders. Every market has its own regulatory requirements, compliance obligations, and operational complexities.

Building that expertise internally would have required substantial investment in people, infrastructure, and time.

Without Passport, Ozlo believes international expansion would have been significantly delayed.

“I think had we not gone with Passport at the time, I don’t think we’d go international, and I don’t think we do it probably for a couple years.”

— Charlie Taylor, Co-Founder | Ozlo

Instead of waiting years to establish an international presence, Ozlo was able to move quickly and capture demand while momentum was building.

The Solution: Focus on Customers, Not Complexity

Ozlo partnered with Passport to build  the local operational foundation needed to scale internationally without building a large internal international operations team.

Passport supported Ozlo through:

• Local inventory placement
• International fulfillment
• Compliance and regulatory support
• Market expansion guidance
• Ongoing operational management

Rather than dedicating resources to solving international complexity internally, Ozlo remained focused on what it does best: building an exceptional product and delivering an outstanding customer experience.

Passport became an extension of the Ozlo team.

By removing operational friction, Passport enabled Ozlo to focus on scaling the business rather than managing international infrastructure.

Creating a Better International Customer Experience

As Ozlo expanded globally, the company recognized that long-term growth would require more than simply shipping products internationally. Customers needed a buying experience that felt local.

By placing inventory closer to customers, simplifying fulfillment, and reducing friction throughout the buying journey, Ozlo created a purchasing experience that inspired greater confidence from international shoppers.

The impact became especially apparent in Canada and Australia, where conversion rates increased 40% year-over-year. This improvement suggests that customers were more willing to complete purchases when shipping, fulfillment, and delivery expectations were optimized for their market.

Higher conversion helped Ozlo turn existing international demand into revenue more efficiently. As a result, international orders increased 18% year-over-year, while international gross sales grew 19% year-over-year.

Watch Ozlo’s international expansion story in action: In this webinar clip, Charles Taylor, Co-Founder of Ozlo, shares why the company moved from cross-border shipping to in-country fulfillment in Canada and what they learned along the way. Read the webinar recap and watch the full recording here.

Turning First-Time Buyers into Loyal Customers

While sales growth validated the international opportunity, Ozlo’s most meaningful result came after the initial purchase. The company achieved a 148% year-over-year increase in international returning customer rate.

For ecommerce brands, repeat purchasing behavior is one of the strongest indicators of customer satisfaction and long-term customer value. Acquiring international customers is difficult. Retaining them is even harder.

The dramatic increase in returning customer rate suggests that Ozlo’s localized customer experience extended beyond driving first purchases by helping build lasting customer relationships.

Rather than treating international expansion as a customer acquisition initiative, Ozlo created a foundation for sustainable growth powered by repeat purchasing behavior.

The result was not simply more international customers, but more loyal international customers.

A Partnership That Continues to Deliver

Years into the partnership, Ozlo continues to evaluate and optimize its international strategy and investment. The conclusion remains consistent.

“Every 6 months, we re-evaluate our whole international strategy, and we come back to, yup. This is crushing it. Keep going. Passport has truly been our easiest partner”

— Charlie Taylor, Co-Founder | Ozlo

That confidence is reflected not only in Ozlo’s business performance, but also in the partnership itself.

Results

With Passport as its international growth partner, Ozlo achieved:

• 19% year-over-year growth in international gross sales
• 18% year-over-year growth in international orders
• 148% year-over-year growth in international returning customer rate
• 40% year-over-year increase in conversion rate in Canada and Australia
• Expansion across four international markets
• Faster international expansion without building a large operations team

Looking Ahead

Today, Ozlo operates a scalable international business built on strong customer experience, repeat purchasing behavior, and efficient operations.

By partnering with Passport, the company accelerated international expansion, improved conversion, strengthened customer loyalty, and transformed global demand into a sustainable growth engine.

For brands looking to expand internationally without taking on the complexity of building a global operations organization, Ozlo’s experience demonstrates what’s possible when international growth is supported by the right partner.

Ready to accelerate your own international growth? Request a demo to see how Passport can help.