Kings Domain Melbourne’s Aaron Chan talks scaling a brand globally

Men’s grooming has become one of the fastest-growing categories in beauty. According to Grand View Research, the US sector was worth $47 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow 8.3 per cent through to 2030. Australian-born Kings Domain Melbourne is one such player looking to capitalise on that opportunity, having built its reputation through a network of barbershops before expanding into retail.Here, co-founder Aaron Chan talks about the brand’s origins, the evolution of men’s grooming, and what it takes to scale a brand internationally.Inside Retail: Prior to launching Kings Domain Melbourne, can you delve into your professional background and how it inspired you to launch the CPG brand, Kings Domain Melbourne?Aaron Chan: Before I started in the hair industry, I was doing a chef’s apprenticeship at a fine dining restaurant in the heart of Melbourne. I loved the pace and creativity, but I knew long-term it wasn’t my path, so I started looking for something different.Joey [Scandizzo, the other co-founder] and I go way back – he was my hairdresser many years ago. When I was ready for a new direction, he mentioned his salon was looking for an apprentice and I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve always been driven by creativity and delivering great customer experiences, so it felt like a natural fit.After around eight years working together, we built a strong professional relationship and saw a clear gap in the men’s grooming space in Melbourne – something more elevated, modern and grounded in real barbering experience. Joey was immediately on board, and that’s how Kings Domain Barbershops was born, and ultimately Kings Domain Melbourne.We launched Kings Domain Melbourne off the back of a simple insight – men wanted salon-quality haircare that was accessible and easy to use at home. Our clients were already using and loving the products in the barbershop, so it made sense to take that expertise beyond the chair and into homes nationwide.We’re Australian-made, owned and operated, and everything is tested and refined by the Kings Domain barbers and us. It’s the perfect blend of barbershop credibility and effortless at-home performance – haircare built for real results.IR: In a hypercompetitive market such as the haircare sector, how does KDM stand out from other players in the industry?AC: The haircare sector is incredibly crowded, but there’s still huge opportunity within men’s grooming specifically. What sets Kings Domain Melbourne apart is that it was born in the barbershop – not a boardroom. Every product is tested, refined and used daily behind the chair by professional barbers before it ever reaches retail.A big focus for us has been removing the intimidation that can come with grooming. We’ve made the range simple and intuitive – from the numbered system on pack to QR codes that link directly to how-to education – helping men feel confident in their routine without overthinking it.We’ve also focused on striking a balance between premium performance and accessibility. Across the range, we feature high-quality Australian native ingredients like kakadu plum, lemon myrtle and davidson plum, while keeping everything approachable and easy to use for the everyday consumer.At its core, Kings Domain Melbourne is built on one belief: “Confidence is king.”From product development and education through the Kings Domain Academy, to packaging and brand experience, everything is designed to help men feel confident, modern and effortless in their grooming routine.IR: In what ways have your experiences in the haircare industry, running a barbershop franchise and as a stylist influenced the way you run your business?AC: My experience behind the chair shapes everything I do in the business. Even as Kings Domain Melbourne grows, I’m still on the shop floor every day – staying close to clients and understanding exactly what men want from their grooming routines, what they’re missing and what they’re trying to achieve.Joey and I are deeply involved in product development. Nothing goes out the door unless it’s been tested, refined and used by the barbers and us first. It has to perform in a real barbershop environment before it ever reaches the market. That’s the difference – everything is built from real barbering insight, not theory. We design products for real routines, real clients and real results.That same philosophy carries through into how we approach education and content. The barbershop is built on conversation, trust and consultation – and we try to reflect that in everything we put out. We want it to feel authentic, useful and easy to understand, not overproduced or intimidating.We also work closely with barbers, stylists, agencies, creators and cultural voices who are actively shaping the industry. It’s helped us elevate our content, but more importantly, it’s helped us build a genuine community around the brand.At the core of it all, Kings Domain Melbourne comes back to one thing – the client in the chair and creating products and experiences that genuinely work for them.IR: What were the toughest challenges you faced in the initial stages of launching and running the brand? What strategies did you incorporate to overcome these issues?AC: One of the biggest challenges early on was entering a category dominated by well-established grooming brands and earning trust as a new player in the market. We knew we couldn’t just launch another product line – we had to build something with genuine credibility and a clear point of difference.Our biggest advantage was our real barbershop experience. From day one, we focused on product performance, education and community rather than chasing trends. Every product was tested and refined daily in our barbershops, providing us with immediate feedback and helping shape the range in a very authentic way.Another challenge was simplifying grooming for the everyday consumer. Men’s grooming has evolved rapidly, but a lot of guys still want products and education that feel approachable and easy to understand. That’s why we focused heavily on accessibility – creating products that deliver professional results without feeling intimidating or overly complicated.We also invested heavily in relationships – with our clients, barbers and retail partners. Building that community organically has been a huge part of the brand’s growth and something that continues to drive us forward today.IR: KDM first launched onto the scene as a CPG brand in 2022 in Australia. What factors played into your decision to tackle the US market in 2026?AC: Kings Domain Melbourne launched into Australian retail in 2022, and over the past few years, we’ve seen strong traction and real validation in the local Australian market. That success confirmed we were building something that genuinely resonates – particularly our barbershop-led approach to formulation, education and accessible premium grooming.Once we reached that point of stability in Australia, international expansion became the natural next step. The US was an obvious focus – it’s one of the largest and most influential men’s grooming markets globally, with a clear demand for authentic, experience-led brands that aren’t overly corporate.For us, 2026 is about introducing Kings Domain Melbourne to a new audience and scaling what’s already working in Australia – bringing our barbershop-first philosophy into a much larger global market.IR: What strategies do you plan to use to connect with the US consumer? (Ex. pop-ups, US-specific product launches, etc.)AC: We’re taking a really considered approach to the US, because it’s a very different market from Australia.The foundation for us is education and brand experience – making sure consumers understand who Kings Domain Melbourne is, and what makes us different as an Australian-made and owned, barbershop-born grooming brand.A key part of our strategy will be immersive brand activations and pop-ups, working with barbershops and retail partners to physically bring the Kings Domain Melbourne experience to life. For us, it’s not just about putting product on the shelf – it’s about letting people experience the brand the way it was originally intended, which is through the chair.We’ll also be leaning heavily into digital storytelling and creator partnerships, particularly with US-based barbers, grooming educators and your everyday American man who can authentically demonstrate the products in real time. That credibility is really important in this category.Longer term, we’re looking at US-specific innovation as well – but always grounded in our core DNA, which is barbershop-tested, performance-led grooming made accessible. It’s about building trust first, then expanding thoughtfully from there.Inside Retail: What goal points do you hope to carry out with KDM over the course of the next year and over the next five years?AC: Over the next year, the focus is really on continuing the momentum we’ve created in Australia while successfully introducing Kings Domain Melbourne to the US market. A major part of that will be working closely with our US distributor, Synexa, to strategically grow the brand and expand our retail presence across US shelves.We also want to keep strengthening our connection with consumers through education, innovation and authentic barbershop-led experiences. Everything we create is grounded in the real barbershop environment and centered around the customer journey – from the consultation and service through to the confidence a client leaves with afterwards. That insight continues to shape how we develop products, educate consumers and evolve the brand into broader areas of men’s grooming and personal care.Looking further ahead over the next five years, the goal is to establish Kings Domain Melbourne as a globally recognised modern men’s grooming brand – one that’s trusted not only for quality products, but for genuinely understanding the everyday consumer. We want to continue growing internationally, expand the Kings Domain Melbourne ecosystem in a thoughtful way, and keep pushing the industry forward through innovation backed by real-world barbering expertise.At the core of it all, we want Kings Domain Melbourne to become synonymous with confidence, self-care and accessible premium grooming for men globally.IR: What is a piece of advice you would give to the day-one version of yourself on your founder journey?AC: I’d probably tell myself to trust the process a little more and not overthink every setback. When you’re building a brand from the ground up, especially in the early stages, it’s easy to feel like every challenge is make-or-break – but a lot of growth comes from backing your vision and staying consistent.I’d also remind myself that authenticity matters more than trying to follow every trend. The moments where Kings Domain Melbourne has connected most strongly with people have always come back to being genuine – staying close to the barbershop, listening to our customers and building the brand in a way that feels true to who we are.Most importantly, I’d say to enjoy the journey more. When you’re so focused on building what’s next, you sometimes forget to stop and appreciate how far you’ve already come.