Branch Basics makes mass retail debut at Target with lower prices, marketing blitz
Cleaning company Branch Basics, a $150 million business known for its all-natural, fragrance-free concentrate, is hitting mass retail for the first time this week with a launch in more than 600 Target stores. But it’s doing so with a brand-new product lineup, and its biggest marketing push to date.
Online, the company’s hero product is a 33-ounce bottle of cleaning concentrate that sells for $55. But Branch Basics faced challenges in convincing mass retailers that the product would fly off the shelves at stores due to its high price point and the fact that some shoppers are skeptical of concentrates, as they don’t want to mix their own cleaning products.
So for Target, the company created a $4.99 ready-to-use spray bottle for its all-purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner and stain remover. It’ll also sell a smaller bottle of concentrate for $9.99 that can be used to make refills. CEO Tim Murphy said it’s an approachable way to get the company in front of new customers.
“Target has had a lot of challenges with concentrates. We know that from Target, and we know that from people in the industry and our brokers,” he said. “[Our products] will still be more environmentally conscious, but we will avoid this whole thing where you have to buy a glass bottle for $15.”
He added, “We’re going to launch a ready-to-use product. It’s filled up with cleaning products just like you’re used to, and it’s going to be line-priced or very, very similar to all of our competitors, including Method and Mrs. Myers.”
For Branch Basics, the Target launch marks a new chapter as it seeks to grow beyond its core DTC audience. Beyond new channel expansion, Branch Basics has expanded into other cleaning categories like dish and laundry.
On Target’s side, it’s a continued expansion of the retail giant’s bid to do more in the eco-friendly space. “We know consumers are looking for more options for cleaning products that are effective but free from harmful chemicals,” a Target spokesperson told Modern Retail. Other new arrivals include Dropps laundry and dish pods, Aunt Fannie’s vinegar-powered floor cleaning products, and non-toxic cleaning products from Morton Salt.
To promote the launch, Murphy said Branch Basics is doing its largest marketing push in its 14-year history. Beyond sending email blasts to existing customers and investing in digital ads, Branch will promote the launch by harnessing its influencer network, which tends to be its best-performing channel.
“We’re putting significant resources behind it, not just because Target wants it, but because it’s the biggest risk we’re ever going to take as a company,” he said. “When that’s the case, you’re going to put everything you’ve got behind it.”
About 44% of shoppers say they plan to buy more from brands that focus on sustainability and green products in the next year, per Gartner’s 2024 Consumer Values and Lifestyle survey. Household items are one of the top three categories where consumers take environmental impact into consideration, along with groceries and personal care and beauty products.
Brad Jashinsky, analyst at Gartner, said the environmentally-conscious categories have gotten more competitive with private-label developments as well as more products from the likes of P&G and Unilever. “It’s a very competitive category — a lot more so now than in the past,” he said.
It’s a particularly challenging time for DTC brands making the leap into retail because of a potential pull back in discretionary spending and decreased foot traffic at Target as some customers continue to boycott the company’s decision to roll back certain DEI efforts. Placer.ai foot traffic data shows Target saw a 6.5% drop in visits overall for March 2025 compared to March 2024.
Jashinsky said brands that are making the jump into retail right now may see big opportunity, but they will be doing so with more competition and potentially fewer customers to court.
“Every retailer needs every item to earn its spot,” he siad. “There’s strategy behind it, but there’s also simply more competition, making it such a tough environment right now.”
When asked about consumer boycotts, Murphy said Branch Basics aims to be “a company for everybody.” The company occasionally receives emails from customers asking about its positions on political or cultural issues — like its stance on face masks during the height of the Covid pandemic, or its affiliations with figures like Elon Musk or President Donald Trump. Murphy said nearly every brand today faces similar scrutiny from value-driven shoppers, but the company doesn’t want to take sides.
“We don’t want to get caught up in either side of that political debate,” he said. “We want to focus on our mission, and that’s our secret sauce.”
Branch Basics also made sure to have the launch positioned in a way that would help highlight the company as a newcomer. That includes having the all-purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner and stain remover all merchandised together. Branch Basics will also have end caps in 425 of the 625 Target stores for two months. And in the aisles, it will be featured on a branded tray on the shelf to help set it apart.
“We’re not going to do [mass retail] unless it’s right for us, because we’ve been really patient, and we want to find the right partner to really invest in this launch,” he said.
As a profitable company with long-term relationships with suppliers, Murphy said Branch Basics was able to swiftly and efficiently get the new products out. The bigger risk, he said, is succeeding on the shelf.
“From a volume perspective, it’s a bit inconsequential,” he said. “But it’s incredibly consequential, from a proof point perspective. If we become known as a great direct-to-consumer brand but can’t translate it to retail, then our company’s only worth so much.”