02 February 2026
7 trends you can’t ignore from the 2026 eCommerce Report
Explore online shopping trends from the Australia Post eCommerce Report, plus practical takeaways you can use to drive growth now
Loleia Swim uses MyPost Business integrated with Shopify to create shipping labels, access country-specific customs requirements and deliver orders reliably to customers worldwide.
Key points
- Loleia Swim scaled from a Perth-based startup to selling to customers worldwide, with the US as its largest market.
- MyPost Business integrated with Shopify helps Loleia Swim manage international shipping requirements and create labels.
- Support from Loleia Swim’s local Post Office helps ensure parcels are collected, processed and dispatched reliably.
Perth-based founder Leia Perini launched Loleia Swim in 2020 during COVID with a vision for bold, nostalgic swimwear. What began locally is now a global brand, with the US as its biggest market. A campaign in Puglia and a viral moment with Hailey Bieber sparked worldwide demand.
We chatted with Leia about expanding overseas, navigating international shipping and what she’s learned along the way.
What inspired you to build a brand with a global mindset from the start?
I wanted to create a business that would allow me to have freedom and flexibility, something online that you can market in any climate, any place, any country. I realised it's always summer somewhere.
What were the biggest challenges when starting to ship internationally?
You have to learn a lot very fast. Each shipping country has different rules and requirements and at the start it can feel a bit daunting. You don’t want to make mistakes with customs or documentation because that can slow things down for customers.
I’ve always found it easy with MyPost Business. The platform is super user friendly. You log in, type the country you want to ship to and it gives you the rules, the regulations and what you need.
How important is delivery experience?
The delivery experience is hugely important as an online-only store! It is one of the first points of customer experience with the brand and can shape how a customer feels about their overall shopping experience with us. Delayed or missing parcels can be so disappointing, so partnering with a reliable and efficient shipping service is super important to us.
Particularly around peak times (holidays, the weeks before Euro summer or Christmas), many customers select Express Post. Having all our parcels delivered safely and in a timely manner is very important to the brand.
Read transcript
Video: Swimwear designs are arranged on a wall. Title: 'Going Global with Loleia Swim'. A dark-haired woman and a red-haired woman discuss them. Colourful bikinis dropped in a pile all feature a 'Loleia' tag. The dark-haired woman is interviewed on a couch. Text: "Leia, Founder & Designer, Loleia Swim." In split screen videos, young women show off colourful swimwear.
Audio: Leia: I'm Leia and I'm the founder of global swimwear label Loleia Swim, founded in Australia, in Perth, in my mum's spare bedroom. Now we ship worldwide.
Video: Leia throws a bikini into the camera, then laughs. Text: "What was the vision for the brand?" Photos of models in swimwear are displayed on walls. Leia and the redhead hold fabric swatches against the striped top Leia's wearing. Swimwear is packed in a cloth bag, then an Australia Post mailing box. Leia examines an array of promotional photos on a tablet. Leia, the redhead, and a brunette examine fabric.
Audio: Leia: The vision for Loleia came from the tropics and the '80s and knowing that it is always summer somewhere. So, in that sense, we've been able to grow the business, go global, and run a powerhouse from Perth.
Video: Text: "How did you navigate expanding globally." Leia parks near a bank of PO boxes. She takes large Australia Post sacks from her boot. At the service window, she shakes hands with an Australia Post employee, then shows him the sacks. He takes them inside. In the post office, satchels, envelopes and boxes are displayed under the sign 'Sending Overseas'. An employee tidies shelves. Leia slides parcels over the counter.
Audio: Leia: Everyone wants to grow their business, but, you know, you have to learn a lot fast. The MyPost Business app has helped me greatly shipping internationally. It's a very user-friendly platform, so you just log in, type the country you want to send to. It'll prompt you with what tariff codes you might need, importer codes, the costing it's going to, like, take per weight. Everything's there, and if you do need further assistance, like I call my local post office, Jag always helps me out, or there is online services and you can contact Australia Post and everyone's always really willing to help you.
Video: Text: "How has global expansion grown Loleia?" In an office, Leia and the redhead examine fabric designs on a computer.
Audio: Leia: Since growing Loleia globally, we now ship over 40% of our orders internationally. As soon as it, like, Australian summer ends, we're sending the exact same amount to the US customers.
Video: Text: "What surprised you most about shipping internationally with AusPost?" Leia wraps bikinis in yellow paper, puts them in a standard international post satchel, holds up the satchel, then gives a playful smile. Designs of colourful bikinis emerge from a printer, then are stuck on a wall. A labelled sketch of an outfit is updated.
Audio: Leia: So the other thing that is really cool about Australia Post and shipping internationally is that the more you ship, the more you save. So we've been able to get up to band five through shipping lots through Australia Post, and now the savings are, like, there's no other carrier service that can compare.
Video: Text: "How does it feel seeing Loleia Swim go global?" Videos show models wearing swimwear in a studio and at the beach. Swimwear is displayed on a ladder near a seaside railing. Models pose on a boat.
Audio: Leia: How does it feel knowing that Loleia is so global? It feels incredible. It is an out-of-body experience. I am very proud of myself. Having friends all over the world showing me pictures... Loleia's been spotted here, Loleia's been spotted there. So, pretty amazing.
Video: In a split screen, Leia speaks from the left side. On the right, a list appears in white on a red background: "Go global with MyPost Business.
- Great value global shipping.
- Find HS tariff codes fast.
- Ship globally, get support locally.
- The more you send, the more you save.
- One account for domestic and international shipping."
On a red background, the Australia Post logo appears above the words "Go global with Australia Post." A search box contains "auspost.com.au".
When did you realise international demand was really taking off?
I was at a photoshoot in Majorca and four girls walked past wearing Loleia Swim that they’d purchased. I’ve also had friends message me from places like Portugal saying they’ve seen someone wearing it. We’ve shipped to places like Moldova, Romania, Estonia, Bahrain and Belize. It’s really amazing that something started in a spare bedroom is reaching places people might not even have heard of.
How has selling overseas changed your business?
When Australian summer ends, we send the same amount to US customers, so it’s really balanced the year out. May is almost as busy as December for us.
Our biggest international market is the US (40%), followed by Canada and New Zealand. This wouldn't be possible without the amazing assistance from our local Aus Post team here in Perth.
What advice would you give other Australian businesses thinking about selling overseas?
Don’t be scared of it. Once you understand the process and have the right support, domestic and international shipping feel quite the same. Use the tools available and ask for help when you need it.
My advice is to keep up to date with all the new apps or integrations Australia Post offers! Link MyPost Business with Shopify. Being able to quickly create and process labels directly through Shopify is super helpful to our warehouse team for getting orders out accurately and efficiently.
We have a really close relationship with our local post office. Jag and the team at Bentley have always been so helpful in making sure our parcels are collected, processed and dispatched in a timely manner to our customers. He’s been there from day one - from dropping off 10 parcels to now filling up a truck. If I ever need help, I can call or go in and ask questions. We have so much appreciation and love for them.
Which social platforms have worked well for Loleia Swim?
We’ve had success with Pinterest with recent use of paid ads showing growth and influencer marketing and paid ads on Instagram. Using organic gifting is really helpful as well. It's best when an influencer genuinely likes and wants to wear your product.
Which sales events are most successful for you?
Black Friday is our best sale event of the year, originating in the US, it has become a huge success in Australia! We also participate in Boxing Day, AfterPay Day and Vogue Online Shopping Night.
Were there any changes you made to the new website to better serve international shoppers?
We display multiple currencies and we have made the layout a lot cleaner. As a result we have seen an increase in desktop users. We are currently working on including duties and taxes at checkout.
What are your goals for Loleia Swim for 2026?
We want to keep building the brand and reaching more customers from all corners of the world. It still amazes me that something started in a spare bedroom is now being worn globally
Ready to take your business to the world?
The Australia Post team is here to help, from advice at your local Post Office to easy-to-use platforms and eCommerce integrations.