BLACKMORES describes itself as a company that combines knowledge of nature and science to develop health and wellbeing solutions. Its current brand positioning is built upon more than 90 years of naturopathic heritage, product quality, scientific research, and a holistic approach to wellbeing.1

Foundation and Maurice Blackmore

The origins of BLACKMORES date to 1932, when Maurice Blackmore established his business in Brisbane, Australia. Blackmore was a naturopath who advocated natural approaches to health at a time when naturopathy and natural medicine occupied a much smaller place in mainstream Australian healthcare.

His philosophy extended beyond individual health; Blackmore believed that human wellbeing was closely connected with the natural environment, an idea that later became integral to the company’s identity.

During the 1930s and subsequent decades, Blackmore expanded his activities into health-food retail, naturopathic education, professional associations and health publications. In 1934, he established what BLACKMORES describes as Australia’s first naturopathic training college.1 Consequently, the company developed not merely as a supplement manufacturer, but as part of Australia’s early natural-health movement.

Expansion under the Blackmore family

Maurice Blackmore’s son, Marcus Blackmore, became increasingly involved in the business and eventually assumed leadership. Under the second generation, the company moved towards a more formal corporate structure and expanded its range of natural-health products.

Historical developments during this era included early vitamin and mineral formulations, naturopathic education programmes, health publications and expansion into other Asia-Pacific markets. Historical records identify Malaysia and Singapore as early international markets, with expansion beginning in the 1970s.

Becoming a public company

A major milestone occurred in 1985, when BLACKMORES became a publicly listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) under the ticker BKL. This public listing provided capital for further expansion and helped transform BLACKMORES from a family-originated naturopathic business into a large consumer-health company.

Expansion across Asia-Pacific

From the 1990s onwards, BLACKMORES increasingly developed its Asia-Pacific business. The company established operations in markets including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and India, while Australia remained its core market.

This regional strategy became a defining characteristic of the company. Australia served as the brand’s heritage and manufacturing base, while the Asia-Pacific region became an increasingly important market for its consumer-health products.

Acquisitions and portfolio expansion

BLACKMORES also expanded beyond its core consumer supplement business. In 2010, it acquired Pure Animal Wellbeing (PAW), a natural-health business focused on pets. In 2012, it acquired BioCeuticals, a practitioner-oriented health brand. In the same year, BLACKMORES established the Blackmores Institute as a centre for research and education.

These acquisitions created a broader health-science portfolio consisting of consumer health, practitioner products, pet health, and research and education.

Kirin acquisition

The most significant recent change in the corporate history of BLACKMORES occurred in 2023. Japan’s Kirin Holdings agreed to acquire BLACKMORES as part of its strategy to expand its Health Science business in the Asia-Pacific region. The Australian Federal Court approved the scheme of arrangement in July 2023, and the acquisition was subsequently completed. BLACKMORES became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kirin Holdings.1

The acquisition marked the end of the period during which BLACKMORES was an independently listed Australian public company, although the brand itself continued operating. Kirin described BLACKMORES as complementary to its existing health-science capabilities, particularly due to its established consumer brand, Asia-Pacific distribution network and knowledge of local markets and regulations.

BLACKMORES primarily operates in the vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) and broader natural-health market. Its products cover a wide range of everyday health and nutritional categories, including:

• Multivitamins
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• B vitamins
• Minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron
• Fish oil and omega-3 products
• Herbal supplements
• Digestive and gut-health products
• Immune-support products
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding nutrition
• Women’s health
• Men’s health
• Children’s health
• Healthy ageing
• Energy and vitality
• Bone and joint health
• Practitioner-oriented nutritional products through related businesses

Examples of products currently highlighted by BLACKMORES include Blackmores Bio C 1000, Blackmores Pregnancy & Breast-Feeding Gold, Blackmores Iron Rapi-Melt, and Blackmores Insolar. The exact product portfolio differs by country because supplements are subject to different regulatory requirements and consumer-health regulations in different markets.

The modern brand identity of BLACKMORES is built around the concept of combining nature with science. The company traces this philosophy to Maurice Blackmore’s naturopathic approach. Modern BLACKMORES describes its products as being developed using natural ingredients alongside scientific research and quality-control processes.1

Its current positioning can broadly be understood through three concepts:

1. Natural health

BLACKMORES has historically positioned itself around naturopathy, herbs, vitamins, minerals and other naturally derived or nutrition-based approaches to health.

2. Science and evidence

Although its heritage is rooted in naturopathy, the modern company places considerable emphasis on scientific research, product formulation, testing and evidence. The Blackmores Institute was created to support research and education regarding natural medicine and health.

3. Preventative and everyday wellbeing

Rather than positioning its products primarily as treatments for diagnosed diseases, BLACKMORES generally presents them as products intended to support nutritional needs and everyday wellbeing. This distinction is significant: BLACKMORES is primarily a natural-health and supplement company, not a pharmaceutical company. Whether a particular product is classified as a food, supplement, complementary medicine or another category depends on the market and local regulations.

BLACKMORES maintains manufacturing capabilities in Australia. Its major tablet and soft-gel manufacturing facility is located in Braeside, Victoria. The company states that the facility produces approximately 3 billion tablets and capsules per year.

Quality and safety are central elements of the brand’s current positioning. BLACKMORES states that its products are formulated and developed by experts and are subject to standards intended to ensure consistency, quality and safety. The company also emphasises the combination of traditional formulations with evidence-based approaches.

The Blackmores Institute is a key component of the wider Blackmores Group. Established in 2012, it functions as an academic and research centre associated with natural health. Its role includes research, education and professional engagement regarding complementary medicine and natural-health practices.

This provides BLACKMORES with a research and professional-education component that extends beyond the ordinary consumer supplement business.

Although BLACKMORES is fundamentally an Australian brand, its commercial footprint extends throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The group states that it currently has approximately 1,200 employees across Asia-Pacific, while its products reach consumers across the region.

Its regional strategy is particularly significant because Asian markets have historically been important growth markets for Australian natural-health products. The Australian origin, long operating history and reputation for quality of BLACKMORES have been important components of its positioning in these markets.

Following the 2023 acquisition, BLACKMORES is no longer an independently listed public company. The current structure can be simplified as follows:

Kirin Holdings
↓
Kirin Health Science
↓
Blackmores Group
↓
BLACKMORES / BioCeuticals / PAW / Blackmores Institute

BLACKMORES describes itself as the cornerstone brand of Kirin’s Health Science business. Kirin’s broader Health Science strategy includes areas such as nutrition, functional foods, biotechnology and other health-related businesses. The acquisition of BLACKMORES was intended to strengthen Kirin’s position in the Asia-Pacific health-science market.

Environmental responsibility has been part of the BLACKMORES story since the founder’s era. The company links human health with planetary health and has incorporated sustainability into its modern corporate strategy.

BLACKMORES currently states that it has a pathway towards Net Zero emissions by 2030 and highlights initiatives involving renewable energy, responsible sourcing, circularity and community wellbeing.1 Its Sydney workplace has also incorporated renewable electricity and energy-efficiency measures.

BLACKMORES is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it is one of the longest-established major natural-health brands in Australia. Its origins in the 1930s give it a substantially longer heritage than many contemporary supplement brands.

Secondly, the company helped connect Australian naturopathic traditions with modern consumer healthcare. Its growth illustrates the transition of natural medicine from small specialist practices and health-food stores into a large-scale consumer-products industry.

Thirdly, BLACKMORES became an important Australian export brand, particularly in Asia-Pacific markets. Finally, the 2023 acquisition by Kirin transformed BLACKMORES from an Australian-listed company into an important component of a Japanese multinational’s Health Science strategy.

It is useful to distinguish BLACKMORES from pharmaceutical manufacturers. A pharmaceutical company primarily develops and manufactures medicines intended to prevent, diagnose or treat specific diseases and conditions, subject to pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks.

BLACKMORES, by contrast, is primarily associated with vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, herbal products and complementary/natural-health products. Its products are generally positioned around nutritional support and wellbeing rather than replacing conventional medical treatment. Therefore, the brand is best understood as a consumer health and natural-wellness company, rather than a conventional pharmaceutical company.

The historical milestones above are based primarily on corporate records and acquisition documentation.

The brand image of BLACKMORES is strongly associated with Australia, natural health, vitamins and premium-quality supplements. In Australia, the name has become closely identified with the country’s broader natural-health industry, while in Asia it is often marketed as an established Australian health brand.

Its competitive advantage is therefore not based solely on individual products. A significant part of its brand equity derives from the combination of Australian heritage, long history, natural-health expertise, broad product range, quality positioning and Asia-Pacific distribution.

BLACKMORES can be described as a pioneering Australian natural-health brand that evolved into a major Asia-Pacific consumer-health business. Its history begins with Maurice Blackmore’s naturopathic philosophy in Brisbane in 1932 and progresses through family ownership, public listing, international expansion, acquisitions and ultimately its acquisition by Kirin Holdings in 2023.

The central identity of the brand remains remarkably consistent despite these corporate changes: using knowledge of nature, nutrition and science to support everyday health and wellbeing. Its present-day position is less that of a traditional naturopathic business and more that of a sophisticated international consumer-health brand operating within Kirin’s expanding Health Science portfolio.1

1. Our Heritage | Blackmores