Ending the stigma, period

WUKA® founder and Royal Mail customer Ruby Raut is all about changing period care for the better.

I grew up in Nepal where the way periods are managed is very different from the UK. My mum gave me rags of her old saris to cut and use as a reusable pad. There were embarrassing incidents, which is probably why lots of girls in developing countries on their period miss school and extra-curricular activities.

Girls like me and my sisters were banished for bleeding. You’d hear stories every so often about a girl dying in remote parts of Nepal due to the extreme conditions she was subjected to on her period. The stigma and shame surrounding periods still exists today, worldwide.

When I moved to London to study environmental science, I was overwhelmed by the disposable product choices. Entire aisles are dedicated to period products. But the downside is they’re filled with plastic. I saw a gap in the market.

In 2017, I launched WUKA® – pronounced Wooh-ka – creating the UK’s first reusable and leak-proof period underwear. For my business to succeed, I needed to find a partner that could offer cost-effective and easy-to-use shipping options.

We were one of the first brands to trial the new Click & Drop service. Everything was so easy to navigate. The game-changer for us has been the Large Letter service. It has meant that up to 70% of our orders, classed as small packages, can fit through a letterbox. As a sustainable brand, this type of service is exactly what we’re after. It reduces the carbon footprint and minimises lost post. We use Parcelforce for orders over

10kg, usually for retailers and stockists. I’ve noticed more customers are willing to pay for a good service. Around 20% of our orders are now Tracked. Having this option offers peace of mind for our customers but also helps us to keep them and hopefully order again.

Our products aren’t seasonal, but we do see patterns. We get a lot of requests saying, ‘Help – my daughter is about to go on camp, how quickly can you ship?’.

Holiday season is also a big one for us.

I’m thrilled that posties are also wearing WUKA® undies on the job. It makes sense considering a large percentage of the workforce are out and about and don’t always have access to facilities.

WUKA® wouldn’t exist without Royal Mail services. If your service stops, we stop too.

If orders don’t get shipped, this has a big impact on our business.

We’ve been with Royal Mail for six years. I feel like the business is a ‘familiar face’. Come rain or shine, you always show up. That reliability makes me love the service.”

Courier Offer

Receive 50% off your first pair of WUKA® Ultimate Midi Brief Period Underwear by visiting wuka.co.uk and using the code RMWUKA50 before 30 June 2023. Available in sizes 2XS-6XL and light to super-heavy flow. One pair of WUKA® prevents up to 200 disposable pads and tampons from going to landfill. Wear up to 12 hours.