Last time I wrote about the business end of beauty, lots of readers said they found it interesting, so I’ll do more regular updates about what’s going on behind the scenes and news that I think you’ll find interesting.
So, first up, after snapping up REN, Unilever has now acquired the skin care brand Kate Somerville. I remember the first time I came across Kate Somerville in New York – I loved it and couldn’t wait for it to come the UK – it was a tiny brand brand with big ambition. I think it had a short-lived time in SpaceNK but now you can only mail order it from the US. If you’re tempted, I love the Goat Milk range and also Exfolikate HERE. What’s interesting is that Kate Somerville is making waves in Asia, and all brands are desperate to plant their footprint over there – if you’re looking for new acquisitions, it makes sense to pick up one that has already done some of the Asia leg work.
Meanwhile, Bliss has a huge expansion on the cards. Expect over 300 new products including make-up, nail polish, candles, home fragrance and clothing. Wow. New products will start rolling out from September (but may be slower to reach the UK.)
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I was sent some interesting stats about online search for beauty. All areas of beauty have risen (thanks to blogging and vlogging mainly) covering the period 2013-2014, but some surprises have emerged when it comes to who we’re actually searching for. The UK Kiko online site has risen by 885% organic search in 2014/15. Proving that we love Kiko! On the other hand, the UK Bobbi Brown site has decreased by 32% in organic search for the same period. Bottom line here is that key wording is crucial. Unless you have your key words on point then you’re not going to pop up as often in search engines. Keywording is using the appropriate words with your descriptions so that anyone searching can easily find what they are looking for (i.e. in beauty, words like glow, foundation, blush etc are common key words). stats from insideonline.co.uk
So, that’s my little round up of what’s going on this week behind the gloss and the lipsticks.
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18 comments
Great post on interesting beauty biz facts ! Thank you.
Anne Marie x
I find these types of posts fascinating & am glad you are continuing to do them. I graduated with a degree in Clothing & Textiles with an emphasis in marketing. Huge malls like The Mall of America & textiles like microfiber & olefin were just beginning to hit the market when I graduated. It is amazing to see the changes that have occurred over the years since then. I know that being bought by a larger company opens up new possibilities but I’m always concerned that some things will get changed. I love several REN products & hope they don’t get changed.
Well that data certainly should wake up some pr teams then!
Man, I’m glad some other people took the time to comment on your last post on this topic, because I didn’t! I think it is so interesting, and I’d really love to read more about it.
Note to self: ALWAYS comment on interesting posts and let bloggers know when they have something great! 😀
Very interesting post, thanks Jane for the info.
Kiko is taking over France as well – remember, we have nothing else that cheap (no Makeup Revolution/MUA and the like, not even 3 for 2 promotions on low-end brands) so if you ask me, it’s no wonder!
The shops are very attractive and the staff super nice and helpful, and they have frequent promotions on top of their already cheap prices, what more could we ask for? 🙂
I think they’re doing very well online as well here too.
Interesting that you find Kiko staff nice and helpful. I was excited when a branch opened locally recently, as I’ve loved the products I bought online. However as an older (61) beauty shopper, it has become one of the places I avoid as they look as me as if I shouldn’t be there and don’t offer help.
Oooh, does this mean Kate Somerville is finally gonna be available here again?!
Eventually…
Really interesting post Jane, thank you! It’s amazing how crucial key words and digital as a whole has become.
Do keep doing these posts – they make for fascinating reading! Do you know any blogs that cover the biz end of beauty exclusively?
to my knowledge, there aren’t any x
Thanks Jane as always great article!! And to the comment on France I have emailed you…as there is an issue in the market. Vivre La Revolution soon ..
Thanks Jane that’s really interesting. Those statistics at the end! Just shows you how important SEO and good online content is for brands. Plus how powerful the blogging and vlogging community is becoming. Glad you’re going to carry on with ‘inside the industry’ posts! X
thanks Jane, great article
So interesting and so different!!
starrzbeauty.blogspot.co.uk
Thanks for continuing with business posts, so very interesting!
Urgh, Unilever…
So interesting. Love these posts of yours!