Omnichannel global cosmetics company Revolution Beauty is a force to be reckoned with. With profits soaring – last year’s total earnings were recently revealed to have jumped by 73% to £22m – the record year has seen digital sales going “through the roof”.
Online and omnichannel growth is crucial to Revolution Beauty’s model. This is thanks in part to the valuable data it is able to mine, as the company found when it recently joined forces with Guardian columnist and beauty influencer Sali Hughes to launch a capsule skincare collection.
Sali is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most respected beauty journalists – and her opinion is highly valued. With over 200k followers on Instagram, she boasts an impressive following of fans that trust her advice and buy many products she recommends.
The Sali Hughes x Revolution Skin line includes six products: two cleansers, a serum, an exfoliating acid and two moisturisers.
“My shopping list was specific and non-negotiable. I wanted British, affordable, democratic, cruelty-free, vegan-friendly products, plus the freedom and autonomy to make only products I believe in and would use myself,” Sali said.
“I spend my life testing thousands of products and am very fortunate to have the very best of global beauty land through my letterbox.
“But sometimes I want to cut through the noise and slip on the perfect white T shirt of skincare – great, reliable, effective skincare products that just always work.”
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It’s an interesting move for Revolution Beauty, a brand that has traditionally been popular among Gen Z and millennial consumers, as Sali’s demographic is typically a little older.
Revolution Beauty’s chief executive Adam Minto told Charged that the brand’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy has provided invaluable information and key data about the Sali Hughes x Revolution Skin range and the type of customer it is attracting.
Minto explained that DTC is not just important for profitability, but it can provide clear information about which products are proving popular and he can tell if the company has a product success “in minutes.”
Through this data, Revolution Beauty can ascertain whether it is capturing a new or existing customer and based on digital sales, the brand can then determine how to stock product across its retail partners.
“We’re obviously known for Gen Z and millennial consumers, but the launch of our range with Sali Hughes is attracting an older customer,” Minto said.
“The relationship with Sali has been able to guide a customer that’s been confused with complicated skincare, to give them an incredible quality and affordable price.”
Crucially, Minto reveals that 90% of the shoppers that bought the Sali Hughes range were new customers, according to the DTC data.
“As we study the data, we know that we’re attracting two things: a slightly older customer that’s been confused and a prestige customer that’s been awakened to the fact that you don’t need to pay a crazy price for quality beauty products,” he revealed.
“You can build a regime that’s cruelty free, really effective and sustainably made.”
“Revolution is now reaching into a different dynamic. We’re feeling confident about our model. It’s really exciting.”