Charlotte Tilbury sale imminent with £1bn price tag

The sale of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty received interest from Unilever, L’Oréal and Shiseido. Credit: svetlichniy_igor / Shutterstock.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty is up for sale for a reported £1.0bn with a sale said to be imminent. The company has attracted interest from large cosmetics companies, including Unilever, L’Oréal, and Shiseido.

The company has a huge millennial following, making it an attractive prospect.

Despite the world being in the grips of a pandemic, the sale looks set to go ahead. Covid–19 has done little to hamper growth for the Charlotte Tilbury brand.

Charlotte Tilbury appeals to mainstream companies looking to increase millennial following

Charlotte Tilbury is part of the growing trend towards personality led brands that compete with traditional beauty companies. Such companies often have a strong millennial following. Charlotte Tilbury is no exception.

For existing beauty giants it would be near on impossible to undertake a big new rebrand to draw in millennial consumers. Many mainstream cosmetic brands have been keen to purchase smaller brands that have already captured a strong millennial following. Coty purchased a 51% stake in Kylie Jenner’s beauty business for $1.2bn, while luxury company LVMH backs Rihanna’s Fenty beauty brand.

Big cosmetics companies are keen to add the Charlotte Tilbury brand and its huge millennial following to their business portfolio. The brand is one of the largest independent beauty companies. Its acquisition would provide a much-needed boost for an existing beauty giant.

Charlotte Tilbury has continued to grow despite COVID-19

The company has seen its sales grow significantly, bucking the trend in the wider premium beauty market.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on many consumer companies. The reduced footfall, as well as a fall in consumer spending, has hit companies hard. Spending on anything aside from the essentials has been significantly curbed.

According to MarketLine data, the UK make-up market is expected to decline by 14.1% in 2020 and not return to pre-outbreak levels until 2023.

The pandemic has done little to hamper growth for the Charlotte Tilbury brand. Despite the fact that the company launched its newest product, Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, during the lockdown period, 8,000 people joined the online waiting list.

Reports suggest that sales at the company have been rocketing. Q1 2020 revenues are reported to have grown by 22%, with double-digit growth registered since the pandemic began. In contrast, COVID-19 has caused a decline in the overall high-end make-up and skincare market in the first quarter of 2020.

While deal making is rare at the moment, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty is an extremely attractive prospect.

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