Exploring the Global Beauty Frontier: How DTC Brands Are Expanding Internationally
The professional beauty industry is witnessing a surge in direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands taking their products global. As the holiday season approaches, startups are launching international e-commerce sites and expanding shipping options to reach a growing number of customers in North America, Europe, and beyond. From Bobbi Brown's Jones Road Beauty shipping to the EU to Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty debuting at Selfridges in the UK, these brands are capitalizing on a global demand for beauty and wellness products. This trend allows companies to tap into new markets and increase their brand presence without the hefty investment required for physical retail expansion.
Different brands are employing various strategies to test the waters before fully committing to a new market. Some opt for cross-border e-commerce solutions, like Global-E, to gather data and determine which markets hold the most potential. This approach allows brands to sell internationally in a more asset-light way by handling translations, local currency conversions, and shipping logistics. Others, like cookware brand Made In, choose to establish local entities to provide better customer service and lower shipping costs. This approach has proven effective, as Made In saw a 60% increase in conversion rates after launching a dedicated e-commerce site in Canada.
For beauty brands, entering a new market isn’t just about translating a website or offering international shipping—it’s about understanding and catering to the unique needs of local consumers. Weighted blanket brand Bearaby, for example, chose to launch in Germany first, aligning its sustainability and craftsmanship message with the values of the local market. The brand invested heavily in localizing its entire brand ecosystem, from product descriptions to social media ads, and even partnered with a German PR agency to establish an authentic presence. As more DTC beauty startups expand internationally, the industry will need to balance growth ambitions with thoughtful strategies to resonate with new, diverse audiences across the globe.
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