Beauty firm started in kitchen set to go global
ABIRMINGHAM entrepreneur is set for a major international expansion of her beauty products company after signing a deal to sell the range in 300 stores in the US.
Rose Ovensehi founded Flora & Curl in 2017 in her mother’s kitchen and has now struck a deal to stock her products in the Ulta chain of beauty stores from September.
The 26-year-old was inspired to create a range of shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products after finding the chemicals in other brands too harsh for her own hair and scalp.
When she discovered an online community embracing curly hair and which was eager to try her organic inventions, Flora & Curl was founded. The company has now grown to export to more than 70 countries via 150 retail partners.
The deal with Ulta’s retail arm is now expected to quadruple sales in the US over the next five years on the back of a recent surge in online sales as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.
Ms Ovensehi said: “Despite our huge spike in sales, high global demand for beauty and haircare products during the pandemic has brought new challenges for us, such as sourcing packaging components like lotion pumps. New suppliers and careful stock planning have meant we can continue to ship our products to our curl community around the world with 25 per cent of sales going to the US. Support from the Department for International Trade has helped us along the way on our export journey and we would encourage other businesses to think about the benefits of exporting.”
International sales account for 60 per cent of all of Flora & Curl’s total revenues and the company has been working since 2018 with the Department for International Trade on its export strategy.
Growth in the US has been assisted by its expansion into a distribution centre in Florida while sales in the Middle East and Europe have been boosted by new campaigns.
Exports Minister Graham Stuart MP added: “Flora & Curl’s fantastic growth demonstrates the clear global demand for British beauty products. Exporting is vital for UK businesses and this is a great example of the role e-commerce will continue to play in the UK’s economic recovery.”
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