Unilever Acquires Skin-Care Brand Tatcha for a Reported $500 Million
Prestige skin-care company Tatcha has been acquired by Unilever in a deal that reportedly “approaches $500 million,” according to WWD. The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed. The luxury skin-care brand founded by Vicky Tsai 10 years ago is reportedly on track to bring in $100 million in net sales for 2019. Popular at retailers like Sephora for its high-end creams, mists, cleansers and exfoliators that draw on Japanese tradition and ingredients, it has seen rapid growth and impressive sales over the past several years in particular.
Tatcha joins brands such as Murad, Dermalogica, REN Clean Skincare, Kate Somerville, Living Proof and Hourglass as part of Unilever’s prestige portfolio. While acquisitions have accounted for a large portion of the company’s expansion within beauty in the last several years, it has also invested in a spate of early-stage independent skin-care and cosmetics companies like True Botanicals, Dr. Roebuck’s, Nutrafol and Beauty Bakerie through its venture capital and private equity arm, Unilever Ventures. Additionally, it has dabbled in brand incubation, ideating, building and launching Love Beauty and Planet with internal teams in 2017.
If the numbers being reported are accurate, the Tatcha deal marks one of the largest acquisitions Unilever has seen in the beauty space for some time, at least since it acquired Dollar Shave Club for $1 billion in 2016.
Beyond Tatcha’s impressive sales numbers and potential for growth in the ever-expanding skin-care market, it seems that Unilever saw the acquisition as an opportunity to support a women-founded business — and really wants to drive that message home. “One of my missions in life is to support female entrepreneurs, and I truly believe in female power and I truly believe the future is female, so even one more reason why I wanted to partner with Vicky and Tatcha,” said Vasiliki Petrou, the executive vice president of Unilever Prestige, in an interview with WWD. “It’s not easy for female entrepreneurs, so I want to do my part to make the world a better place for women to work, excel and succeed.”
