Impala, the French investment company, was founded by multi-millionaire businessman Jacques Veyrat in 2011.
With two billion euros (AUD$3.29 billion) in assets, key sectors for investment have included electricity and gas, metal components and alternative assets.
In February this year, Impala changed tack and entered the beauty industry through the acquisition of historic perfume brand, Roger & Gallet, from L’Oréal.
Founded in 1862, the French multinational bought the company from Gucci in 2008. Global annual revenues in 2018 totaled 52 million euros (AUD$85.66 million).
Impala is taking a bigger step into the cosmetics business with the buyout of the Ales Group, which owns the prestige anti-ageing skincare brand, Lierac, and Jowae, the natural skincare label based on French and Korean beauty principles. Both are available online in Australia.
Phyto, the premium haircare and skincare brand, is also part of the Ales stable and is sold in David Jones.
Ales filed for receivership on July 6th, pending a sale. Impala offered 13.5 million euros (AUD$22.25 million) for all of the company’s assets and plans to invest more than 100 million euros (AUD$164.8 million) in Roger & Gallet and Ales.
According to a company statement: “The combination of the Ales Group and Roger & Gallet enables the creation of a new entity with a turnover of 200 million euros (US$329.62 million), of which 80 per cent is made abroad, with four complementary brands sold in pharmacies and drugstores.”