BWX Limited has established itself as a major force in the wellness and natural beauty category. The company owns and distributes some of Australia’s most popular brands, including Sukin, Derma Sukin, Andalou Naturals, USPA and Mineral Fusion.
BWX has also carved out a strong e-commerce presence with the online sales platform, Nourished Life, which bills itself as Australia’s strictest store for natural makeup, organic skincare and healthy living products.
Founded by Irene Falcone in 2012, Nourished Life quickly became a trusted player in the natural beauty market. In 2017, BWX acquired the company for AUD$20 million.
BWX has extended its direct-to-consumer empire, kickstarted by the Nourished Life buyout. The ASX-listed company has bought Flora & Fauna for between AUD$27 million and AUD$30 million. The deal will close in July.
Flora & Fauna was founded in 2014 by CEO Julie Mathers. With sales of AUD$12 million in 2019/2020, revenues are expected to reach between AUD$16 million and AUD$17 million by the end of the current financial year.
Mathers and her 47 staff will join BWX and continue operating as a standalone business. But there’s plenty of synergy with Nourished Life, as both platforms focus on ethical, sustainable, vegan and clean products.
Flora & Fauna sells more than 300 domestic and imported brands across 10 categories, including beauty, hair and health. The e-tailer has 94,000 active accounts and over 300,000 unique monthly visitors.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated customer demand for natural and ethical beauty and boosted online sales. The acquisition of Flora & Fauna gives BWX a much larger footprint in the local and global wellness space.