Haircare brand heads for further international success after global sales spike
A Birmingham haircare brand whose online sales soared globally during lockdown as more people turned to self-care is preparing for further international growth.
After years of harsh chemical treatments damaging her hair and scalp, Rose Ovensehi decided to create organic products in her mum’s kitchen and document her journey back to natural hair.
When she discovered an online community embracing their curls who were eager to try her inventions, Flora & Curl was founded.
Designed to hydrate all curl types and restore scalp health, Flora & Curl’s products are now sold through 150 retail partners in 70 countries, including US beauty giant Ulta.com.
From September, Flora & Curl is launching in 300 Ulta stores, which is expected to result in further growth in the US.
Sales to the US are increasing 20% month on month for Flora & Curl and are forecast to quadruple over the next five years.
Ovensehi, who was recognised in Forbes 30 under 30 in the retail-ecommerce category earlier this year, 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% 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.”
Exports account for 60% of Flora & Curl’s total sales, which has been supported by the Department for International Trade with its export strategy since 2018.
Success in the US has been assisted by their expansion to a distribution centre in Florida.
Recently, exports to the Middle East and Europe have also boomed for Flora & Curl, thanks to successful marketing campaigns.
Exports Minister Graham Stuart said: “Flora & Curl’s fantastic growth demonstrates the clear global demand for British haircare and beauty products.
“Exporting is vital for UK businesses and this is a great example of the important role e-commerce will continue to play in the UK’s economic recovery post-coronavirus.”
Latest figures show that the UK’s annual haircare exports to the United States are worth £26.5m, up 46.7% on the previous year.
