A Newcastle-based beauty company has gone from zero to a seven-figure turnover in just five years thanks to the power of online selling.
Niré Beauty specialises in creating, manufacturing and selling premium, cruelty-free make-up brushes and accessories.
Launched in 2015 by Erin Graybill when she struggled to find make-up products that could cater to her particularly sensitive skin, she describes her successful venture as “the Newcastle company no-one has heard of. And that’s OK.”
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The reason for that anonymity is that Niré Beauty doesn’t have a bricks and mortar presence, with most of its trade conducted online via Amazon selling to overseas customers.
More than 1.75m brushes have now been sold worldwide in the five years since Niré Beauty first took to Amazon, and it has received 7,000 five-star reviews across all markets.
Exports now account for 60% of Niré Beauty’s business with the other 40% coming from the domestic 海角视频 market.
And whilst Brexit uncertainty and the coronavirus lockdown has triggered a collapse in 海角视频 business confidence, Niré Beauty is so far weathering the storm.
This may partly be down to the company being shortlisted late last year in the export category of the Amazon Small Business Awards, which celebrate unique 海角视频 enterprises which sell their products on the global online retail giant’s platform.
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Whilst Niré Beauty didn’t win, Ms Graybill said: “Having recognition for our export efforts from a company like Amazon is really inspiring and shows us that we’re definitely on the right track. It has played a major role in helping us scale the business and build export sales.”
Exports to Europe post-Brexit have continued to rise as the Scandinavian market has grown on the back of winning two Editor’s Choice accolades at the Beauty Shortlist Awards for Niré Beauty’s Flat Top Kabuki foundation brush and mini blending sponge, and its Beauty artistry set.
Sales are also particularly strong in Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany, with Niré Beauty seeing a 15% increase since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
Ms Graybill said: “We have managed to maintain our business since lockdown started. In some of the European markets, we have been selling much more than expected. Our sales on a Saturday in the 海角视频 and European markets have gone up as people aren’t going out.
“I think people feel they need to treat themselves or are buying as gifts. Just because we’re all working from home doesn’t mean we don’t need to keep up appearances, especially with teleconferencing, and it’s also giving people the chance to experiment and try new things with their make-up.”
Niré Beauty uses Amazon’s distribution network for its online sales, so is able to maintain its delivery times. And whilst online sales have had to be withdrawn on the Niré Beauty website during the lockdown, the company is still able to meet its B2B obligations.
The company now employs nine staff split between Newcastle, Leeds, Australia and China, who between them speak six languages. Because Niré Beauty is an online business, Ms Graybill says it can operate from anywhere, although she has chosen to base herself in Newcastle.
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Originally from the west coast of America, she arrived on Tyneside a decade ago to study International Economics at Newcastle University. Having achieved her Masters, she is now studying part-time for a PhD.
Ms Graybill, who says her vision from the very beginning was to be a global company, is keen to develop overseas sales further this year.
“I think that having studied international trade and being from abroad myself, I have never been scared of the export market.”