Natura aims to expand into global market

Brazilian natural cosmetics producer Natura says it wants to expand on the success in its domestic Brazil market by expanding into leading international markets such as the US, UK and Russia.

The company, which opened its first overseas retail outlet in Paris at the end of last year, says that it wants to continue to expand aggressively on an international basis, with CEO Alessandro Carlucci stating that he wanted to also commence start-up operations in the target countries.

In an interview with the Financial Times Carlucci said he wanted to increase international sales from 3 per cent of the total €1.17bn yearly sales to at least 10 per cent in the space of the next five years.

His aim is to establish the company in the key markets of the UK and the US, in an effort to gain a higher international profile and to tap into the huge potential of those markets.

Simultaneously the company is also planning to get a footing in some of the most significant growth markets, starting with Russia, where market growth has consistently remained in double figures over the course of the past few years.

Carlucci says a team is currently evaluating the Russian, UK and US markets, with the aim of setting up direct sales using the same successful model as that in Brazil - one that currently employs half a million door-to-door sales staff.

The company is also looking to expand into the south and central American markets, with sales forces being expanded in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia, where significant economic growth is hoping to inject renewed vigour into the retail markets.

"We think there is a lot of space in the cosmetics industry to grow and we think we have good products that will appeal to consumers in other countries," Carlucci said in the interview with the newspaper.

The company is hoping to increase its presence in the fast-growing market for natural cosmetic products. Natura prides itself on the fact that many of its ingredients are ethically sourced from the rainforests of the Amazon basin.