The Charlotte Tilbury brand uses data gathered via e-commerce to guide the company’s international expansion.
“Although we had always planned to expand into other markets, [the intelligence platform] Ometria demonstrated just how much demand there was for the brand overseas, specifically the US – our keenest audience. The data revealed there was a business case for immediate expansion,” Rachel Jones, head of e-commerce said this past spring when the brand announced plans to retail with US companies Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-Porter.com and the like.
Tech teamwork
The company works with e-commerce agency Space 48 in the UK. And, that partnership has gone transatlantic with the recent launch of a Charlotte Tilbury online shopping site for US consumers that takes this country’s currency, online regulations, and tax module into account, according to a press release Space 48 shared regarding the new site.
Plus, the companies have a shared institutional knowledge of the beauty brand because of previous work together. That in combination with site features which allow for “alternative payment gateways” and enterprise resource planning designed “to cope with the inventory locations in different countries” has resulted in what sounds like a win for Charlotte Tilbury.
“We are extremely happy with all of the great work by Space 48. With the UK site so successful and a tight finite deadline for the US launch, we knew that we could rely on space 48 to deliver on time and in-line with expectations,” said Jones in the media release.
When digital goes international
Countless brands in and beyond the beauty industry are moving online commerce into new markets.
“We are seeing increased demand from retailers looking to expand into foreign markets and it takes a great deal of skill and understanding to deliver the best experience in these different territories. Each has their own nuances which need to be kept in mind,” Jon Woodall, managing director at Space 48, said in the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty project release.
Digital sales across platforms are growing for the beauty industry: This year’s study by PM Digital of make-up and skin care brands in the US found that sales are expected to grow by as much as 4% each year and reach $81.7bn by 2017.