"P2 Cosmetics has a proven track record of bringing innovation to the cosmetic category," says Gregory Mager, founder and CEO of Maesa Group. And, P2 has a considerable reach. The newly acquired beauty company’s products are sold exclusively at Germany’s 1,800 DM drugstore locations.
Peer group
Maesa Group’s existing holdings include Flower for Walmart, Circa for Walgreens and Elle for Monoprix.
P2’s 350 + SKUs fit in nicely with these lines. The affordable products retail for, on average, €2.75. And they are manufactured locally in Germany, as well as in France. Keeping pace with consumer demand and regulatory trends, P2 Cosmetics are also paraben and fragrance free.
New territory
As things now stand, both companies will have an expanded global presence. “[P2 Cosmetics] has piqued a strong interest for expansion in the United States and Canada through an exclusive distribution model. I am excited for one of the most successful exclusive beauty brands in the world to join Maesa Group, and I look forward to continuing to grow the partnership with DM,” says Mager.
P2 headquarters will remain in Vienna, Austria. And that brand’s leadership will stay on as well. So Maesa will be adding a new office location to its roster of global sites: New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong, and Dongguan.
Matters of finance
In 2011 Maesa went private with Rothschild Investment Partners. This latest acquisition alters the balance of power among shareholders slightly. Company co-founders, Gregory Mager and Julien Saada continue as majority shareholders. Edmond de Rothschild’s stake increases to 25%, the remaining 75% is held by the group’s management team, which includes Mager and Saada.
Tikehau Investment Management financed the purchase with unirated debt, and the founders as well as de Rothschild subscribed to new shares via a capital increase.
Following the purchase of P2, Maesa Group’s 2015 revenues are projected at $185m. And the future looks bright beyond that: “Through this acquisition, Maesa Group is affirming a strong growth ambition for the next five years, with the goal to reach $350 million in revenue by 2020,” notes the company in a press statement announcing the acquisition.