E.L.F. takes over clean beauty brand W3ll People

By

Robin Driver

Published
Feb 24, 2020

As it looks to expand its portfolio, cruelty-free Californian cosmetics company E.L.F. Beauty has made its first strategic extension, acquiring Austin, Texas-based clean beauty brand W3ll People for $27 million in cash.
 

 
With the acquisition, E.L.F. intends to leverage its marketing, customer relations and operational capabilities to drive W3ll People’s development and make headway in the fast-growing clean beauty segment.
 
The newly acquired business is expected to be accretive in fiscal 2021, contributing around $7 million to E.L.F.’s revenue, as well as $0.01 to the company’s annual adjusted diluted earnings per share.

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“Clean beauty is a strategically important segment given consumer sentiment and strong growth rates,” commented E.L.F. chairman and CEO Tarang Amin in a release. “W3ll People has a long history of expertise and credibility in clean beauty that works. Their brand values and market opportunity align closely with E.L.F. and we believe there are a number of synergies to be realized on both the cost and distribution fronts.”
 
Founded by James Walker, Shirley Pinkson and Dr. Renee Snyder in 2008, W3ll People’s cruelty-free, plant-based offering includes 40 products with EWG verification, a leading certification in the clean beauty sector.
 
The company’s complete product range is free from fillers, propylene glycol, petrochemicals and petroleum byproducts, and is stocked by national retail chains such as Target and Whole Foods, as well as specialty retailers including Credo Beauty and The Detox Market.
 
W3ll People products can also be purchased online through platforms such as Amazon and Ulta.com, as well as on the brand’s own e-commerce website.
 
For the third quarter ended December 31, 2019, E.L.F. reported revenues of $80.8 million and net income of $8.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, down from $9.7 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, in the prior-year period.
 
The company’s declining income reflected costs related to the closure of its entire brick-and-mortar network in February 2019, as well as increased spend on marketing and digital.

Amin, however, was optimistic about E.L.F.’s prospects moving forward, highlighting the success of its marketing and digital initiatives in driving brand awareness among younger consumers.

When reporting its results, the company also raised its full-year guidance and currently expects to report annual income of between $28 million and $30 million, or $0.55 to $0.59 per diluted share, on revenues in the range of $274 million to $277 million.