Credo Beauty acquired Boston-based competitor Follain, who, alongside Credo, was an early leader in the clean beauty movement.
WHO: Tara Foley opened Follain in 2013 as the first retailer in the US to focus exclusively on a clean beauty portfolio and a public-facing restricted substances list. At its height, the retailer grew to six stores with plans to reach ten locations by 2019. In 2020, Follain launched a six-SKU skincare brand with distribution in Ulta and Goop. The impact of the pandemic caused Follain to close all but one of its stores.
Founded in 2014 by the late visionary Shashi Batra and beauty industry veteran Annie Jackson, Credo set out on a mission to create a cleaner, more sustainable, more ethical beauty industry. The Credo Clean Standard has defined clean as the nexus of safety, sourcing, sustainability, and ethics, with a throughline of transparency. The retailer currently operates a robust online business, along with ten stores across the country, with a new location in Larchmont Village in Los Angeles opening later this year.
WHY: The move to acquire Follain supports Credo's goal to create a single standard, a roadmap for brands and consumers alike, within a highly underregulated industry.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: "Credo and Follain's missions have always been aligned whether it's related to clean beauty leadership, affecting positive change in the industry, or providing a platform for a brand community that is dedicated to conscientious brand creation," says Credo co-founder, Annie Jackson. This is a meaningful coming together and further building on our commitment to the health of people and the planet."
“Follain makes strategic sense to our long-term, strategic growth plan,” Stuart Millar, CEO of Credo told Glossy. “If we were to acquire an online platform that was 50% clean and 50% conventional, then there would be real questions to be asked as to the motivation for doing so. Follain allows us to be focused on growing our voice, growing our impact and growing our business.”
Follain founder and CEO Tara Foley says, "This is a proud moment in the history of Follain—and an important moment in the evolution of clean beauty. This move will strengthen the mission-driven beauty movement by creating the single leading activist retailer and standard-bearer that the industry needs."
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