Coming off the back of its first anniversary, launching DTC in May 2020, London-based luxury haircare brand Monpure London is expanding to the US market with an Amazon-first strategy.

The brand is dedicated to scalp and hair health with a curated assortment of six science-backed products targeting female hair loss. Monpure's founder and CEO Natanel Bigger created the brand with the belief that skincare should not stop at the hairline: "I wanted to find kinder alternatives and bring the skincare approach beyond the hairline and make sure people care as much for their scalp as the skin on their face."

Hair loss has been traditionally treated as a strictly male issue, yet women constitute a significant percentage of hair loss sufferers. In 2020 according to Spate, Google searches for hair loss increased by 8% and, on average, is searched more than 829,000 times a month in the US. The Reddit forum r/FemaleHairLoss has grown from about 3,000 subscribers to more than 15,000 during the pandemic.

The American Academy of Dermatology reports 40% of women have visible hair loss by the time they are age 40, and 80% of women experience noticeable hair loss by the age of 60. A full head of hair is shorthand for youth and intrinsically tied to self-esteem—losing one’s hair can profoundly impact confidence and emotional well-being.

Understanding the relationship between hair and identity, coupled with the knowledge of the advancements in scalp and hair science while also noting the lack of education in the sector, Bigger identified an opportunity. Betting on himself, Bigger took the savings he had amassed during his 12-year career in fashion, e-commerce, and beauty, and set out to define the white space.

The formulas are developed with a collective of beauty experts, dermatologists, and scientists grounded in the knowledge that a healthy dermatological condition of the scalp impacts the natural growth and retention of hair. As a pending B Corp, the company is laser-focused on sourcing the best ingredients and being sustainable and ethical in its business practices. The curated range provides results-driven, plant-based formulas that nourish the scalp and hair follicles to deliver the fundamental benefits for achieving stronger, healthier hair, as well as treating issues including scalp irritation and hair loss.

Monpure launched DTC during the height of the pandemic and has gained significant traction in the first 18 months of business with an AOV of $250, 40% repeat customers every month, and an open email rate of 90%. Bootstrapping to launch but realizing the cash-intensive nature of scaling a beauty business, the brand also secured £950,000 ($1.2 million) to fuel its vision of becoming a global authority on scalp and hair health.

The brand is now looking to replicate its success in the US market with an omnichannel Amazon-first strategy. The Monpure US strategy is predicated on the belief that modern luxury brands need to follow the consumer, and Amazon is the number-one consumer destination. Monpure is working with Luxury Stores at Amazon, which lives as a US-based program that offers unique advantages to participating brands, including an improved checkout solution, marketing support, and sustainable packaging.

International expansion has become increasingly complicated, especially for start-ups. Monpure experienced high growth in the US market but cannot properly service those customers without an operational infrastructure. Who is better at service operations than Amazon? The brand will also build its DTC presence as the ultimate destination for education that embodies the mantra “great hair starts with a healthy scalp." Experts like dermatologists, GPs, or other scientists share their knowledge through long-format content on scalp and hair health conditions.

Luxury Stores at Amazon provides Monpure complete control on retail pricing and guarantees that there will be no unauthorized resellers of the brand on Amazon. Bigger said of the Amazon-first strategy, "We're going on Amazon to protect the brand and build it. And I agree this is a very big shift in mindset compared to a few years ago." The brand expects the US market to be responsible for 50% of its revenue next year and drive between $1.5-$3 million in sales.