Kim Kardashian fans power Superdrug sales surge
Attempts to emulate celebrities like Kim Kardashian drove a surge in sales at retailer Superdrug last year.
The company, owned by Hong Kong’s AS Watson Group, said customers were influenced by famous faces. Banana powder, a face powder championed by reality star Kardashian was Superdrug’s top-selling product in 2016.
That trend, plus the introduction of new brands and store revamps helped Superdrug reach 30% share of the cosmetics market for the first time.
Sales rose 10.4% to £1.2 billion in 2016, with stores open for more than a year seeing 7.8% revenue growth. Pretax profit leapt 41% to £80.4 million.
AS Watson boss Peter McNab described it as a “strong year”.
“Looking to the future our strategy remains to offer customers everyday accessible health and beauty, giving them the beauty and health services they need, and an unbeatable selection of products at great prices, in a vibrant and friendly store environment,” he added.
