Beiersdorf is #7 on this year's list of Top Global Beauty Companies. 

Below is a look at the company’s 2018 highlights, recent acquisitions, best-selling brands, and latest innovations.

Corporate Sales

$8.5 billion

Beauty Sales (Consumer Business Segment):

$6.9 billion
(FY 2017 Beauty Sales: $5.9 billion)

Key Personnel

• Stefan F. Heidenreich, CEO, internal audit, Germany, Switzerland, Japan/ chairman of the executive board
• Stefan De Loecker, executive board member, corporate development, supply chain / Near East / Americas 
• Ralph Gusko, executive board member, consumer brands / Asia Pacific / Australia
• Vincent Warney, executive board member, pharmacy and selective (Eucerin, Plaster, La Prairie)

Major Products/Brands

• Nivea, Eucerin, La Prairie,
• Labello, Aquaphor, Florena, 8x4,
• Atrix, SLEK, Maestro, and Hidrofugal

New Products

• Nivea Sun Protect & Care
• Nivea Q10plusC
• Nivea Urban Skin Detox & Protect
• Nivea Pure Skin electric face cleansing brush
• Nivea Crème & Oil Pearls shower cream range
• Eucerin DermoPure
• Labellino lip care ball
• La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating Pearl Infusion

Beiersdorf, By the Numbers

In his address to shareholders, Stefan Heidenreich reported that the company had continued its positive momentum in 2017, with group sales climbing organically by 5.7%, corporate sales growing 4.5% and consumer sales rising 3.4%. Shares in the company also exceeded €100 for the first time. He attributed the ongoing growth and sustainability to the company’s Blue Agenda business strategy, which was instituted in 2012 and expanded last year to help elevate Eucerin, La Prairie and Hansaplast (Beiersdorf’s medical brand) to the same success and brand recognition of Nivea. To this end, the company combined the three brands into a single board division to help maximize brand impact. 

In terms of brand performance, Nivea sales posted double-digit gains thanks to interest in Protect & Care, Black & White deodorant, Active Clean and Crème Care, Milk, Pleasure and Nivea Men Crème, while interest in Eucerin brand face and sun products helped boost organic growth up 3.4%.

In the realm of new innovations, last November Beiersdorf’s Eucerin brand made a foray into the acne care segment with the launch of the Dermopure campaign. Citing the statistic that 60% of searches on YouTube are related to advice on the care and treatment of acne, the cross-functional venture hinges on a seven-product skincare range paired with a support website dedicated to all things acne care. The campaign debuted in Germany first, with additional rollouts in several countries to follow.

And finally, Beiersdorf put down new roots by building a new production facility in Nigeria, while also expanding production capabilities in Thailand and Brazil. The company also broke ground on a new headquarters in Eimsbüttel, Hamburg, that should be completed by 2021. Beiersdorf also expanded its e-commerce reach by entering into a partnership with NetEast Kaola in May. As a leading online platform for cross-border trade in China with more than 900 million users, the partnership gives Beiersdorf access to a market that grew more than 80% last year.

News of Note in 2018

In July, Beiersdorf invested in Beerse, Belgium-based S-Biomedic NV, a life science company exploring the “unexploited cosmetic and therapeutic potential of the skin microbiome.”

Pointing to the pivotal role of microbiota in the gut, Beiersdorf said skin microorganisms, though largely associated only with disease or malodor, are the next frontier in using sequencing technologies to expand the understanding of how the delicate balance of the skin microbiota impacts skin metabolism.

Looking Ahead

The first quarter of 2018 started off slowly for Beiersdorf, with group sales rising and consumer sales declining marginally, and the Derma business unit shining as the bright spot, up 8.5%. La Prairie, up 55.5%, also proved lucrative. By August, Beiersdorf’s group sales were up 7.7% with consumer sales also increasing 7%. The momentum prompted the company to boost its sales forecast for 2018 to +5%. 

Read Next: LVMH is #8