A for beauty: Samson & Charlie to embark on Asia expansion as demand for Aussie products soars

Carole Staeck founded the brand just a year ago after observing a growing demand for small-batch, high-quality Australian products at a reasonable price.

“I wanted to create high-quality natural products that looked and felt luxurious, without a luxury price tag… and today we offer exceptional quality at a high street price,” ​said Staeck.

Today, the brand is available primarily through its website and is steadily growing its offline presence through in Australia through stockists.

Staeck told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that the firm is currently in talks with one of Australia’s largest beauty retailers to distribute its products.

She added that establishing an offline presence was essential for the brand.

“There is still an element of touch, feel and smell the retail experience provides that is undeniable. Our products have very unique olfactory and sensory qualities due to the high-quality organic oils we use a physical retail space really allows customers to experience those elements while considering their purchase.”​

The company is also looking beyond its home market into New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong, where it currently has a growing number of customers.

“In 2020, we will be looking to build relationships in APAC with key retailers in Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand. The uniqueness of our products, the fact they’re made in Australia, and the fact they really work has already seen us gain popularity in overseas markets,” ​said Staeck.

Clean A-beauty

The company hopes to ride on the rising popularity of the Australian beauty, or A-beauty, as it expands it brand footprint.

“A-beauty is an emerging trend we are proud to be part of​. ​We’ve already seen the A-beauty trend become popular in the USA, and it’s making its way quickly into the APAC region,”​ said Staeck.

She added that the A-beauty trend was evolving to include ‘clean’ beauty elements and the brand was well-positioned to cater to this trend.

Staeck believes the brand will also resonate with the growing number of consumers across the region which favour a more minimalist beauty routine.

“In contrast to the multi-step regimens, we’re keen to capitalise on the trend of simplifying your skincare regime. Our products are multi-use which cater to consumers who are more frugal and looking for value.”​

In addition to these, Staeck has observed a growing trend for acne treatments made with natural oils.

The brand also has a few products in the pipeline which will address a few demands and trends in the market, such as cleansing and gel products.