Washing the crisis right out of her hair

Luxury lifestyle brand Molton Brand has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a single hair salon in the upmarket streets of central London.

Today the company boasts an annual turnover of £75 million (Dh390m) and enjoys double-digit growth year on year. It has grown a loyal UK customer base since starting trading in 1973, while opening stores in 80-plus countries, which now includes the UAE, and getting its products, such as its best selling Recharge Black Pepper Body wash and Heavenly Gingerlilly bath and shower gel, into the spas and en-suites of more than 1,500 hotels.

This month Molton Brown opened its first emporium in the Middle East in Dubai Mall. It offers customers the complete collection of body, hair, men, skin, home and travel ranges synonymous with sensuality and quality.

On her first visit to the UAE, the company's Group Marketing Director Amy Nelson-Bennett spoke about why now is the perfect time to launch here.

"This is an extraordinary place and The Dubai Mall an extraordinary project, so when we were approached it was something the company thought very seriously about," she says.

"Our position in the mall is very important, we are among like-minded brands such as Penhaligons, and L'Occitane and our products appeal to both tourists and residents alike."

Since joining the company in March 2006, Nelson-Bennett has continued with brand expansion – she has been instrumental in bringing it to Dubai and speaks proudly of Molton Brown's forthcoming openings in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait in the next 12-24 months.

"We have built up a strong customer base in the UK but since 2006 we have been repositioning in the global market," she says, before quickly adding that "making ourselves available must not compromise quality".

And this "quality and uniqueness" is something the 39-year-old American continues to drive home.

"It is very important that we do not over-distribute, we are an accessible luxury and have even shut down some stores in Europe because we did not want to oversell ourselves. If we wanted to double revenue without thinking about what the brand represents we would return Boots' phone calls," she quips.

While revenue is important to the business, Nelson-Bennett is the first to admit that overexposure can kill a successful brand.

"There is a saying in business called '1,000 cuts' it means that a company decides to do something thinking it's nothing, but those little cuts build up and affects them in the long-term.

"You have to think about what you represent in business and work towards keeping the brand synonymous with what that is, in our case luxury, but we also have to make a profit. It's keeping that balance that is so important. I am the guardian of the brand, and ask how can we grow without compromising?"

Molton Brown first opened its doors on 58 South Molton Street in the early seventies. The small hair salon – run by a husband and wife team – was a hit with the fashion set who embraced the company's ethos of natural products and casual styling. Among the brand's far-flung fans was Japan's Kao Corporation, the world's third largest personal products conglomerate. In October 2005 it brought the company for €230m (Dh1.12 billion). A year later Molton Brown's chief financial officer Sara Halton was entrusted to take the brand further– but at a steady pace.

Nelson-Bennett thinks the Japanese have the right attitude when it comes to business.

She explains: "They look at things in the long-term and that is the best way, especially in a recession."

So with the global slowdown is this really the best time for company expansion? "We have been lucky in that we have not had to make any cutbacks, we have a diverse business model and do not have all our eggs in one basket which helps. If something happens in one country we look to another.

"This is also the time to look for solutions and plan for the future. Be prepared, be clever and you and your business will thrive," says Nelson-Bennett, who is originally from Wisconsin, but whose home has been the UK for the last 16 years where she lives with husband Michael. But in hard economic times, she believes the customers might change. "Someone who buys a Dh6,000 handbag every month might cut back on that, but have a spree in Molton Brown. Someone who buys just for pure indulgence, well we may see them just once a year now.

"We get a lot of people who say 'I work hard but I don't want to remortgage to reward myself' that's when they treat themselves."

Prices start at Dh75 for a hand liquid soap, going to Dh264 for a candle, with prices staying consistent across the world. "Our customers know if they're being ripped off," she adds.

Molton Brown says it is looking to forge new partnerships within the travel industry – its products can be found at the Kempinski and the Royal Mirage in Dubai – as well as refocus its spa division. As yet there are no plans to open a spa in Dubai but Nelson-Bennett hasn't ruled it out.

"We would like to partner with a prestigious hotel in the Emirates in the future."


Biography

Amy Nelson-Bennett was born and educated in the USA, but moved to the UK after finishing university. In her early twenties, she joined the Virgin Group to focus on the growth of their book publishing business and held various marketing and sales roles, focused on the UK and US markets. In 2000 she joined Waterstone's to oversee their buying and promotions teams.

In 2004 Nelson-Bennett made the decision to return to book publishing and joined HarperCollins as Marketing Director.

Since joining Molton Brown in 2006, she has led the development of the company's five-year business plan.

She spends many hours travelling to the USA and Asia as the brand undergoes global growth.