Aenea Cosmetics looks to Eastern Europe and The Rake to boost sales
Aenea Cosmetics has added two new retail partners to its expanding global distribution network.
Pooled development fund Authorised Investment Fund (ASX: AIY) has updated the market regarding one of its most prominent investments, Aenea Cosmetics.
Authorised Investment Fund owns 30% of the epigenetic cosmetics company that has unveiled two new retail partners to its expanding global distribution network.
The Aenea brand will soon find its way into Ukraine via Sanahunt, a luxury department store, as well as extending its presence in premium online retail via a tie-up with The Rake magazine.
Founded by beauty brand and cosmetics entrepreneur Damien Zannetou, the multi-award-winning Aenea Cosmetics product range was launched in 2014 and focuses on providing “epigenetic skin care”.
Importantly, the new retail partnerships represent “the best of both online e-commerce retail and traditional high street retail”, according to Aenea.
“Our distribution expansion both through bricks and mortar retail and online e-commerce is critical to the growth and success of Aenea’s ambition to create a leading, premium cosmetics ecosystem,” said Damien Zannetou, founder of Aenea Cosmetics.
An ecosystem “where customers of Aenea can experience the benefits of our epigenetic range in the privacy of their own home, and in the luxurious and relaxing surroundings of some of the world’s best spa facilities through our recently appointed Waldorf Astoria Spa distribution contract,” he said.
The news means Aenea will make a push into the Eastern European market as well as the premium online retail space.
“Both The Rake and Sanahunt are best in class retail with a lucrative customer base. I am particularly excited by our push into Eastern Europe and premium online retail,” said Mr Zannetou.
Online and offline
Online, Aenea will now be sold through The Rake, a leading international bi-monthly luxury lifestyle magazine aimed at wealthy consumers interested in a variety of artistic pursuits including artisanal craftsmanship, leather goods, luxury goods and travel.
According to Aenea, the average Rake reader is typically very wealthy and employed in a position of influence and/or seniority in society.
The magazine is currently being sold in 65 countries and is distributed through leading high-end partners including Savile Row tailors, private members clubs, luxury hotels, investment banks, Harrods, Selfridges, Barnes & Noble, Bergdorf Goodman/Saks/Barney’s, independent newsagents and Riva Yachts.
The site has monthly unique users exceeding 300,000, monthly sessions of 500,000 and monthly page views of almost 2 million. From a purely statistical perspective, sales through The Rake in 2018 were up 300% in comparison to the previous year.
Bricks and mortar
Meanwhile, to enhance its offline position and to further bolster Aenea’s presence in high-end department store retail in the lucrative and booming Eastern European luxury market, Aenea has signed an agreement to be sold through the Sanahunt Luxury Department Store, Ukraine’s leading department store.
Sanahunt is Ukraine’s largest store in the luxury segment, spread across 7,000 square meters, in a four-storey heritage building in the centre of Kiev. It has firmly established itself as “destination retail” for celebrities and fashionistas from around the world.
Currently, Sanahunt presents collections of women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, jewellery, accessories, rare editions of books, exclusive gifts for the home, as well as conceptual cosmetic brands and collections of haute parfumerie for more than 250 world-famous brands.
In addition to Eastern Europe, Aenea has already secured Harrods in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Feel Unique Online Europe and BFF BKK Bangkok as exclusive global retail partners, to advance the brand’s market position as a luxury good with a clear marketing strategy across leading skin care markets.
“Aenea presents the unique combination of Greek heritage which is engraved into the brand’s name and scientific technology of battling through the epigenetic factors due to which our skin can age differently,” said Lidia Vynogradna, communication manager of Sanahunt Group.
She added, “this is exactly the mixture of what you can also find in Sanahunt – the ultra-modern, chic and high-fashion brands of ready-to-wear, haute parfumerie, skin care and art gathered under the roof of a 19th century, four-storey Maison in the centre of Kiev.”