Dermatologist-Founded Dr Sam’s Eyes Retail Expansion As Part Of A 3-Year Plan To Reach $25M In Sales

As demand continues to soar for science-rooted skincare, London-based brand Dr Sam’s will expand into brick-and-mortar stores across the United Kingdom next year and eye expansion in the United States the year after.

Established in 2018, dermatologist Sam Bunting started Dr Sam’s with a single cleanser as an offshoot to her skincare clinic on London’s Harley Street. Today, its compact product range is designed to bridge the gap between traditional dermatology and beauty, targeting overall skin health, ageing and acne. Available online on Dr Sam’s website, the range includes Flawless Cleanser, Flawless Moisturizer, Flawless Daily Sunscreen SPF 50, Flawless Brightly Serum and Flawless Neutralising Gel, and features active ingredients such as niacinamide, azelaic acid, retinol, hyaluronic acid and squalane.

Speaking to Beauty Independent, Bunting says her brand is “grounded in science,” and has pricing and a minimalist approach to merchandise that appeals to consumers broadly. Dr Sam’s’ most inexpensive full-size product is Flawless Lip, which is 13 pounds or roughly $16.50 at the current exchange rate to purchase on a one-time basis, and its most expensive full-size product is Flawless Nightly Pro 5% Retinoid Serum, which is 75 pounds or $95.25 to purchase on a one-time basis. A Perfected Basics set of three products—Flawless Cleanser, Flawless Moisturizer and Flawless Daily Sunscreen SPF 50—is priced at 68 pounds or about $86.40 to purchase on a one-time basis.

“There’s no unnecessary choice,” says Bunting. “There is one cleanser because that suits most patients and customers because the vast majority of people have normal to combination skin. People don’t want lots of choice, they want an educated edit.”

On Dr Sam’s site, a routine finder directs consumers to products and combinations best suited to their individual needs, and there are follow-up emails and video content intended to replicate in-clinic consultations and ongoing advice. Asked how easy it was to replicate in-person consultations online, Bunting describes it as the brand’s “biggest challenge.”

She adds it’s a challenge to get consumers to cooperate for three months, the time needed for a skin routine to work through two skin cycles, and it’s also tough breaking down consumer concerns about active skincare. And she emphasizes that, even though skincare knowledge is evolving fast among consumers, there’s “still room for a huge amount of education.”

“There is still an awful lot of fear around ingredients like retinol,” says Bunting. “It surprises me how much repetition is needed. I find it fascinating. But you have to keep repeating these simple and reassuring messages over and over again.”

Bunting points out that communication challenges are compounded in brick-and-mortar retail. Dr Sam’s has dabbled in retail at Hong Kong department store Lane Crawford. When it enters retail in the UK and U.S., Bunting says, “It will be fundamental to find the right retailer who keeps bringing the story alive…It’s simple packaging that was designed to look chic on a DTC website, it’s quite different to bring that alive in a competitive space.”

“It will be fundamental to find the right retailer who keeps bringing the story alive.”

Bunting believes an in-store artificial intelligence-propelled diagnostic tool could be helpful in providing store shoppers service akin to what they would encounter at its site or clinic. She underscores that maintaining a close personal connection with consumers is key focus for the brand and will be equally important at retail.

At Dr Sam’s, Bunting says the shift into retail is part of a wider plan to drive sales to 20 million pounds or approximately $25.4 million within the next three years, an amount the brand is confident it can achieve. “We’re on the right track,” says Bunting. “We’ve had tremendous growth this year through TikTok and better performance of ads in general and community word of mouth.”

Bunting notes that the COVID-19 pandemic was instrumental in fueling growth and opportunity for the brand.“There is more openness towards science and a movement away from natural beauty that was trending pre-COVID,” she says, highlighting that contemporary skincare consumers’ desire for a “simple routine” that delivers results while being a good value aligns well with Dr Sam’s offering.

Bunting says, “I feel like we’re the right brand at the right time…The market is pretty hot for expert-led brands really grounded in science. And given the power of our community and our advocacy, I think we’re in a good spot.”

Andrew McDougall, director of beauty and personal care research at market research firm Mintel, agrees that science has come to the fore of beauty. He predicts engagement in science-driven beauty will mount and consumers will call for increasing levels of proof behind claims.

“Beauty brands should collaborate with experts, dermatologists and medical professionals to develop and endorse their products and treatments,” he says. “Scientific research, clinical studies and proven efficacy will build trust and confidence among consumers. Ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety is also essential.”

Beyond retail expansion, Bunting says Dr Sam’s will invest in product development and innovation in the coming months and years, though future launches are anticipated to be “very slow and very considered” with zero centered on beauty trends. She hints the brand is due to unveil one “big launch” in September with a “really cutting-edge ingredient.”

Further details of the launch remain under wraps for now. Looking ahead, however, launches could tap into the wellness space. Supporting skin health from within is a topic that intrigues Bunting. She says, “Who knows where the brand might go, but my interest is there.”