In three years on the market, Gallinée has marched into more than 30 countries.
The skincare brand based around biochemist Marie Drago’s patented complex of prebiotics, probiotics and lactic acid has amplified its global presence by rolling out to Sephora Southeast Asia, which brings it to Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. Gallinée is now available at over 100 retailers and e-tailers worldwide, including Mecca Australia, Harvey Nichols, Anthropologie, Look Fantastic, Carbon Beauty and Whole Foods in the United Kingdom in addition to Sephora Southeast Asia.
Although born and educated in France, Drago has made London her home for 11 years and decided to launch Gallinée in the U.K. She didn’t plan to grow Gallinée internationally early in the brand’s existence, but an unexpected press mention prodded her to pivot and seize export opportunities. Six months after it began selling in the U.K., Gallinée was featured on the popular French TV show “Télématin.”
“Suddenly, we had French customers everywhere! Since then, we started to expand in a few countries very carefully,” says Drago, who worked in business development and international sales at Revlon and Soap & Glory prior to founding Gallinée. “I used to be an export manager, and I know it is better to be good in a few countries than bad in a lot of them.”
“I used to be an export manager, and I know it is better to be good in a few countries than bad in a lot of them.”
Gallinée’s international escalation has been supported by strong consumer demand and investment from Unilever Ventures, the venture capital arm of Unilever that purchased a minority stake in the brand a year and a half ago. Before Unilever Ventures’ investment, Gallinée fueled its business with a mix of capital from friends and family, and crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, where it raised nearly 15,000 pounds in 2015.
To date, Gallinée has sold over 74,000 products from its range of eleven stockkeeping units and two sets. The solid, soap-free Cleansing Bar that’s formulated with a pH level of 5.8, around the average pH level of skin, is the brand’s bestseller. The product has sold out twice.
Despite its retail distribution gains, Gallinée’s main sales channel remains its website. Drago is clear her strategy is to carefully pick up stores, not to precipitously push global sales. “It is really tempting to go to export quickly when you launch a brand, but it generates a lot of extra work and can be slow to take off. I would also say that keeping your brand image consistent gets harder,” she says. “If you can find a retailer that loves and understands the brand, though, it can be amazing and help put your brand on the map.”
“It is really tempting to go to export quickly when you launch a brand, but it generates a lot of extra work and can be slow to take off.”
Mecca is a retailer that grasps the brand. Gallinée entered the Australian beauty chain in October, and it’s quickly become one of the brand’s biggest retail accounts. “I used to work with Mecca when I was at Soap & Glory, and I adored the whole concept, the team and the products they stocked. They have an amazing staff in store, who are knowledgeable and passionate,” says Drago. “So, I really, really wanted them to have Gallinée. It took us a bit of time until we were a good size, and they finally placed an opening order for their online store.”
Gallinée is building its assortment as it builds its retail network. It recently introduced a haircare range that contains a mask, scalp hair serum and soothing cleansing cream. No matter the product, Gallinée stays focused on the health of the microbiome, the panoply of beneficial microorganisms that clutter the human body. The brand maintains the microbiome by keeping the pH of its products close to the pH of the skin, avoiding harsh ingredients and incorporating active ingredients that protect it.
Going forward, a major goal for Gallinée is to extend its reach in the United States. The brand exhibited at Indie Beauty Expo in Los Angeles and Dallas to get in front of American retail buyers. IBE operator Indie Beauty Media Group owns Beauty Independent. Discussing IBE, Drago says, “We were able to talk to Neiman Marcus buyers face-to-face and a few others. It’s been amazing!”
