Cult Beauty co-founder Alexa Inge / Photo: Geoff Pugh.
“From the beginning we always said we wanted to be the most trusted beauty website in the world,” said Cult Beauty co-founder Alexia Inge in an interview with refinery29.com last year, “and the rest has followed”. And indeed it has. After celebrating its ten-year anniversary last year and securing seventh place in The Sunday Times’ Fast Track 100, an annual ranking of Britain's 100 private companies with the fastest-growing sales over their latest three years, the company has now been ranked an impressive second in The Sunday Times’ International Track 200.
Born out of the frustration of being sold overpriced and underperforming products, Inge and co-founder Jessica DeLuca (now a non-executive director) launched Cult Beauty from a basement flat in London’s Islington in 2008, with an initial £70,000 investment from the duo’s savings and contributions from friends and family. Today, following support from stakeholders including Carmen, and by steadfastly building a brand that offers a curated selection of expert-recommended coveted, cult products, it is racking up significant global sales.
The Sunday Times’ International Track 200 ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest growing international sales, and with a growing customer base across Europe and the Middle East, thanks to savvy social media campaigns, Cult Beauty has clocked up over £35 million in international sales, a growth rate of 206.58%, with estimated total sales projected to reach £85 million this year.
“It’s about finding your niche and exceeding the expectations of your customer,” Inge told WWD’s Samantha Conti when quizzed about the company’s success. With a focus on service and seeking out the most exciting brands – from the likes of Charlotte Tilbury and Sunday Riley to emerging labels including Huda Beauty and Drunk Elephant – Cult Beauty has built a thriving, loyal community who value access to insider knowledge and expertise.
