Faced with Brexit, British company Avant Skincare sets up a logistics centre in the Lille area

Avant Skincare markets cosmetic products based on active ingredients. Its name symbolises a return to nature, to the essentials, using today’s technological advances. To move forward, if there’s one quality that characterises the British brand, it’s anticipation! Anticipating consumer expectations, by launching a range of 100% natural products in 2016, when this segment represented just 3% of the cosmetics market worldwide. This forward-thinking approach, developed in London, has now led to the brand being distributed in the UK, the US, Europe and China.

Anticipating the needs of all skin types, working with scientists from all over the world to find the best ingredients using the latest scientific advances. Avant Skincare was voted “Best Cosmeceuticals Luxury Skincare Brand 2020” by the Global Health & Pharma platform.

Anticipating societal trends, by proposing from the outset the innovative concept of “skincare-to-share™️” where each product focuses solely on the needs of the skin and can be used by everyone, regardless of gender or ethnicity.

This forward-thinking approach is also embodied in the packaging, which is both aesthetically pleasing and, above all, useful. The label on each product details the active ingredients used and associates each product with a real beauty ritual. Finally, logistically, by anticipating the consequences of Brexit and the end of the transition period on its organisation and distribution.

1 January 2021 marked a turning point in trade between UK businesses and the European Union. By leaving the customs union and the common market, the British have definitively left the EU, and the changes brought about by Brexit (travel, work, trade) are numerous. It is now much more complex to export products from the UK to other European countries (red tape, import licences, etc.).

It was against this backdrop that Avant Skincare decided to open a 1,500 m2 logistics site in the Lille area, to store, sell and ship its products internationally. It was a logical choice, given the city’s location at the heart of Europe and its accessibility to countries such as Spain and the Netherlands, as well as the attachment of the brand’s Head of Marketing, who grew up in… Wattrelos! A true choice of heart and reason!

Around ten employees have been recruited to work at the French site, and others will be recruited as the brand continues to grow. As well as reducing the administrative and logistical burden of setting up in France, there’s another advantage: Avant Skincare can deliver to its French customers the very next day, making it more competitive. France is a key market for the brand: it is their 4th largest market in the world, with rapid growth and distribution partners such as Nocibé, La Redoute and Douglas. At the same time, the products can be found online, and they are also making their mark in beauty salons and parapharmacies.

Avant Skincare has big plans for the future: with sales tripling every year, a website that will be translated into 17 languages in a few weeks’ time and financial independence, the brand aims to compete with the biggest names in the cosmetics market.

And with its sense of anticipation, there’s little doubt about its success… ahead!