Aroma Zone: The French health and beauty retailer scenting opportunity in the UK

The UK health and beauty market is a big pond and one that’s only growing bigger. According to the British Beauty Council’s Value of Beauty Report 2024, sector sales grew 11% to £27.2bn.

Yet while the UK health and beauty waters are wide and deep, they are also patrolled by some big fish and one or two truly apex predators. UK high streets are dominated by giants Boots and Superdrug, while premium retail destinations are increasingly dominated by well-loved staples like Lush and trendy international powerhouses like Sephora.

But the physical battle is, in many ways, less than half the war. In the endless struggle to reach new and emerging customer demographics, social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snap are becoming increasingly key battlegrounds where the established heavy weights are duking it out for customer eyeballs and spend with emerging players such as The Ordinary, Beauty Pie and The Inkey List.

Into this ultra-competitive maelstrom, a new player has thrown its hat into the ring. On June 6, Aroma Zone announced that it had appointed former Rituals managing director Penny Grivea as its UK and Ireland boss with plans to enter the UK market.

Its ecommerce website will be available in English for the first time by this summer and plans to open its first London store before the end of the year.

But who are Aroma Zone? What will the French retailer offer British customers that its competitors can’t? And can it really hope to compete in such a heavily saturated market?

Boujie or boutique? 

While not particularly well known on this side of the Channel, Aroma Zone has established itself as one of the most well-loved retailers in France.

Founded in 1999 as a website providing information on essential oils, Aroma Zone has since transformed itself into a leading retailer in the beauty space in its native France and was acquired by the Eurazeo Fund for €410m (£350m) in 2021.

Last year, Aroma Zone sales jumped 56%, while its active customer number surged to more than three million. A 2024 report from OC&C Consultants said that Aroma Zone is one of the best loved brands for French consumers, second only to Decathlon.

The brand, which was once a pureplay retailer, has also been expanding its store network alongside growing its ecommerce channels, with an increased focus on more niche categories such as homemade cosmetics, ready-to-use products combined with its ongoing focus on “transparency, natural ingredients, eco-design and zero waste”.

“Our entry into the British market will combine ecommerce and a physical presence,” said Aroma Zone chief executive Sabrina Herlory-Rouget.

“The UK market strongly resonates with our universal approach, where the balance of quality and price is crucial, with a strong emphasis on efficiency. We will launch in London at a carefully selected location, taking a highly pragmatic approach.”

Egalité et durabilité

Aroma Zone has established itself in France as a brand that offers customers “quality products at the fairest price”, alongside a commitment to sustainability, supply chain transparency and zero waste.

It’s the latter focus on sustainability that Sue Benson, chief executive and founder of branding and design agency The Behaviours Agency, believes will give Aroma Zone its unique selling point for entering the UK market.

“It addresses the growing motivation among consumers to purchase products that don’t have a negative impact on the environment,” she says. “A need that typically comes with a higher price tag”.

Aroma Zone won’t be swimming in the mass market waters of Superdrug and Boots, then. Instead, it may well be looking to carve itself a niche in the segment of the market which used to be cornered by the now defunct The Body Shop and other retailers such as Lush, and even Holland & Barrett.

Vertical Media Solutions senior managing partner Joel Marotti believes that Aroma Zone could also appeal to customers by offering more experiential and personalised products – emerging trends that have been solidifying in the health and beauty market for some time.

“Aroma Zone’s model encourages customers to experiment and personalise, which will differentiate it from the more one-size-fits-all approach of more mainstream retailers in this category,” he says.

“This could help it create a unique selling point in the UK, appealing to more niche, but growing, market segments”.

Tête-à-tête

As Aroma Zone prepares to wade into battle against UK’s health and beauty giants, the appointment of former Rituals boss Penny Grivea has also raised some interest in the sector.

Grivea is a well-known quantity in UK beauty and luxury circles, having spearheaded Rituals growth in the British market since joining the brand in 2015.

She has also previously worked with luxury giants such as Harrods, Selfridges and brands such as Korres, Folli Follie and Georg Jensen.

In her nine years with Rituals, Grivea oversaw the Dutch brands’ rapid UK brick-and-mortar expansion – including opening its first flagship on Oxford Street in 2023 – as well as its transformation into a true omnichannel retail brand.

It’s this combination of experience in expanding physical footprints combined with her expert knowledge of UK health and beauty and luxury trends, that Figment managing director Steve Grant believes makes Grivea the perfect candidate for Aroma Zone.

“Having led Rituals UK, she brings valuable expertise in growing a lifestyle beauty brand within the UK’s competitive environment,” he says.

“Her background in brand development and retail expansion equips her to navigate challenges and capitalise on market trends.

“Overall, Aroma Zone’s unique positioning combined with Grivea’s leadership could create a solid foundation for success in the UK health and beauty sector.”