Beauty Store Business

SEP 2015

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16 September 2015 | beautystorebusiness.com Beauty Store Business: Please tell us about your background and your current roles in Mavala. STACIE LAVENIA: I have been a corporate mergers and acquisitions attor- ney for nearly 18 years. I come from an entrepreneurial family and have always had interests outside the law. But my interest in beauty stems from me simply being female! BILL LAVENIA : I've been a serial entrepreneur for the last 25-plus years focusing on sales and marketing spanning multiple industries, all while utilizing the same marketing and sales model. We had no experience whatsoever in the beauty industry prior to purchasing the rights to Mavala USA, and maybe that's a good thing. We've plowed our own path and have seen remarkable results from it. I worked in the insurance industry for about 10 years, and that requires your sales team to sell a service, which I think is the hardest thing to do—it's not tangible, like a product. With Mavala having such strong products and a brand image, I felt I already had an advantage in the field. I applied my experience to this product, and through my marketing strategy we're seeing the results. Stacie: We make great partners as one's strength is the other's weakness and vice versa. We're not only business partners, we are husband and wife, and best friends. Bill handles sales and marketing, and I do pretty much everything else, handling day-to-day operations, administrative duties, account- ing, bookkeeping and legal matters— anything that supports him selling. Bill: Then together we review our fore- casting, warehousing and logistics. Please tell us about the history of Mavala. Bill: Mavala is a philosophy dedicated to care and beauty. Throughout the world for close to 60 years the name Mavala has become synonymous with quality; thanks to its high-performance skincare and beauty products—elaborated by Mavala's scientific laboratories, which concentrate their efforts on innovation and the search for perfection. The company Mavala International was founded in Switzerland in 1958 by Mrs. Madeleine Van Landegham, a revered Euro- pean scientist in the '50s and '60s. Today, as in the past, all of the Mavala products are manufactured in Geneva, following the most rigorous norms and impeccable quality demands, and utilizing the finest ingredients available in the world. Mavala International has four licensed master distributorships set up with an effective subsidiary distribution system, delivering products to more than 160 countries throughout the world. How did you become involved with Mavala? Bill: A few years ago we decided we wanted to buy a business that would allow us to work together, travel globally and have fun at the same time. We looked at a half-dozen different businesses. We had hired a business broker, who was a mutual friend of Mavala USA's previous owners, Richard and Judy Nelson. After 30 years, they were looking to retire. The Nelsons interviewed prospective buyers for five years but had not found the right person. We met up with them one Saturday afternoon in early 2014, and the perfect match was made. We then went to Geneva, Switzerland, and met with Monsieur Jean Maute [the owner of Mavala Switzerland] and his daughter, Madame Doris Maute, Esq. We went through a rigorous three days of interviews, presentations and edifica- tion. On the third day Monsieur Maute announced we would be approved to purchase the rights from Mr. and Mrs. Nelson. We feel very fortunate to have received approval from Monsieur Maute and Madame Maute, and we feel equally honored to work with such a fine Swiss team of manufacturing experts. What initially attracted you to Mavala? Bill: When we looked at Mavala USA and its products, we quickly realized the global presence the company had, but we felt that its presence had been lost or missed in the U.S. marketplace. When we started looking closely at the statistics and data on a global level, we quickly realized we could take a market share in the states that had never previously been taken. That was a huge attraction. When a product is so dominant, well-respected and well-received in 160 countries, and is considered the No. 1 natural nailcare brand in all of Europe, that's a huge statement. Because it wasn't recognized equally in the states, we saw a huge vacuum. We wanted to seize the moment, and that's exactly what we did. Please tell us about some of the best-selling products Mavala USA offers. Bill: Mavala USA offers head-to-toe solu- tions for problems by combining science with beauty. We offer nail care, including more than 150 polish shades; the Mavala Eye-Lite range, with products specifically formulated for the eye area; face care and cosmetics; and footcare products. Mavala STOP is the No. 1 selling item in the states. Per U.S. government statistics we have an estimated 100 million nail- biters and thumb-suckers in America; 77 million from ages 20 to 65; 17 million from ages 13 to 19; and 8 million from ages 4 to 12. That's 30% of all Americans. So, statis- tically speaking, every woman has either a boyfriend, child and/or husband who bites his nails or sucks his thumb—or she does it herself—which is a phenomenal number. Our objective in the first six months was to understand our business and identify the lowest-hanging fruit. Mavala has approximately 500 products, but we targeted Mavala STOP and have aggres- sively pursued the sale of that product. "[Previously], Mavala USA sold about 20,000 units of its [U.S. best seller], STOP, per year. We're on pace for 200,000 units this year." Images courtesy of Mavala USA

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