Acne-targeting tbh Skincare announces Priceline launch online, in store
A beloved Australian skincare brand has decreased its prices amid the rising cost of living, ahead of announcing an “exciting” new partnership.
We’re all well aware now of the rising cost of living in Australia, with the price of rent, food, petrol and everything in between soaring over the last 12 months.
Beauty and skincare brands have not been immune: Recent research by the British Retail Consortium and NielsenIQ, reported in The Times, revealed beauty prices are increasing at their fastest rate in a decade.
So it was a welcome surprise when, last week, tbh Skincare – an Australian-made brand that targets acne-prone skin – announced it was decreasing its prices.
“We’re dealing with constant increases in cost of living across the board, and I think for customers to see at least one thing in their life go the other way was just a breath of fresh air,” the brand’s co-founder Rachael Wilde told news.com.au.
She added that consumers were “naturally delighted by the decrease and, of course, a little surprised” by the news.
“And it’s just super rewarding for us to see this great response and also a huge level of appreciation from the customers,” she said.
It’s a move that was possible in part thanks to a new national partnership with Australian pharmacy retailer Priceline.
From today, tbh will be available online, and will appear on shelves across all 402 of Priceline’s stores nationwide by the end of March.
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Ms Wilde said she was “beyond excited” at the launch in Priceline, which was “always the number one retailer that I saw tbh sitting in”.
“Being a skincare brand specifically for people with breakout-prone skin, I wanted to make sure the in-store shopping experience was as accessible as possible,” she said.
“People who are experiencing acne don’t want to feel intimidated when they walk into a store for their beauty products. That’s why I love Priceline. It’s good quality, affordable beauty and skincare and it’s approachable at the same time.
“Plus, add on the fact that there’s such a cross between pharmaceutical and beauty within the acne category as well, so sitting on a shelf within a pharmacy specifically was also the perfect fit for the tbh range. It’s a dream to be on their shelf alongside so many other amazing brands.”
Ms Wilde launched tbh alongside her mum in March 2020, after a “fortuitous” encounter with a groundbreaking medical technology which can cut through the skin’s biofilm and actually treat the bacteria within.
Asked what led to the “no-brainer” decision to lower tbh’s prices, she reflected on the brand’s humble beginnings – when she, her mum and “even my grandma some days bootstrapped it, packing [orders] out of my mum’s house”.
“When we started the brand, we were so small … [So] we priced the products in a way that allowed us to sustain the business, because ultimately if we didn’t price the product high enough, we wouldn’t be able to afford to stay in business,” she said.
“Fast forward three years, we’ve seen some incredible growth within the business thanks to the support of our customers. Add a national retail partnership on to that, and we have now unlocked some efficiencies of scale.
“We’re able to procure at a better price point, and because we have more volumes of sales we are able to decrease the price point. We could have pocketed these savings ourselves, but we chose to pass them on to the customer instead – and the reason for that comes back to our overall business mission.”
Ms Wilde added that “the more affordable we make the range, the more people have access to it”. Yet she acknowledged that tbh was in a unique position – one that not all skincare brands have access to.
“For the majority of businesses, there are increases in procurement prices, freight increases and so many other things that are making it super difficult for businesses to stay operational,” she said.
“Inflation is really hitting hard for so many and that includes businesses as well. Some brands have been forced to increase their prices as a result, and I think that’s fair enough.
“I think the most important thing is transparency. Customer trust is everything and as long as you operate in good faith and are honest with the customer, I think we can all work together to get through this tough time.”
The skincare brand has partnered with Priceline ambassador and former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers for the launch of the brand into the retailer – a partnership that Ms Wilde said was two years in the marking.
Rogers, who has been open about her struggle with adult acne, described the brand “as approachable and fun”, adding it was something “which you don’t often see when it comes to acne brands”.
“From the very start of [tbh], Olivia is someone we wanted to work with,” Ms Wilde said.
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“Hilariously, she actually purchased the product in January 2021. When we approached her to trial the products and consider a partnership after we had confirmation with Priceline, it became apparent very quickly that there was a lot of alignment and a really meaningful partnership to be had here.”
As for what’s next for tbh, Ms Wilde said there’s a “full pipeline of products we want to continue to build out and keep working on”.
“Anything that we feel the breakout-prone customer is currently missing in market is something we will be working on. Our core focus won’t ever shift and we will just continue doing our best to service this group of people to the best of our abilities, whether that’s through new products or in other ways too.”