On Tuesday, Sephora Canada’s e-commerce site launched tampons and pads by menstrual and personal care brand Blume. This represents the first time Sephora has sold period products.
While linking with the beauty retailer to sell pads and tampons may seem like an unusual move, 2-year-old Blume has sold five products including a cleansing oil and deodorant through Sephora.ca since Oct. 2019. Beauty retailers have been rapidly pushed in new directions since the start of Covid-19, and that includes forming new relationships with menstrual brands. The onset of the health crisis in March led many people to stockpile essential items including tampons and menstrual pads, which led customers to seek out newer DTC brands and more niche retailers to acquire products. With Ulta expanding to Canada in 2021, Sephora is likely trying to become a one-stop shop for beauty and personal care before then.
Vancouver-based Blume, which also sells products through Aerie and Nordstrom, raised $3.3 million in funding in April 2019. Taran Ghatrora, Blume co-founder and CEO, said the brand has experienced 200% year-over-year sales growth in 2020 so far.
“This year, we’ve seen that essential products are more important than ever, even across categories. Easy access to those essential products through an online platform is [equally as] important,” said Ghatrora. “Consumers deserve more choices around which products they are using and where they can purchase them.”
Blume is part of the overall clean menstrual movement, which includes other brands like Lola and Rael, both of which offer 100% organic cotton products. Bunny Ghatrora, Blume co-founder (and sister to Taran) said that a girl’s debut into the personal care market as a customer occurs rapidly and immediately coincides with when they start to menstruate. They do not purchase only pads or tampons, but they also buy face products and deodorants. Until now, the typical customer experience involves going to a drug store or grocery store to purchase period care products, usually with euphemistic language on packaging and unpronounceable ingredients. Being able to offer products at Sephora, therefore, makes sense from a product perspective, plus the retailer features a merchandising environment that may be viewed as more welcoming.
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“Our initial line of products cater to those initial menstrual problems [like oily skin],” said Bunny Ghatrora. “There are a lot of opportunities for brands to come in and have those conversations, and be a safe space for girls and women as they grow up.”
Taran Ghatrora said Bloom plans to promote its Sephora launch through email and social media on Tuesday, highlighting how customers can earn Sephora rewards points for purchasing the brand’s products. She said Sephora will also do the same. She added that she is optimistic about additional opportunities with Sephora, such as expansion to brick-and-mortar or other international locations.
“We are very excited to venture into a category that is completely new at Sephora,” said Jane Nugent, svp of merchandising at Sephora Canada. “Menstrual products are essentials in a care routine, and we are thrilled to introduce these products from Blume, a brand that celebrates everything about being a woman.”
