Net-a-Porter's beauty section turns five in April and it looks as though the luxe e-comm giant has a lot to celebrate. Since its launch in 2013, sales in the category have grown 10 times and the site has gone from stocking 86 brands in its first year, to 265 in 2018.
In an interview with US website Glossy, Net-a-Porter beauty director Newby Hands puts the success of the offering down to a number of factors. Firstly, the site's dedicated section that includes an assortment of non-toxic, natural-leaning products has proven to be popular with its customers. It also caters to the ever-growing wellness cohort by stocking supplements and protein powders from the likes of Moon Juice and WelleCo – an area predicted to continue flourishing this year.
In line with the wider industry skincare boom, sales have grown by 9 per cent on last year, while Charlotte Tilbury continues to be a flagship brand for the site. Her Full Fat Lashes 5-Star Mascara is the most popular beauty product on site, and her Magic Cream follows close behind.
Hands also explained to Glossy that curation plays a large part in encouraging sales. They don't stock anything too readily available, she said. That means that there are only nine Estée Lauder products on the site, for example. "The goal, instead, is for most products on the site to be new discoveries."
To celebrate the fifth anniversary, it's thought Net-a-Porter will be launching some yet-to-be announced limited edition collaborations with the likes of Eyeko, Vintner's Daughter and 111Skin. It will also be holding a number of events to celebrate the milestone birthday. We can't wait to see what they have planned.
