The Hut Group acquires major UK beauty manufacturing company

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The Hut Group (THG) has acquired Acheson & Acheson, a leading player in the beauty contract manufacturing and product development sector.

With the acquisition, THG, a major, fairly new player on the beauty scene, is striding forward once again with its ambitious expansion.

The company, which is actually a tech company focused on beauty and wellbeing retail, has announced the acquisition of UK

THG is UK-headquartered iself, and retails over 8,000 brands which includes its own leading brands such as Myprotein, ESPA, Grow Gorgeous and Illamasqua.

Operating over 160 localised websites across 35 languages and 42 currencies, the Group’s platform receives over 500 million visits annually.

Strategic move: future ambition unlocked

The investment represents long-term strategic benefits for THG, the company says, as it reinforces its ambition of becoming the fully integrated, global digital leader in the beauty and wellbeing sectors.

Future expansion plans include THG’s intention to spend £50m replicating Acheson & Acheson in Europe and USA.

Matthew Moulding, Chief Executive Officer of The Hut Group, commented: “Acheson & Acheson is a truly exciting addition to THG and I am delighted to welcome this very talented team.

“In Acheson & Acheson, we have made a significant investment and one that uniquely positions THG to make a step-change in its innovation, operational excellence and manufacturing capacity.”

What is Acheson & Acheson?

Established in 1992, by Kenneth and Fiona Acheson, Acheson & Acheson has grown at rapid pace to its position as a distinguished manufacturer for prestige beauty brands, supported by its R&D, manufacturing, regulatory compliance, product design and product development functions.

Acheson & Acheson has over 380 employees, which includes over 50 people working exclusively on pioneering product development and innovation, keeping its clients at the forefront of the beauty industry.

The business offers an end-to-end service that runs from product/packaging design & development, formulation development, international sourcing, product testing to UK manufacturing, warehouse and distribution.

The company also holds numerous high value accreditations, including being a certified BRC Grade A Supplier and compliant with SEDEX.

Adding to THG’s portfolio: infrastructure and brands

Ameliorate, Acheson & Acheson’s own skin care brand, is included in the purchase and will now be added to THG’s own brand portfolio.

Targeted at sufferers of Keratosis Pilaris, the specialist brand is sold globally through leading prestige and specialty retailers including Space NK Apothecary, Selfridges, Boots, Harvey Nichols, Liberty’s and Marks & Spencer.

Acheson & Acheson has a state-of-the-art 78,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Frome, Somerset along with two other sites in Trowbridge - one being its head office and the other, a facility for product packaging, storage and distribution.

The facilities will now be added to THG’s portfolio, which includes two food production and distribution facilities – a 1m sq. ft. Cheshire based facility (Omega) and a US facility in Kentucky – as well as a production and logistics centre in Poland, which brings next-day delivery to continental Europe.