Case Study: Paula's Choice
Bertram Capital employed The Bertram Capital High 5sm to build a unique content-driven ecommerce platform offering innovative skin care and cosmetics.
Company
Paula’s Choice is a content-driven ecommerce platform offering proprietary products, extensive skin care research, and exclusive reviews of more than 45,000 products from other brands.
Acquired
November 2012
Recapitalized
May 2016 Majority Recapitalization to TA Associates
Transaction
Overview
Bertram Capital acquired Seattle, WA based skincare and cosmetics company, Paula’s Choice in November of 2012 and quickly deployed its value creation strategy, the Bertram High 5sm to grow the company’s online sales while expanding the business to a thriving international and multi-channel operation. The company’s revenue grew 3 times during Bertram’s initial three and a half year investment period before completing a majority recapitalization with private equity firm, TA Associates in May of 2016.
Sales Channel
Sales & Marketing:
Launched products in Nordstrom and on QVC. Produced first print marketing campaigns. Dramatically accelerated website traffic.
Management
Added:
CEO, CIO, Creative Director, VP Supply Chain, VP Sales, Controller
Add–Ons
Acquired Paula’s Choice European Distributor
Added SE Asia Distributors
Opened direct sales to Australia
Technology
Results:
Average monthly unique visitors up 4.5x from online marketing initiatives. Implemented automated online re-ordering.
Supply Chain
Results:
Launched third party logistics initiatives decreasing delivery times in half and improving working capital.