Premium cosmetics business Chantecaille has been acquired by German-based multinational Beiersdorf.
Valued between US$590m and $690m, Chantecaille has been trading since 1997 and offers skin care, fragrance and colour cosmetics in its repertoire.
The Nivea owner is expected to run the beauty brand as a separate entity to other members of its portfolio, similar to its set up with luxury skin care name La Prairie.
Despite its French roots, the company trades out of its New York head office and has a global presence, with particular interest in the US.
For 2021 the brand is expected to report global sales in excess of $100m.
The family-established brand, still run by matriarch Sylvie Chantecaille, was founded on the purpose of philanthropy, shining a spotlight on environmental and conservationist issues.
Chantecaille’s daughters, Olivia and Alex, and son Philippe today hold executive roles within the company, as does husband Olivier.
“Through the acquisition of Chantecaille, we are bolstering our portfolio in prestige beauty and strengthening our position, especially in the United States, China and Korea, which is a priority of our C.A.R.E.+ strategy,” said Vincent Warnery, CEO of Beiersdorf.
“We are pleased to welcome Chantecaille and its dedicated team to the Beiersdorf family. With its strong philanthropic approach, Chantecaille is a clarion voice for global environmental concerns and supports conservation efforts around the world that are in line with Beiersdorfs’ sustainability agenda, Care Beyond Skin.”
In August last year, Beiersdorf announced that its manufacturing plant in Berlin, Germany, would become its first facility to switch to biogas in 2022, using biomethane and green electricity, reducing its overall CO2 output by 99% compared with 2018.
In 2020, Beiersdorf, along with L’Oréal, became one of the top most responsible companies for protecting forests, as named by not-for-profit CDP.
It has also taken steps to reduce plastic pollution by opting for a bio-based polypropylene resin for its Nivea packaging.
Chantecaille, meanwhile, has dedicated numerous beauty products to funding conservation work around the world, raising awareness of endangered animals.
Each season the brand aligns itself with a charitable cause for organisations that are protecting the environment.
Most recently, Chantecaille built a life-size herd of Asian elephants as part of a public art project to raise awareness of the overlap between humans and the animal kingdom.
Inspired by the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India, the wooden statues went on display in the UK capital in St James Park and Berkeley Square.
Speaking about the brand’s new owner, Sylvie Chantecaille added: “We looked very carefully for a great steward that could help take Chantecaille to the next level and continue to further Chantecaille’s acceleration as a leader in natural beauty.
“The fact that Beiersdorf shares the same core values made them an ideal choice.”