From the Black Forest to a global natural cosmetics brand

In this Kassenzone episode, Karo talks to Peter Müller-Pellet, co-CEO of Annemarie Börlind, on site in the idyllic Black Forest about the future of the long-established natural cosmetics brand. Annemarie Börlind was founded in 1959 by Annemarie Lindner, who, with the motto “What I can't eat, I don't put on my skin,” laid the foundation for a company that today stands for high-quality, natural cosmetic products.

A central topic of the discussion is Annemarie Börlind's multichannel strategy. Peter explains how the company took the step from traditional sales channels such as health food stores to digital platforms such as Amazon in order to present the brand authentically online as well.

Besides sales channels, the conversation also covers production. Annemarie Börlind manufactures its products directly in the Black Forest, using pure deep spring water to ensure the exceptional quality of the products.

Peter also provides insights into the company's future expansion, particularly in the USA and China, and the expansion of the portfolio to include decorative cosmetics. Digital transformation and partnerships with international distributors are key to success in these markets.

Find out more about Annemarie Börlind's philosophy and future plans, its influencer marketing (Matthias Schweighöfer is already lined up) and whether well-known Chinese players like SHEIN pose a threat to the company in the latest podcast episode!

Key Insights

🧴 Annemarie Börlind currently has a turnover of around 60 million euros, 80% of which is generated in Germany. There are also branches in the USA and China as well as partners in around 30 countries. A third of sales are currently generated online, and the trend is rising.

🧴 Unlike other high-quality cosmetics manufacturers, Annemarie Börlind consistently relies on a multichannel strategy and, for example, integrated Amazon very early on. With so-called “love brand contracts”, the company makes sure that its products do not end up on the gray market, are not sold off cheaply and are not presented in a way that goes against the brand.

🧴 With comparatively small marketing budgets, Annemarie Börlind holds its own against the large corporations by relying on selected collaborations with German mega-influencers such as NovaLanaLove or Matthias Schweighöfer.

🧴 In contrast to many other natural cosmetics brands, Annemarie Börlind produces its products locally at its own deep spring.

🧴 The company attaches great importance to user-generated content. Peter is also convinced that social commerce will play an increasingly important role in Germany in the future.