Once an unknown player in the beauty industry, Alrossa has emerged as the name on every beauty-lover’s lips. Initially operating out of a town-home converted warehouse, the company had very humble beginnings. However, Mark Sanders, the founder of Alrossa, had expensive taste – specifically an eye for luxury beauty products.
Recognizing that convenience was quickly emerging as the dominant factor in consumers’ purchasing decisions, Sanders knew that Amazon’s business model would eventually outperform established competitors in the luxury goods market such as Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.
Sander’s realization in 2014, prompted him to launch Alrossa – an upscale beauty and lifestyle marketplace and Amazon agency headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.
Speaking with Sanders, he explained: “When I first started, brands were wary of e-commerce. They didn’t understand the potential of online marketplaces, and they certainly didn’t see Amazon as a viable investment of their time and energy. They saw Sephora, Bergdorf’s, and Saks as the Holy Grails of luxury – if they could have their products on those retailer’s shelves, then they made it. And when I say, “made it”, I don’t just mean guaranteed sales; I mean the solidification of their reputations as luxury brands. A decade ago, I used to parallel the luxury beauty industry to those types of cliques you’d see in high school – you had to earn your way in, but once you were in, you were in. However, when Amazon emerged, everything changed and the cliques started to slowly disappear.”
True to form, Sanders’ prediction eight years ago has slowly proven successful. Today Alrossa is a multimillion-dollar business, employing the brightest and most innovative individuals who are passionate about helping brands grow.
We had the chance to interview Catherine Nguyen, an Account Manager at Alrossa. Here, she shared some insights on the value that Alrossa adds to brands: “Admittedly, Alrossa has a unique yet effective business model. When I first joined the company, I didn’t completely understand the extent of the value that we add to brands. As a previous employee of Amazon, I directly witnessed its rapid growth internally. I was with Amazon during their acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, their launch of Amazon Style, and their doublement of fulfillment and delivery centers globally. I don’t believe anyone truly and completely understands the ins-and-outs of Amazon – besides Jeff Bezos of course. However, there are a select few agencies who have studied components of Amazon and have built business models in these areas. I liken our company to a team of Amazon experts – dedicated to onboarding, managing, and accelerating luxury brands on the Amazon.US platform. There are few agencies who specialize in accelerating brands on Amazon – let alone luxury brands. This is our point of differentiation, and this is what allows us to excel.”
With Alrossa’s help, big-name luxury brands are increasing their sales revenue quarter after quarter on Amazon. Even more impressively, up and coming niche brands are monopolizing on Amazon’s unmatchable reach. “That’s my favorite part about working with Alrossa – I can help small brands that I believe in grow. When no other luxury retailer was willing to give them a chance, we took that leap of faith and allowed them to increase their sales revenue,” shared Nguyen.
With Alrossa’s brand new office and warehouse in Brooklyn, the company has placed no limits on their potential.
