Henkel acquires majority stake in L.A. hair color firm, debuts ‘Experience Center’ in Stamford

Henkel
Henkel executives at the ribbon cutting for the Henkel Experience Center.

Henkel, the German company whose North American Consumer Goods headquarters are in Stamford, has acquired a 51% stake in eSalon.com, a Los Angeles-based customized hair color company, for an undisclosed amount.

eSalon creates customized hair color for at-home application and is available as a one-time purchase or as a subscription. In fiscal 2018, the business generated sales of around $30 million, mainly in the U.S. market, according to Henkel. The company employs approximately 120 people and has its main site including production, office and warehouse in Los Angeles.

“With this joint venture, we aim to grow our core business and at the same time expand in an innovative digital business model,” said Jens-Martin Schwärzler, executive vice president responsible for Henkel”™s Beauty Care business. “We expect to gain valuable consumer insights that will also help us to create meaningful innovations for our classical retail consumers.”

eSalon”™s founders and existing management team will stay on board, Schwärzler added.

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Meanwhile, Henkel also announced the opening of its Henkel Experience Center at 200 Elm St. in Stamford. That venue covers more than 5,200 square feet and consists of 10 stations highlighting the company”™s consumer products through multimedia and experiential elements. Each station also enables visitors to create products through customizable collaboration sessions.

The Stamford venue ”“ first announced in 2017 when the firm relocated its North American center from Scottsdale, Arizona — is touted as the first of its kind at Henkel outside of its global headquarters in Düsseldorf. Henkel also maintains a research and development facility in Trumbull.

“With the ability to customize visits for each customer according to their needs and goals, it provides an ideal setting for collaboration with Henkel Beauty Care and Laundry & Home Care experts on individualized business growth discussions and strategic partnership planning,” said Henkel Consumer Goods, North America President Stephan Fuesti-Molnar.