According to Reuters.com, Shiseido – Japan’s largest cosmetics company – is set to buy Bare Escentuals for $1.7 Billion. Before all you Bare Escentuals devotees (of which I count myself one) start to hyperventilate, Reuters.com also reports that while Bare Escentuals will be owned by Shiseido, it will operate as separate division, and the Bare Escentuals brand will continue to be run by CEO Leslie Blodgett. In the article, Jason Gere, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, mentioned that the acquisition by Shiseido will allow Bare Escentuals greater resources to expand into Europe and Asia. It will also allow Shiseido to expand into the natural cosmetics market.
On the Bare Escentuals website, Leslie Blodgett posted a letter relaying the news, saying that “Bare Escentuals as you know it will remain the same. We are on a mission to share our products and our philosophy with as many women as possible, and this development will allow us to do so in a much faster way. Shiseido [...] will help us realize our mission of being a truly global brand so we can bring our products to even more women worldwide.” Responses by fans on Facebook has been polarized, with comments strongly divided between those that support the decision and those that worry about the quality of the brand moving forward.
What are your thoughts?
