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Beauty giant Revlon files for bankruptcy, struggles to compete with influencers

Jun 16, 2022

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Talk about a financial makeover: Revlon has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The beauty giant backed by billionaire Ron Perelman found itself caked with a debt load it couldn’t handle after COVID-19 and market competition struggles.

Bankruptcy will allow Revlon to restructure its $3.7 billion debt and access $575 million in financing from its existing lenders to keep day-to-day operations afloat, meaning the “love is on” brand will still be on display at the local drugstore.

The “filing will allow Revlon to offer our consumers the iconic products we have delivered for decades, while providing a clearer path for our future growth,” Revlon CEO Debra Perelman said in a release.

What happened to the once-booming beauty brand?

COVID-19 is just a fraction of what plagued the 90-year old Revlon. The entire makeup industry struggled as millions of Americans put on masks, ditching the need for things like lipstick and foundation. Sales dropped 21% in 2020, though those numbers are now picking up thanks to consumers ditching the masks and heading back into the world.

Still, the real problem that couldn’t be covered up is that Revlon aged. The makeup mainstay was slow to catch on to beauty trends and even slower to compete in e-commerce, making it particularly vulnerable when COVID-19 shut down department stores.

While its huge ad campaigns in the ’80s and ’90s used to be the beauty influencers of the day, now the Kylie Jenners of the world are the new face of makeup, with social media driving traffic over expensive marketing campaigns. Revlon has found itself in an overcrowded field of beauty brands and struggling to stay agile in the ever-changing environment.

Bankruptcy isn’t bad

Bankruptcy can be a good thing for a struggling corporation and Chapter 11 is designed to facilitate restructuring over liquidation.

“Consumer demand for our products remains strong — people love our brands, and we continue to have a healthy market position,” Debra Perelman said. “But our challenging capital structure has limited our ability to navigate macro-economic issues in order to meet this demand.”

Debra Perelman said the restructuring will allow the company to significantly reduce its debt. Meanwhile, the bankruptcy news is one more layer of bad headlines for her father Ron, who backs the company through MacAndrews & Forbes.

Ron Perelman has been the subject of months of bad press detailing allegations of serious debt problems, as he puts jets, properties and a superyacht on the market.

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

TALK ABOUT A MAKEOVER… REVLON HAS FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY.

THE BEAUTY GIANT BACKED BY BILLIONAIRE RON PERELMAN FOUND ITSELF CAKED WITH A DEBT LOAD IT COULDN’T HANDLE.

DON’T WORRY – YOUR LOVE WILL STILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE LOCAL DRUGSTORE.

BANKRUPTCY IS ALLOWING REVLON TO RESTRUCTURE ITS PLUS-THREE BILLION DOLLAR DEBT AND ACCESS $575 MILLION IN FINANCING TO KEEP AFLOAT.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ONCE-BOOMING BEAUTY BRAND?

COVID IS JUST A FRACTION OF WHAT PLAGUED IT. THOSE MASKS SURE MADE LIPSTICK AND FOUNDATION OBSOLETE, AND SALES PLUNGED.

BUT BEAUTY IS BACK – AND THE REAL PROBLEM THAT HASN’T YET BEEN COVERED UP – IS REVLON AGED.

THE MAINSTAY WAS SLOW TO CATCH ON TO BEAUTY TRENDS – EVEN SLOWER TO COMPETE IN E-COMMERCE. AND WHILE ITS HUGE AD CAMPAIGNS USED TO BE THE BEAUTY INFLUENCERS – NOW THE KYLIE JENNERS OF THE WORLD ARE PROVING TO BE THE NEW FACE OF MAKEUP.

BANKRUPTCY CAN BE A GOOD THING FOR A STRUGGLING CORPORATION – BUT IT’S ALSO ONE MORE LAYER OF BAD HEADLINES FOR PERELMAN.

IN NEW YORK FOR JUST BUSINESS I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO