Drunk Elephant to Launch in China

Drunk Elephant is expanding its international footprint this September. The brand, which is said to be in talks with strategic buyers to do a deal, will launch in Hong Kong at Sephora and with a two-day pop-up shop, and in mainland China via cross-border commerce with Tmall. Chief executive officer Tim Warner declined to comment on how close Drunk Elephant is to an acquisition announcement, but noted that launching in China, given that market’s strength overall and proclivity to skin care specifically, is a strategic priority. To that end, earlier this year, the brand hired a general manager for the region based in Shanghai. “There’s no reason to wait,” Warner said. “We’ve been working on this initiative for the last year and solidified it with our hire in January.” Warner said sales in Hong Kong and China are expected to comprise about 10 percent of Drunk Elephant’s global business, which currently includes the U.S., the U.K., Singapore and Australia. He declined to comment on specific numbers, but sources have said the brand pulled in close to $100 million in net sales for 2018. Drunk Elephant laid the seeds for the launch earlier this year, inviting five leading KOLs to New York to experience its House

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