VMV Hypoallergenics not sensitive to recession
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Company that has devised a proprietary "VH" rating system for hypoallergenicity - like the SPF system for sunscreens, it says - saw its online sales grow by 180% in 2008, compared with the prior year. At the same time the firm is expanding its retail presence; while previously available to U.S. consumers only at 1www.vmvhypoallergenics.com, the company's products now are sold through C.O. Bigelow, Bliss Catalog, Clyde's New York and Henri Bendel's, and soon will be offered by Fred Segal, according to a spokesperson. Most VMV skin-care and makeup items are "VH 27," meaning they contain none of the 27 allergens compiled by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group. The firm says it conducts patch tests for all its products, as well as every raw material used, and supports its claims with clinical research. This May, VMV will add Armada Post Procedure SPF 50 and Armada Sun Care for Baby SPF 50 to its sun-protection portfolio, the company says