LMD12
06-07-2005, 02:08 PM
I'm not a customer, but I found this story today in case anyone wants to know:
P&G To Close Online Cosmetics Business
Closure To Affect Less Than 45 Employees
POSTED: 12:15 pm EDT June 7, 2005
CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble Co. will shut down its online customized cosmetics business at the end of the month.
The Cincinnati-based consumer products maker started its online cosmetics experiment, Reflect.com, in 1999. Reflect.com, based in San Francisco, will take orders until June 13 and ship all products by June 17.
Company executives have said that P&G invested at least $60 million in Reflect.com in three rounds of funding.
Spokeswoman Cheryl Hudgins said the experiment was a learning experience for P&G, which will now apply some of the same techniques to its beauty-care brands. Those brands include Olay skin cream and Cover Girl cosmetics.
"What happened was, we learned what we needed to learn," said Hudgins, who would not confirm P&G's investment or give other details on finances of the San Francisco company.
She said the closing would affect fewer than 45 employees.
P&G started the online business as a way to sell directly to consumers rather than through retailers' Web sites and to customize the product's color, packaging and other features to a consumer's specifications.
P&G To Close Online Cosmetics Business
Closure To Affect Less Than 45 Employees
POSTED: 12:15 pm EDT June 7, 2005
CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble Co. will shut down its online customized cosmetics business at the end of the month.
The Cincinnati-based consumer products maker started its online cosmetics experiment, Reflect.com, in 1999. Reflect.com, based in San Francisco, will take orders until June 13 and ship all products by June 17.
Company executives have said that P&G invested at least $60 million in Reflect.com in three rounds of funding.
Spokeswoman Cheryl Hudgins said the experiment was a learning experience for P&G, which will now apply some of the same techniques to its beauty-care brands. Those brands include Olay skin cream and Cover Girl cosmetics.
"What happened was, we learned what we needed to learn," said Hudgins, who would not confirm P&G's investment or give other details on finances of the San Francisco company.
She said the closing would affect fewer than 45 employees.
P&G started the online business as a way to sell directly to consumers rather than through retailers' Web sites and to customize the product's color, packaging and other features to a consumer's specifications.