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LONDON — Method Products Inc., the eco-friendly home cleaning brand, has taken a shine to the U.K.'s personal care market.
The San Francisco-based brand will introduce its Method Baby and Method Kid lines, which comprise products including diaper cream, bubble bath and moisturizer, to 550 Boots stores from July 7. The products, which bowed in the U.S. in April, mark a departure for the company known for eco-friendly floor cleaner, washing-up liquid and detergents.
"Our client base buys into the brand philosophy as a whole, so the extension was natural," said Eric Ryan, who, with Adam Lowry, founded the brand in 2000.
Ingredients in Method's personal care products for children are 99 percent plant derived — except for Nappy Cream (called Diaper Cream in the U.S.), which contains 95 percent botanical ingredients. They're also hypo-allergenic, free of parabens, ethoxylated compounds and animal by-products, and are tested by pediatricians.
Ryan declined to comment on Method's sales, however, industry sources estimate total annual turnover to be over $100 million, with personal care generating 25 percent of that figure.
Method Baby and Method Kid, which together comprise seven stockkeeping units, are positioned at the accessible end of the market, according to Ryan. In the U.K., a 153-ml. tube of diaper cream and a 295-ml. jar of body wash will each retail at 5 pounds, or $9.96 at current exchange, for example.
"We didn't want price to be a barrier," he said.
Method, which is carried at Target stores in the U.S., entered the U.K. in 2006 with cleaning products carried in department stores including Selfridges and John Lewis, as well as supermarkets such as Waitrose and Tesco. In April, it introduced a hand moisturizer to its offering here.
The San Francisco-based brand will introduce its Method Baby and Method Kid lines, which comprise products including diaper cream, bubble bath and moisturizer, to 550 Boots stores from July 7. The products, which bowed in the U.S. in April, mark a departure for the company known for eco-friendly floor cleaner, washing-up liquid and detergents.
"Our client base buys into the brand philosophy as a whole, so the extension was natural," said Eric Ryan, who, with Adam Lowry, founded the brand in 2000.
Ingredients in Method's personal care products for children are 99 percent plant derived — except for Nappy Cream (called Diaper Cream in the U.S.), which contains 95 percent botanical ingredients. They're also hypo-allergenic, free of parabens, ethoxylated compounds and animal by-products, and are tested by pediatricians.
Ryan declined to comment on Method's sales, however, industry sources estimate total annual turnover to be over $100 million, with personal care generating 25 percent of that figure.
Method Baby and Method Kid, which together comprise seven stockkeeping units, are positioned at the accessible end of the market, according to Ryan. In the U.K., a 153-ml. tube of diaper cream and a 295-ml. jar of body wash will each retail at 5 pounds, or $9.96 at current exchange, for example.
"We didn't want price to be a barrier," he said.
Method, which is carried at Target stores in the U.S., entered the U.K. in 2006 with cleaning products carried in department stores including Selfridges and John Lewis, as well as supermarkets such as Waitrose and Tesco. In April, it introduced a hand moisturizer to its offering here.
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