Vie at Home

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Vie at Home Ltd.
Company typeparty plan and online retailer
Industrycosmetics
Founded1997
FounderVirgin Group
Headquarters
Chichester, England, UK
,
United Kingdom
Productsskin care, make up, bath & body, aromatherapy, jewellery, homeware
Revenue£10million
Number of employees
4,000 consultants, approx. 50 head office employees
ParentNetwork World Alliance GmbH
WebsiteVieAtHome.com

Vie at Home (trademarked VIE at home), previously known as The Virgin Cosmetics Company and Virgin Vie At Home, was relaunched in early 2009 under the leadership of original founders Ros Simmons and Ratan Daryani, following a management buy out from the Virgin Group.[1] A German company Network World Alliance, led by founder Helmut Spikker acquired the company in December 2010.[2] Vie At Home specialises in the direct selling of make up, skin care, body care, jewellery and homeware.

History

Based in Chichester, West Sussex, England, Vie at Home (then known as The Virgin Cosmetics Company) first launched in 1997 with the objective of selling their products in retail outlets and through party plan selling.

January 1997 In 1997, Richard Branson set up Virgin Cosmetics, selling cosmetics, skin care and bath & body products through direct selling party plan, retail stores, and mail order. Aiming to open 100 stores in 5 years.[3]

February 1997 Virgin Cosmetics appoints Ros Simmons as Marketing Director in preparation for the launch of the business.[3]

February 1999 Having struggled to make an impact on the high street Virgin Vie, in its second major redesign in less than a year, rebranded its stores as ’Virgin Cosmetics’.[4][5]

March 1999 Sales at parent company Victory Corporation, which launched Virgin Vie and Virgin Clothing in 1997, remain sluggish. Victory’s set of results for the year to March 31 showed a pounds 18.7m loss.[4]

October 2000 Virgin Cosmetics celebrates its 1,000,000th customer.[6]

April 2001 Virgin Cosmetics announces deal with Luxasia pte Ltd, as a distributor for the Asia region. The licence covered Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, India and China.[7]

February 2002 Virgin Vie Spa Treatment Rooms open in Cape Town, South Africa.

October 2002 Five years on, Virgin Cosmetics has grown to 7000 consultants.[6]

April 2003 Virgin Cosmetics withdraws from Asia. All nine stores in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore are closed.[8]

May 2003 Virgin Cosmetics receives the Direct Selling Association (DSA) Award for its contributions to direct selling.[9]

September 2003 Virgin Cosmetics Factory Outlets open across the UK.

June 2004 For the second year running, Virgin Cosmetics wins the Innovation and Excellence Award at the Direct Selling Association Award Ceremony in London.[6]

January 2005 Virgin Cosmetics launches their own jewellery range.

February 2005 Virgin Cosmetics wins 'Direct Sales Team of the Year Award' at the 2005 National Sales Awards.[6]

September 2005 The Virgin Cosmetics Company launches their first Direct Selling Business abroad, recruiting over 1000 consultants in just 12 months in South Africa.[6]

September 2006 To encompass the launch of jewellery[10] and another new category launching, Virgin Cosmetics is rebranded to Virgin Vie At Home.

December 2006 Virgin Vie At Home launches its direct selling concept in the United Arab Emirates.

September 2007 Virgin Vie At Home launches a new homeware range and a new look website.

January 2009 Virgin Vie At Home re-launches as Vie at Home after the Virgin Group pays out £8.8million of 'Brand Protection' money and writes off £21million worth of loans to the company. This was paid for the protection of the Virgin brand in the event that the new management team fail in turning the company around.[11]

April 2010 VIE at home is nominated for 4 awards at the DSA Annual Awards however wins none. Ros Simmons is also nominated for a First Woman Awards in the Retail and Consumer section[12]

May 2010 VIE at home announces they will be working with Arlene Phillips on a Make Up range for Autumn. This is the first time VIE at home has worked with a Celebrity

September 2010 VIE at home launches their first TV campaign[13] looking to recruit 4000 additional Consultants. Ros Simmons, chief executive of Vie at Home, says the campaign is about selling the experience and lifestyle of the Vie at Home brand as well as its products.

“We’re trying to change the image of party plan and direct selling, and make it a modern and acceptable way to buy cosmetics and to start selling,” she adds.

Simmons explains that the ad features four real Vie consultants to “convey the energy and sisterhood of being part of a organisation that is predominantly run by women for women”.

December 2010 Helmut Spikker announces his acquisition of VIE at home through his company Network World Alliance.[2] It is also announced that the warehousing facility would be moved from Stockton-on-Tees to Ahlen, Germany.

January 2011 On 20 January 2011 it was announced HMRC began the process of winding the company up in the High Court, London. The action was dismissed on Wednesday 2 February 2011. [1]

On 7 January 2011 Ratan Daryani, previous Chairman and owner resigns from the business.[14]

April 2011 It is announced that on 31 May 2011 Vie will cease trading in Germany having launched in the market during September 2009.

May 2011 On 23 May 2011 Ros Simmons, CEO, resigns from the Board of Directors.

May 2011 The company is well over-due filing company accounts, as can be seen on Companies House "Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED) Next Accounts Due: 20/10/2010 OVERDUE [15]

July 2011 A major restructuring takes place in the VIE group, the Aromatherapy, Homeware and Jewellery lines are all being discontinued whilst the company plan to integrate with its new owners Network World Alliance.

August 2011 Vie at home Ltd. files for liquidation, writing off over £2million worth of debt to suppliers and HMRC. The brand 'Vie at home' continues to trade under another company Vie Cosmetics Group Ltd. using new suppliers, particularly in logistics (as they are writing off a debt to Interlink of £16k) and £12k to their PR Agency plus their design agency of £37k [16] Their Cosmetics were historically bought by another group company (Vie Cosmetics (Purchasing) Ltd.) this company is also in administration and explains why they have not declared any monies owed to the manufacturers of their product.

September 2011 On 16 September 2011 it was proposed the holding company and owner of the brand 'VIE' was struck off of the Register of Companies,[17] having never submitted acccounts since the Group was removed from the Virgin Group in December 2008.

On 26 September 2011 the Administrators of the purchasing company (VCP) issued a Statement. [18] The document explains the Directors (Ros Simmons and Ratan Daryani) had been trying to sell the group since it was bought from Virgin Group in 2008. On 21st December 2010 the shares in VIE Cosmetics Group Ltd were sold to NWA Ventures GmbH who controlled total ownership, management and financial responsibility of the group. The company owes among other, it's outsourced warehouse company £680,000, the Centre de Recherches Biocosmetic £191,501.98, Intercos Italia S.P.A 123,914.40, Schwan-Stabilio Cosmetics GMBH £117,728.30. The total amount owing by the company is £5,219,301.74. The Administrator notes there is little liklehood of anyone other than the Warehouse (Who have exercised their right to take charge of the companies stock in exchange for payment) receiving payment. [19]

March 2012 It was announced in late March 2012 that Vie Cosmetics Group Ltd., owner of the brand 'VIE at home' was to enter Administration. [20] [21]

Turnover

Year Turnover
2006 £67.5m
2007 £56.3m
2008 £48.5m
2009 Unknown
2010 Unknown
2011 £10m (Pro-rata)

Vie at Home today

Vie at Home is no longer a member of the DSA (Direct Selling Association) with over 8,000 consultants earning an income through home party selling.

Charity

Vie at Home supported charity is CLIC Sargent[22] who they have supported since 2006.[23] As of 2009, the partnership has raised in excess of £320,000[22] through fundraising at Vie at Home Parties and online sales of jewellery and make-up. Consultants have also in the past been involved in fundraising treks to Thailand and Cuba.

Products

Vie at Home specialize in cosmetics, jewellery and homeware.

The cosmetics range consists of skin care, make up, bath & body and aromatherapy products.

The jewellery range is designed in-house. A new collection is launched at spring, summer and autumn/winter.

The homeware range has two launches per year - one for summer and one for winter. The product range consists of soft furnishings for the home including pillows, throws, picture frames, candles, bed linen and bathroom accessories.

References

  1. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/4214235/Branson-made-up-by-sale.html
  2. ^ a b http://nwamlm.eu/en/2010/12/shopping-in-england-helmut-spikker-buys-the-english-direct-sales-company-vie/
  3. ^ a b http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/64762/Virgin-ready-cosmetic-launch/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH
  4. ^ a b http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/66412/Virgin-cosmetics-stores-drop--rsquoVie-rsquo-latest-revamp/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH
  5. ^ http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/rss/66412/Virgin-cosmetics-stores-drop--rsquoVie-rsquo-latest-revamp/
  6. ^ a b c d e http://public.vieathome.com/our_company/pages/history_and_background.aspx
  7. ^ http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200104060951007536B
  8. ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-101415448.html
  9. ^ http://www.dsa.org.uk/conference_2009.htm
  10. ^ http://www.partyplantogether.co.uk/?p=448
  11. ^ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6653403.ece
  12. ^ http://fwa.realbusiness.co.uk/home/2010_shortlist
  13. ^ http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/fmcg/direct-selling-cosmetic-brand-launches-tv-campaign/3016873.article
  14. ^ http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/fc9384d4f4919854e2dfb2f5d6f1a0e6/wcprodorder?ft=1/
  15. ^ http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/86447c5f149008893aa2a2b770d60a96/compdetails
  16. ^ https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/zGddaH
  17. ^ https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/sI5cj
  18. ^ https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/wUiFh
  19. ^ https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/wUiFh
  20. ^ https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/cAVdbe
  21. ^ http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/c4ec70627d6c090630096f8035525de0/compdetails
  22. ^ a b http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Getinvolved/Corporatepartnerships/Currentcorporatepartners/Vieathome
  23. ^ http://public.vieathome.com/our_company/pages/charity.aspx

External links

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