Cosmetics Brand 'about-face' Taps Barrett
New York-based skincare and cosmetics brand about-face has selected Barrett Distribution Centers to manage its omnichannel fulfillment. The partnership with the third-party logistics provider is designed to support the brand's rapid growth.
Founded by musical artist Halsey in 2021, about-face is a vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics brand built on the ethos of self-expression. The brand targets a diverse, artistic community with high-performance products designed for creativity. The partnership with Barrett is a strategic move to manage the complexities of a growing omnichannel presence. This includes both a strong direct-to-consumer business and an expanding retail footprint, which began with an exclusive partnership with Ulta Beauty in 2022. Scaling a cosmetics brand presents significant logistical challenges, including managing a diverse range of products, ensuring consistent quality across large batches, and navigating complex supply chains. Outsourcing fulfillment to a specialized third-party logistics provider (3PL) is a common strategy for rapidly growing brands to maintain operational efficiency. The decision to partner with Barrett was directly influenced by about-face's new CEO, Francesca Raminella, who joined in May 2024. Raminella, a veteran of the beauty industry with experience at Revlon, L'Oréal, and Procter & Gamble, recommended Barrett based on a successful prior partnership during her time as CEO of Beauty By Imagination. Barrett Distribution Centers specializes in providing customized logistics for the health and beauty industry, including climate-controlled warehousing and management of products with diverse SKUs and expiration dates. The about-face operations will be managed from Barrett's facility in Memphis, Tennessee, a central location chosen to support national retail distribution and direct-to-consumer orders.
