Alberto Culver to Acquire Simple Health & Beauty Ltd.

“Simple may sound like a good idea, what with its no fragrance positioning, but the fact is that at the end of the day, personal care products are all about being nice to use, and as any consumer research will tell you, in the world of cosmetics and toiletries that means smelling nice, too,” said industry consultant and Happi columnist Colin Hession. “Yes, there are people who don’t want fragrance, but not as many as one might think. Simple has tended to hold its position by having a handful of SKUs which sell well, and then constantly introducing new ones—like baby, hair and men’s —which seem to come and go. Eleven times EBITDA appears on the high side, given the lack of further leverage for the brand.”