Warpaint London PLC (LSE:W7L) has agreed to acquire the Barry M cosmetics brand for £1.4 million in cash, with completion subject to court approval that is expected on Monday.
The transaction covers Barry M’s intellectual property, inventory and order book, but excludes manufacturing operations and any associated liabilities. The brand is being acquired out of administration and generated around £15 million in revenue in the year ended 28 February 2025.
Barry M is a long-established value cosmetics brand with extensive retail reach, supported by one-metre-plus display stands in more than 1,300 stores. Its footprint includes approximately 650 Superdrug outlets, 420 Boots stores, 120 Sainsbury’s locations, 50 Tesco stores and around 90 Priceline stores in Australia.
Alongside the acquisition announcement, Warpaint issued a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2025. The group expects revenue of roughly £105 million, compared with £102 million in 2024, alongside an improvement in gross margins. Included within this figure is a £12 million contribution from Brand Architekts, which was acquired in February 2025.
Adjusted EBITDA for 2025 is forecast at around £22 million, down from £25 million the prior year. Brand Architekts contributed approximately £0.8 million of positive adjusted EBITDA, compared with a loss of about £1 million in 2024. Revenue headwinds during the year included the closure of Bodycare, which reduced sales by around £3 million, a challenging consumer backdrop impacting revenue by approximately £4 million, and a further £2 million loss linked to uncertainty around U.S. tariffs.
The group reported cash balances of £18 million as at 31 January 2026, double the £9 million held a year earlier.
Sam Bazini, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Looking ahead to the new year, we expect to see a return to organic growth across the Group and also expect to be able to update the market on further significant new customer roll outs with our full year results in April.”
Leave a Reply