My pal Jess of Polish Insomniac blew my mind this morning, and now I'm about to blow yours. Markwins (makers of Wet n Wild and Black Radiance) is acquiring Physicians Formula.
From Bloomberg Businessweek:
Physicians Formula, based in Azusa, Calif., said Thursday that Markwins will acquire all of its outstanding shares for $4.90 per share, which represents a 33 percent premium to the company's closing price of $3.68 on Aug. 14...
To read the full article, please click here.
I don't even know what to say. I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts about this and how you think this may or may not change the course of PF moving forward. I'm thinking about how this could improve the distribution of PF in the future (will we eventually see this brand at all of the same retailers that currently carry Markwins products?). Also, could this possibly mean that we might eventually see more color cosmetic offerings from PF (limited edition eyeshadows, lip colors or...dare I say it...nail polishes?!)? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
And thanks again, Jess, for the scoop of all scoops!
OMG, seriously!!!!! That's news to me. I think with better marketing, PF products can do a lot better and possibly expand their cosmetic line.
ReplyDeleteEhhh.... I have a few concerns. I'd love to see the prices come down a bit of PF, but I'm also worried the quality may change as well. Seeing some new products couldn't hurt either.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm concerned about too. But it might bring UP the quality of WnW products, so I'm excited to see how it plays out.
DeleteMy thoughts exactly ladies, PF maybe what WnW or even Black Radiance needs ad their top of the line products plus skin care. It can change the whole dynamics WnW as awe know it and the products may now have a more permanent spot in stores like Maybelline, Loreal etc. The prices couldgo up some on Wnw and BR while dropping the on PF to balance the costs a bit more, still making for an affordable product we love and will still purchase. My two cents worth.....
DeleteI agree 100% with you, kinda scary.
DeleteI hope this means that PF will become more afforable and come out with more highly pigmented products. However I am kind of nervous about how this will effect the quality of the products as far as being natural, eco friendly, mineral based, etc.
ReplyDeleteI just hope everything stays cruelty-free and WNW's prices stay in the same price point (affordable). WNW eyeshadows and PF's Mineral Wear Face Powder are my makeup staples. I hope this does not change either product(s)
ReplyDeleteHi Gega, I was hoping the same regarding the cruelty-free status...but as Tikibwana commented down below, it looks as though WNW may have sold out to China thus making them no longer truly cruelty-free. :(
DeleteI just want Markwins to begin using some type of e-commerce solution for their products.
ReplyDelete"I just want Markwins to begin using some type of e-commerce solution for their products."
DeleteDitto x1000. I would love to be able to order direct, especially LE items.
I don't find the quality of PF to be worth the cost, so it would be nice if there could be some improvement there.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited! But I'm worried that they may cut down the prices, & then the quality would be lower. Hmmmmm we shall see!
ReplyDeleteToo bad... probably means they will move production to China, like Wet n Wild.
ReplyDeleteYou literally took the words right out of my mouth. Too, too many cosmetics and skincare brands are moving away from being cruelty-free and hoping we don't notice by dangling the glitter, shine and color bonanzas before our eyes. For those of us who choose to support only cruelty-free brands (no judgement, just facts), the number of choices is shrinking. Hopefully this acquisition will not reflect the MO of the Estee Lauder group who owns just about every other cosmetic group out there.
DeleteThanks for sharing that info, I has no idea about WNW. :(
DeleteI agree, I'm concerned with quality as well. Although PF is more expensive, I didn't usually mind paying the price for something I liked because it was always top notch in comparison to other brands. But seeing the price come down would be nice. Currently, it's the most expensive brand at the drugstore.
ReplyDeleteI just hope they don't change a thing with the formula for the trio eyeliners...I'm good. XD I'd love to see them sold in singles so that I don't have to keep buying the whole trio just for one pencil. The taupe one in the Hazel eyes trio is my favorite everyday eye pencil!
ReplyDeleteOn the positive side, we'll probably see some great PF sales as they clear old stock to make way for the new stuff!
ReplyDeleteThey've been on super sale several times this year at CVS. Literally $7 off here, $5 off there for seemingly no reason. I guess we know why now, however. I'll be stocking up if they go on super sale!
DeleteI hope they keep Physicians Formula as-is for the most part. I like that they at least have unscented and cruelty-free products. The prices aren't too bad, since I just wait for a 40 percent off sale, which Rite Aid and CVS have often enough. A little more variety would be nice, though.
ReplyDeleteI hope they start making darker shades.
ReplyDeleteLower price point would be nice. Oh and I accidently bought markwins nailpolish from the 99¢store they come in a set with fake nails. I just wanted the nails for swatches, then I checked out the polish before I was about to chuck it and I was surprised once I checked online who the maker was.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Markwins is really expanding.. which could be a good thing. I find PF products to be very hit or miss... love some things, others are really bad, but overall they have greatly improved in the last year. Ditto with WnW, although their quality is more constant across the board. PF has a huge retail presence in my area, while WnW is much harder to find, especially full displays.. most places have mini displays that only offer a selection of their products. Agree with the poster who said she was looking forward to the clearance sales, although PF has always had really fantastic sales and I personally have just about everything I would want from them now. They are both cruelty free, so should have no problems there.
ReplyDeleteWow! This gives all of us something to think about.. This could go either way. It makes you think of the positive and the negative outcomes, which I won't mention since all of us seem to have the same concerns. But let's all hope for the best and see what this will bring.
ReplyDeleteI hope this doesn't change some of the products that are permanent like the happy booster blushes, love those. I love shimmer and PF has plenty of it unlike other brands. I dont care if they change the packaging unless it's the happy booster, love the packaging,i'm a pink girl. So I hope that doesn't change. More products, a nail line, and lipsticks would be awesome though. Im excited to see how this plays out though.
ReplyDeleteThis is FABULOUS news! I really think WnW is quality stuff now (they've stepped up their game while remaining affordable) & while I've never used PF, I've long been interested but their prices are a bit high for me. So I'm hoping this deal will mean good prices & good products across the board.
ReplyDeleteI have never actually used PF; however, I own several of the products due to great CVS deals. I collect PF Happy Boosters. They are so cute. I am concerned that the coupons, rebates, and deals will change. As someone else stated, I will look forward to clearance deals to stock up.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this means PF will become a lot more affordable =)
ReplyDeleteI hope this doesn't affect the quality of PF. Not saying that WnW is terrible, but I always worry about that in these kinds of acquisitions. It would be great to see their prices lower bit, although it was never hard to get PF products on sale or with a coupon. I hope they don't discontinue anything either....
ReplyDeleteMy only concern is that PF would start making limited editions with such a limited distribution as WnW does. It's really hard to find those limited edition in my area. I can't help it but to feel sad every time WnW comes w/ a LE cause probably I'll never get to see it.
ReplyDeleteI was really ticked off to see that the last rite aid sale for bogo1/2 off, all physician formula blushes/ bronzers/ illuminators were $14.95! That's wayy too expensive, so I am hoping markeins will bring the prices back down to affordable..for anOther $10, I can buy premium cosmetics..
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah pf has been going way up in price so unless prices come down, I will not buy.. The products are good, but they are not worth the price tag anymore
I better invest in a few of my favorite matte eyeshadow quads before they're discontinued, however wet & wilds formulas are excellent. I can see the two brands doing a lot for each other.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting decision overall, just because PF and WnW are targeted towards very different consumer bases. I'm curious to see if this means we'll get better eyeshadows from PF or better base products from WnW, but overall, I imagine they wouldn't want to rock the ship too much, since both brands probably do fairly well already.
ReplyDeleteAs fAr as I knew..wnw has the cruelty free tag.. And it's always been made in china.. Maybe since it's sold in the USA, they do not have to test on animals, bc it will not be actually sold in china, rather exported. Maybe I'm malinformed... Elf is cruelty free too but is made in china.. Idk can someone explain it to me?
ReplyDeleteAs long as they don't discontinue their black cream liner, we'll be good.
ReplyDeleteBased on my experience with these kinds of business mergers & acquisitions, I have a feeling Markwins wanted to enter a "higher end" market of drugstore cosmetics (with older customers who have higher incomes/spending) without creating all new products. It actually makes sense, since they already do a good job with WnW, which we all love but is thought of as a brand for "younger" people (super-low price point, "cheap" packaging, "fun" branding). As a business, they don't have to lose their customers as they age and look for more "sophisticated" products with SPF (!) and will acquire the customers who have been buying Phys Formu for the SPF in lots of products and reputation for higher quality. There will probably be some merging of company culture and departments/jobs too, but there could definitely be benefits to both brands. This is probably the most optimistic scenario.
ReplyDeleteI hope Markwins doesn't move the manufacturing of PF to China in order to cut costs. I like WnW but I am a little skeptical about what is actually in their cosmetics since China sends sketchy stuff to the USA all the time. Poisonous pet foods/treats, dishes & toys with lead paint, jewelry with too high of lead content, etc.
ReplyDeleteI hope the PF light tones don't get messed up since most aren't light enough for me as is. I don't bother with the WnW because I'm afraid they're all too orange.