THE GOLD COAST'S BLOKES OF BEAUTY

WHEN two down-to-earth Gold Coast blokes decided to put everything they had into a new business venture in a typically female dominated industry, they never dreamed the online enterprise would experience the level of success it has achieved in the past decade.

The homegrown business, which caters to over 250,000 beauty enthusiasts, boasts more than 1 million orders shipped to date, an annual turnover in excess of 12 million dollars and a bricks and mortar store located in Brisbane.

And now, as RY.com.au, or Recreate Yourself, celebrates 10 years of business, the company continues to steam roll ahead, acquiring Australia's specialist skincare store and once major competitor, FacialCo.com.au.

Founded by Brad Carr and James Patten, the new acquisition for the business, which brings a flush of new brands into the business fold including Ultraderm, Skindinavia and Dr. Hauschka, is another step forward towards RY.com.au positioning itself as Australia's most successful online beauty store.

"Our aim has always been to continue to add brands to our online store as well as increase our physical presence across Australia, offering an extensive product range including hard-to-find brands at a competitive price and ensuring the needs of the customer is at the forefront of every decision we make," says Carr.

Beginning with a product offering of just 35, RY.com.au has grown to now provide consumers with a range of 8,000 hair, skin and beauty products all at the click of a button.

"We have always been very ambitious and are really pleased with how we are tracking with our strategic expansion," says Patten.

"In saying this, we also have plans to challenge a top 20 position in the next three to five years, so growth underpins every focus in the business currently, from enhancing our customer buying experience to developing existing and new brand partners in order to consistently add more products to our range."

The FacialCo.com.au acquisition includes an online and dedicated retail store plus a clinic in Brisbane where customers can try and buy products at discounted online prices in addition to receiving salon services through a range of customised beauty treatments.

"Along with the vast collection of skincare brands RY.com.au has not stocked before, FacialCo also has a very strong customer loyalty bonus scheme with an emphasis on expert advice that shoppers really appreciate," says Carr.

"A unique, Australian first 'shop by skin type' function also allows online visitors to receive product suggestions based on personal skin needs a service we are excited to be able to offer to further improve our customer experience."