Amazon partnerships: Kiehl’s skin care launches as Unilever and Kimberly-Clark fight period poverty

24 May 2024 --- Kiehl’s Since 1851 is now available in the Amazon Premium Beauty store while the e-commerce company launches the Multibank initiative in collaboration with Unilever and Kimberly-Clark to provide over 100,000 hygiene products to people experiencing poverty in the UK.

Amazon’s initiative was co-founded with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and In Kind Direct, a charity that ensures people have access to products to keep them “clean, safe and well.” Until June 16, for every two purchases on Amazon of over 500 personal hygiene products, Unilever and Kimberly-Clark will donate a third to the Multibank initiative and In Kind Direct. 

“The support that the Multibank initiative and In Kind Direct provide is so important, helping households that are facing hygiene poverty to access the daily products that help people feel clean and confident,” says Chris Barron, general manager for Personal Care UK&I at Unilever.

“We know that together we can do more, so we’re really pleased to be partnering with Amazon and Kimberly-Clark with a shared commitment to get more products to the charities and people that need them most.”

Providing personal care
Brands involved in the initiative include Dove, Simple, Vaseline and Huggies. The Multibank is a combined clothes, bedding, baby and hygiene bank for communities that cannot typically afford these items. 

Amazon asserts that companies have surplus goods that people need, while local charities and care professionals know the people who need them. The Multibank network connects the two to “reduce the effects of poverty while contributing to a more circular economy.”

Amazon works to donate companies’ surplus to those that need them (Image credit: Amazon).Amazon co-founded the UK’s first Multibank in Fife, Scotland, with Brown in response to the “high levels of poverty and deprivation” he witnessed in his local area.

“Our goal is to help as many families as possible by connecting surplus essentials from Amazon and other businesses with those who need it most,” says Eugenie Teasley, UK head of impact at Amazon.

“Our Multibanks have already supported over 200,000 families in need with the donation of more than two million essential items, and with this additional support from Unilever, Kimberley-Clark and our customers, we’ll be able to help even more.”

Earlier this month, following a study revealing that one in three women struggle to purchase period products in the US, Kimberley-Clark partnered with Walgreens to donate period products to the Alliance for Period Supplies in an effort to combat period poverty. 

Heritage brand on Amazon
Kiehl’s now has a dedicated Amazon Premium Beauty storefront with products including new launches like Better Screen UV Serum SPF 50, Truly Targeted Acne Clearing Solution (a liquid pimple patch) and Clearly Corrective Triple Acid Peel. All Khiel’s products are available with free Prime shipping.

“Launching in the Amazon Premium Beauty store marks a new chapter in Kiehl’s journey of over 170 years of skin care and innovation,” says John Reed, general manager at Kiehl’s since 1851. 

“Inspired by our heritage as a neighborhood apothecary brand, this collaboration allows us to continue our legacy while providing high-performance skin care solutions at an even greater scale. With Amazon, we are excited to offer our community another seamless shopping experience to further our mission of providing best-in-class service to Amazon’s diverse consumer base.”Kiehl’s Since 1851 aims to broaden its consumer base by launching in Amazon Premium Beauty.

The brand that “transcends generation and gender” says it is committed to inclusivity and plans to leverage Amazon’s “diverse” customer reach to cater to a new group of customers. 

Several of the brand’s best-selling formulas, including the Ultra Facial Cream, Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Mask, Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner and Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash, were awarded Amazon’s Climate Pledge badge via the Cradle to Cradle certification. 

“We’re excited to welcome Kiehl’s to Amazon Premium Beauty — a heritage brand with a devoted following. Working with Kiehl’s to build a best-in-class beauty brand store that showcases the brand’s strong innovative spirit supports our vision to offer Amazon customers unmatched beauty selection with engaging and inspiring shopping experiences,” says Ali Kole, head of Amazon Premium Beauty. 

By Sabine Waldeck