Kevin Murphy lifts Amazon Australia revenue by 141%

Kevin Murphy has increased its Amazon Australia revenue by 141% through a partnership with eCommerce group Pattern, while also tightening control of its marketplace presence.

Distributed in Australia by Ozdare, the premium haircare brand turned to Pattern as consumer demand on Amazon Australia grew and activity from unauthorised resellers increased. The partnership was designed to establish an official presence on the marketplace while protecting the brand's salon business.

George Leighton, Head of Retail (Consumer) at Ozdare/Kevin Murphy, said the aim was to meet shoppers where they were already looking for products without disrupting existing channels.

"Given the growing influence of marketplaces in Australia, it was important for Kevin Murphy to establish a stronger presence where consumers are increasingly searching for and purchasing products. At the same time, maintaining the balance between our professional salon channel and consumer retail presence remained a key priority throughout the process," Leighton said.

Before the launch, Kevin Murphy had no official store on Amazon Australia despite what the companies described as strong existing demand for its products. Within four months of entering the marketplace, units sold rose 115% quarter on quarter and average order value increased 8.4%.

Those gains came during the heavy discounting of the Black Friday-Cyber Monday shopping period. Sales momentum continued afterwards, with March trading holding up against a comparison boosted by promotional activity.

Marketplace shift

The result reflects a broader shift in how premium beauty and haircare brands view online marketplaces in Australia. Many in these categories have approached Amazon cautiously because of concerns about pricing, third-party sellers and brand positioning.

"Many premium beauty and haircare brands have historically approached Amazon cautiously because of concerns around pricing control, unauthorised sellers and protecting brand equity. What Kevin Murphy has demonstrated is that with the right retail media, marketplace and brand protection strategy, Amazon can become a highly effective growth channel that complements existing retail and salon partnerships rather than competing against them," said Merline McGregor, ANZ Managing Director at Pattern.

For Kevin Murphy, a central part of the project was regaining control over how its products appeared and were sold on the platform. Since launch, Buy Box ownership has risen from 65% to 91%, while multiple unauthorised sellers have been removed, according to the companies.

Pattern also built and manages the brand's Amazon Australia storefront, including product listings and advertising across branded searches, category discovery and competitor terms.

New customers

Early figures suggest the marketplace is serving not only existing demand but also customer acquisition. By the end of the first quarter, about 80% of advertising-driven sales on Amazon Australia came from first-time Kevin Murphy customers on the platform.

That matters for a brand whose traditional distribution has been closely tied to salons and professional channels. Selling through Amazon can create tension for premium brands if customers shift spending away from established stockists, but Kevin Murphy and Pattern said the strategy was designed to complement, not replace, the salon network.

The case also highlights a broader issue for consumer brands in Australia: whether to stay off major marketplaces and leave room for unauthorised sellers, or establish an official presence and manage pricing, presentation and fulfilment more directly.

Amazon has become an increasingly important search and purchase channel for beauty shoppers, including in premium segments where brands have historically been more selective about distribution. For distributors and brand owners, that has added pressure to decide how much control they want over third-party retail environments.

McGregor said Kevin Murphy's experience showed consumer behaviour was already pushing brands in that direction.

"The reality is consumers are already searching for premium brands like Kevin Murphy on marketplaces, regardless of whether those brands officially sell there or not. What Kevin Murphy has demonstrated is that when brands take ownership of that customer experience with the right marketplace, retail media and brand protection strategy, Amazon can become a powerful channel for both growth and new customer acquisition," McGregor said.