THE WHAT? Natura &Co has reported its results for the third quarter of fiscal 2022. The Brazilian cosmetics conglomerate saw revenue rise 2.2 percent yoy to R$9 billion in constant currency and stable adjusted EBITDA margin at 8.6 percent.

THE DETAILS Digitally enabled sales reached 50.2 percent of total net revenue. Drilling down by business unit, Natura &Co’s Latam revenue increased 10.2 percent with the Natura brand posting a strong rise of 18.5 percent while Avon put in a more modest performance, growing 0.7 percent.

Avon International, meanwhile, saw revenue drop 8.1 percent in the three months versus the same period last year. The Body Shop also reported declining sales, down 19.5 percent. Aesop continued to be the star of the show with 21.5 percent growth with all regions save Europe delivering double digit sales increases.

THE WHY? Fabio Barbosa, Group CEO of Natura &Co, commented, “Natura &Co posted results in line with our expectations, with top line trending better, while margins continued to be pressured by the challenging macroeconomic environment marked by high inflation, lower discretionary spending and foreign exchange impacts…

“The Group reorganization that we announced last quarter has made good progress. We have significantly reduced operating costs at the Holding and continue to implement important steps to give each brand more autonomy and accountability. Other structural steps are also in motion:  We are accelerating the integration of the Avon and Natura businesses in Latin America, starting in 2023 with Peru and Colombia, quickly followed by Brazil. We are continuing to optimize Avon International’s geographic footprint, with significant changes in markets such as India and Saudi Arabia. We also announced the closing of Avon’s Suffern R&D facility in the US and the outsourcing of Avon’s IT infrastructure. The Body Shop has taken steps to rightsize its organization and, as announced in the Material fact published on October 17, 2022, we continue to analyze strategic alternatives for Aesop.

“Taking into consideration the strategic moves mentioned above, the potential alternatives for Aesop currently under study and our expectations of a continued uncertain macro environment in some markets, we are withdrawing our mid-term guidance. We will continue to work on the actions we have outlined to deliver sustainable shareholder return and achieve our ambition of making Natura &Co the best beauty company for the world.”