Rituals Cosmetics: Building the world’s leading well-being brand in Asia
Rituals, founded in the Netherlands in 2000 by Raymond Cloosterman, has had double digit growth over the last 15 years. It had taken the European beauty industry by storm, opening two to three stores weekly. At its current pace, Rituals would soon be opening over 150 new shops per year and expanding to new markets on an annual basis. In addition to having its own stores network, Rituals’ sales channels included franchises, travel stores, various partners such as luxury hotels and an online shopping platform in multiple languages. Cloosterman’s ambition was to double his business from €1 billion to €2 billion over the next 5-10 years. Part of that plan was a very strong footprint with brick-and-mortar stores, and an online share of 25% to 30%. Offline and online experiences had to become a seamless kind of operation. Cloosterman believed that it would be difficult to reach a €2 billion target without expanding his brand into Asia.
- Brand development
- Disruption
- Launching a new brand in Asia
Rituals Cosmetics, Consumer Goods, Cosmetics and Perfumes
2022-2023
Cranfield University
Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]
NUCB Business School
1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]
IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
In 2024, the management of Aluminium Cyclo Enterprises (ACE), was concerned that the European Union (EU) export rules for ferrous and non-ferrous scrap were becoming more restrictive. Not just the EU, but close to 43 countries had restricted the e...

Explore how innovation, R&D, and policy reforms are reshaping China’s pharmaceutical sector amid rising healthcare demand and demographic shifts.
This Technical Note explores the significant transition that leaders face when moving from functional to enterprise-level leadership roles. It introduces the "Seven Seismic Shifts" framework, which identifies the fundamental changes in mindset and...
This case study explores AstraPay’s journey to become a significant player, despite its latecomer status, in Indonesia’s burgeoning digital payments landscape. Launched in 2018, AstraPay had grown to serve over one million customers, but it faced ...
The board of Nestlé S.A. announced that Anna Mohl would become the CEO of Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) — a global leader in nutritional science — on 1 January 2024. She was delighted to hear about her new position but knew there was little time to...
Assortment optimization presents a complex challenge for retailers, as it depends on numerous decision factors. Changes in assortment can result in demand redistribution with multi-layered consequences. This complexity is even more pronounced for ...
At the European Management Journal (EMJ), our mission is to publish manuscripts that challenge “the status quo through critically informed empirical and theoretical investigations, and present the latest thinking and innovative research on major m...

Taking up a new leadership post can mean a dramatic shift in the way others see you – and how you define yourself. It is vital to learn how to separate your true self from the demands and expectations of the role.

Campaign failures at Apple, Bud Light, & Jaguar show why boards must prioritize marketing oversight. Insights from Su-mei Thompson.
In late 2022, Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand (part of the Netherlands-based Stellantis automobile corporation), announced that 2023 would be the last production year for its popular “muscle car” models, the Dodge Charger and Challenger. Thes...
Case reference: IMD-2665 ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Case reference: IMD-2650 ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Case reference: IMD-7-2636 ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in European Journal of Operational Research 3 February 2025, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2025.01.035
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in European Management Journal February 2025, vol. 43, no.1, pp. 2-9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2025.01.001
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications