Key takeaways on Warpaint’s Barry M buyout
- Warpaint has purchased Barry M out of administration for £1.4m.
- The deal includes the brand and IP but excludes the London factory and staff.
- Tariffs, rising costs and shifting beauty trends contributed to Barry M’s decline.
- Warpaint expects the acquisition to support UK retail expansion despite lower profits.
- Approximately 100 Barry M jobs are at risk following the factory closure.
Mass-market colour cosmetics brand Barry M has been bought out of administration by competitor Warpaint in a £1.4 million deal. The acquisition covers the Barry M brand and its intellectual property but excludes its London factory and staff.
Warpaint, which owns brands W7, Technic and Man’Stuff is hoping that adding Barry M to its portfolio will boost sales by widening distribution.
The purchase follows numerous recent acquisitions including Fish Soho, Dirty Works, Skin & Tan and Super Facialist.
Acquisition set to expand Warpaint’s footprint in UK retail channels
Warpaint said the takeover will help expand its presence in key UK retail channels.
For 2025, Warpaint forecasts sales of £105 million, up from £102 million in the previous year. However, its underlying profit is expected to decline from £25 million to £22 million.
“Looking ahead to the new year, we expect to see a return to organic growth across the group,” said Warpaint’s CEO Sam Bazini.
Barry M, founded in 1982 is known for its colourful, vegan and cruelty‑free makeup. The brand is stocked in around 1,300 UK stores including Superdrug, Boots, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
The brand entered administration last year after citing “geopolitical issues” and rising costs that had eroded its margins. However, its most recently available financial results showed a £17.4 million turnover and a pre‑tax profit of £172,000 for the year ending February 2024.
The acquisition will result in the closure of Barry M’s London factory, putting around 100 jobs at risk.