DTC men’s skincare brand Lumin expands into Target

Grab your tote: DTC men’s skincare brand Lumin is now at Target stores across the US, following a nationwide expansion into Walmart last month.

• Its products in Target, including face wash, dark circle defense, UV cream, and an anti-wrinkle serum, range from $11.99–$14.99.

Fresh start: Lumin, founded in 2018, started as DTC only, but customer demand to buy products in stores ramped up as the company grew, said Darwish Gani, co-founder of Lumin and its parent company Pangaea. Additionally, it discovered a growing market for men’s skincare products, he noted.

• Sales grew 50% YoY in 2020 and 2021, according to the company, though Gani did not share specific numbers.

“Talking to the teams at these companies and their visions for the future of what the men’s sections of their stores look like, we felt Lumin could be a part of that story,” Gani told Retail Brew. “We felt there’s a kind of unique opportunity for both parties to benefit and try something new on each side.”

Being able to bypass department stores and go right into big-box retailers—where the reach is much wider—is another benefit, noted Kevin O’Connell, Lumin’s general manager.

• “We really wanted to bring that level of quality to the mass consumer where [men are] already shopping,” he told us. “That's a place we saw a big space for us.”

Looking ahead…For now, Lumin is focused on making sure the Walmart and Target partnerships go smoothly, but Gani said the company will continue to assess if it should double down on stores or e-comm.

“We’ll constantly evaluate and ask ourselves, ‘Are we selling our products in the right channels for the right set of folks?’” Gani said. “We are open to exploring new kinds of partnerships, but that hasn’t been the priority at the moment.”—KM