DermStore
DermStore is an online direct-to-consumer retailer selling 750+ prestige and dermatologist-recommended beauty brands across 26,000+ SKUs to over one million US consumers, operating as a wholly-owned Target subsidiary since its acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersManhattan Beach, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What DermStore does
DermStore (legal entity: The Hut.com Ltd, operating as Dermstore.com) is an online direct-to-consumer retailer of prestige and professional-grade skincare, haircare, makeup, sun care, body care, fragrance, and wellness products, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California. The platform aggregates more than 750 brands and 26,000+ SKUs, with a curated assortment skewed toward dermatologist-recommended and medical-grade lines such as SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, EltaMD, Obagi, PCA SKIN, Augustinus Bader, and Dr. Dennis Gross. DermStore serves over one million active US consumers through its owned e-commerce storefront at dermstore.com, with no physical retail presence or third-party marketplace listings. Discovery is structured around skin type, skin concern (acne, anti-aging, hyperpigmentation, redness), and key ingredients (Retinol, Vitamin C, Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide), supplemented by a Medical Advisory Board (Dr. Whitney Bowe, Dr. Connie Yang, Dr. Ashley Magovern) and educational content for credibility. The platform supports HSA/FSA payment via Flex, Sezzle buy-now-pay-later installments, and an interactive "Text an Expert" consultation service.
The business model combines one-time retail sales at brand MSRP (products ranging from ~$14 entry-level to ~$565 luxury) with three subscription/loyalty revenue streams: the Auto-Replenishment program (up to 15% off, 1–4 month delivery cadence), the BeautyFIX curated subscription box, and the Dermstore Rewards points-based loyalty program. Marketing relies on content/SEO (blog, ingredient index, sun care guide), email/CRM, promotional sales events, a $50 referral program, and the Medical Advisory Board's earned-media credibility. DermStore has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Target Corporation since Target's acquisition of DermStore Beauty Group (referenced as 2013 in firmographic commentary), benefiting from corporate resources while maintaining an independent brand identity. The company operates with a lean 51–100 employee base.
DermStore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DermStore
- Legal name
- The Hut.com Ltd
- Website
- https://dermstore.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DermStore is an online direct-to-consumer retailer selling 750+ prestige and dermatologist-recommended beauty brands across 26,000+ SKUs to over one million US consumers, operating as a wholly-owned Target subsidiary since its acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DermStore industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Beauty Retail
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare (CRABAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional Skincare & Facial Treatments (CRABALAF), Professional/Backbar Skincare (Esthetician & Spa Use) (CRABAAAK), Dermatology & Aesthetics Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAK)
Keywords
Where DermStore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manhattan Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
DermStore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel
Revenue model
- Product Sales (One-Time): DermStore generates the majority of its revenue through one-time retail sales of prestige and professional-grade beauty products, including skincare, haircare, makeup, tools, sunscreen, body care, and fragrance. Products range from entry-level ($14-$20) to luxury ($500+), with average order value supported by free shipping at $100+.
- Auto-Replenishment Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from the Auto-Replenishment program, which offers 15% off the initial purchase and 15% savings on all future replenishment orders, with customers choosing delivery frequency of 1–4 months. This drives predictable recurring revenue and customer retention.
- Dermstore Rewards / Loyalty Program: Points-based loyalty program where members earn points on purchases (e.g., 190 points per order on select items) redeemable for discounts, incentivizing repeat purchases and increasing customer lifetime value.
- BeautyFIX Subscription Box: A curated subscription box offering exclusive product bundles and discovery of new brands, generating recurring subscription revenue while also driving incremental product sales for featured brands.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard One-Time Purchase |
| Subscription | Monthly | Auto-Replenishment Subscription (15% discount) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Sezzle Buy Now, Pay Later |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Referral Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
DermStore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DermStore is an online retailer of prestige and professional-grade skincare, haircare, makeup, sunscreen, body care, fragrance, tools and devices, offering more than 26,000 SKUs from over 750 brands (including SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, EltaMD, Obagi, Augustinus Bader). It complements retail with recurring subscription services (Auto-Replenishment, BeautyFIX), a loyalty program (Dermstore Rewards), HSA/FSA eligible shopping, an Ask-an-Expert consultation service, and BNPL checkout via Sezzle, all delivered through dermstore.com and a mobile app.
Product overview
DermStore is an online beauty retailer offering over 750 prestige and professional beauty brands across more than 26,000 SKUs. The platform operates as a curated marketplace for skin care, sunscreen, hair care, makeup, tools & devices, body care, and fragrance products. Core offerings center on medical-grade and dermatologist-recommended brands including SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, EltaMD, Obagi, and Augustinus Bader. The platform provides subscription services (BeautyFIX, Auto-Replenishment), a loyalty rewards program, HSA/FSA eligible shopping, and BNPL payment options. Products are organized by category (Skin Care, Sunscreen, Hair Care, Makeup), ingredient focus (Vitamin C, Retinol, Peptides), skin type, and skin concern (Anti-Aging, Acne, Hyperpigmentation). DermStore was acquired by Target Corporation and continues operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dermstore Collection: Private label skincare and beauty products curated exclusively for DermStore customers.
- Dermstore Bundles
- BeautyFIX
Products and services
- BeautyFIX Subscription Box Monthly subscription box delivering curated beauty samples and full-size products from prestige and emerging brands to individual subscribers, serving as an exclusive product discovery and replenishment channel.
- Auto-Replenishment Subscription Service Recurring delivery subscription with up to 15% savings on initial and subsequent orders, allowing customers to schedule skincare and beauty essentials on 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-month delivery cadence with free delivery after the first order and no commitment.
- Dermstore Rewards Loyalty Program Points-based loyalty program where members earn points on purchases that can be redeemed for discounts and free products, with bonus point offers on select items and a $50 referral credit per successful friend referral.
- Best of Dermstore Kits (Curated Bundles) Expert-curated product bundles and value sets (e.g., the Jet Set Edit travel essentials kit) combining bestsellers from multiple prestige brands at a value price for individual consumers.
- Ask an Expert / Text an Expert Consultation Interactive skin-expert consultation service enabling individual customers to receive personalized product recommendations from qualified beauty advisors via text-based messaging.
- HSA/FSA Eligible Beauty Shop Shoppable category of skincare, sunscreen, tools, serums, moisturizers, and cleansers eligible for purchase using pre-tax HSA/FSA funds through the Flex payment integration, expanding accessibility for individual consumers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 750 prestige and professional beauty brands available through a single online platform
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use DermStore
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DermStore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
DermStore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Target CorporationcoreTarget Corporation acquired DermStore Beauty Group in 2013, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition provided Target with access to over 750 prestige and professional beauty brands, more than 26,000 SKUs, and over one million active customers. DermStore continues to operate separately under the dermstore.com brand while benefiting from Target's corporate resources and retail infrastructure.
- SezzleminorDermStore offers Sezzle's buy-now-pay-later payment option at checkout, enabling customers to pay for purchases in four interest-free installments. Sezzle promotes DermStore as a partner merchant benefiting from BNPL tools to attract holiday shoppers and reduce cart abandonment. The partnership supports higher average order values and conversion rates.
- SkinCeuticalscoreSkinCeuticals is a leading professional skincare brand featured as a top bestseller and primary brand on DermStore. DermStore offers free gifts with SkinCeuticals brand orders ($200+), multiple SkinCeuticals bestsellers prominently featured, and a dedicated brand page. The relationship represents a high-volume, strategic brand partnership.
- SkinMedicacoreSkinMedica is featured as a top brand on DermStore with promotional offers including up to 20% off and extra 20% off Auto-Replenishment plus a free gift with any $200+ SkinMedica brand order. Multiple SkinMedica products appear as bestsellers (TNS Advanced+ Serum, HA5 Hydra Collagen Facial Mist, Retinol Complex).
- EltaMDcoreEltaMD is a leading professional sunscreen and skincare brand prominently featured on DermStore with exclusive products (UV Clear SPF 46 Broad-Spectrum Duo), free gifts with $115+ brand orders, and extensive sunscreen category presence including face, tinted, and sport formulations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DermStore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Net-a-Porter: Global luxury fashion retailer (Yoox Net-a-Porter Group) with a curated prestige beauty and skincare edit sold online; comparable in assortment curation and premium consumer targeting.
- Sephora: Global prestige beauty retailer selling a deeply overlapping portfolio of skincare, haircare, makeup, fragrance, and tools across both physical stores and sephora.com. Closest direct competitor in the prestige beauty e-commerce space that DermStore competes in.
- Beautylish: Online-only prestige beauty retailer offering skincare, makeup, haircare, and tools with curated brand discovery and editorial content — overlapping with DermStore's prestige e-commerce model.
- LovelySkin: Online prestige and dermatologist-recommended skincare retailer with a similar medical-grade skincare focus, ingredient/concern navigation, and Skin Experts consultation model — a tight head-to-head competitor to DermStore.
- SkinStore: Online retailer specializing in professional and clinical skincare brands with overlapping vendor partners (SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, Obagi, etc.). Closest like-for-like competitor to DermStore's medical-grade assortment.
- Bluemercury: US-based prestige beauty and spa retailer (Macy's-owned) operating stores plus bluemercury.com with a curated assortment heavily weighted toward clinical and medical-grade skincare brands overlapping DermStore's core positioning.
- Ulta Beauty: Largest US beauty specialty retailer carrying both mass and prestige skincare, haircare, and makeup brands across 1,400+ stores and ulta.com. Directly competes with DermStore on the medical/prestige skincare segment.
- Cult Beauty: UK-based online prestige beauty retailer with a curated assortment of clinical, indie, and luxury skincare and makeup brands; highly comparable to DermStore as a digitally native prestige beauty destination.
Regional players
- Space NK: UK-based prestige beauty retailer operating stores and spacenk.com with a curated skincare and fragrance assortment overlapping many of DermStore's anchor brands; comparable assortment, but primarily serves the UK/Europe.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon Premium Beauty: Mass e-commerce platform with a significant premium beauty storefront (SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, EltaMD and others) — broadly competes with DermStore for prestige skincare demand with unmatched scale and logistics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DermStore social profiles
Digital presenceDermStore compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
DermStore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DermStore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
DermStore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DermStore M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DermStore
What does DermStore do?
DermStore is an online retailer of prestige and professional-grade skincare, haircare, makeup, sunscreen, body care, fragrance, tools and devices, offering more than 26,000 SKUs from over 750 brands (including SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, EltaMD, Obagi, Augustinus Bader). It complements retail with recurring subscription services (Auto-Replenishment, BeautyFIX), a loyalty program (Dermstore Rewards), HSA/FSA eligible shopping, an Ask-an-Expert consultation service, and BNPL checkout via Sezzle, all delivered through dermstore.com and a mobile app.
Is DermStore a public or private company?
DermStore is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DermStore founded?
DermStore was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DermStore based?
DermStore is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does DermStore make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (One-Time) is the primary driver. The others are auto-Replenishment Subscriptions, dermstore Rewards / Loyalty Program and beautyFIX Subscription Box.
Who are DermStore's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Net-a-Porter, Sephora, Beautylish, LovelySkin, SkinStore, Bluemercury, Ulta Beauty and Cult Beauty. Space NK is listed as a regional player. Amazon Premium Beauty is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does DermStore have an API?
No public API is recorded for DermStore.
What industry is DermStore in?
DermStore's product category is Online Beauty Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABAAAF, Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare, with a secondary code of CRABALAF, Professional Skincare & Facial Treatments. Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 2844.