Founded in 2022 and backed by over AU$4 million in funding, Straand offers a range of scalp microbiome products designed to calm irritated skin and address issues like dandruff. The range includes a shampoo, conditioner, pre-wash oil, scalp mask, serum, scrub, hair perfume and dry shampoo, most of which include a rosebay prebiotic blend that helps rebalance the scalp microbiome. Available to buy online and across around 100 stores worldwide, including Sephora, Urban Outfitters and Adore Beauty, the brand will increase its retail footprint eightfold with the expansion into Boots UK and Priceline Australia. The Boots rollout started mid-June and the Priceline rollout starts in July.
“Moving forward, retail is definitely our primary focus,” said Meagan Pate, co-founder at Straand. “...Now that we’re seeing scalp care really move from a trend into a staple, having that accessibility and whitecoat authority with Boots and Priceline is really critical to the next phase of the business,” Pate told Premium Beauty News.
And that next phase involves scaling and widening accessibility as well as doubling down on science-backed efficacy and credibility, she said.
Once both rollouts are complete, Pate said Boots and Priceline will become the brand’s “two anchor retailers”, helping define the future of Straand as it continues to grow and evolve. “There’s something I really love about the whitecoat authority of pharmacies. And many pharmacies really bridge that gap between health, wellness and beauty. When I look at where scalp care sits–that’s really the same mission.”
Straand will stay focused on these two retail relationships for 12-24 months before considering any wider expansion globally, she said, but longer-term, China expansion is definitely on the cards. “China is always of interest,” the co-founder said. “...The brand is already China-ready and has been seeding in the market for the past 24 months.”
Scalp care mainstreams
Expansion comes as scalp care settles into wider everyday beauty routines, Pate said, with products no longer stocked in specialist aisles but rather more permanently in central retail spaces. Boots, for example, has rebuilt its entire hair section in-store to provide greater visibility and shelf space for scalp, she said. “Both retailers really believe in the category and are creating space for it, as opposed to consolidating what was already there.”
As shelf space and visibility increases, brands in the space, including Straand, now have to work at keeping scalp care “more considered” and “proactive”, fitting seamlessly into existing beauty routines, the co-founder explained.
The brand’s launch strategy is a good example of how to achieve this, she said. Straand launched its debut shampoo telling consumers it could be used as a first-phase scalp wash ahead of a regular shampoo, aligning with the popular two-step face cleansing trend in beauty. “That really was very instrumental to our early success because we got a lot of adoption and understanding of where [the product] fits into routines. It brought scalp into hair care, as opposed to taking people out of hair care and into scalp care.”
Developing interesting SKUs is also key, Pate said. Straand has a UV-shield hair perfume, for example, that has proven hugely popular and offers a great entry point for people trying the brand for the first time. It also has a dry shampoo that it will re-launch in September following a formulation upgrade.
Looking ahead, she said Straand will continue to innovate and expand its scalp care offering, with new products set to launch next year.
Asked what areas the brand will be launching in, she said some new products will focus on other need states in scalp and hair care, including hair density and hair growth. “What we’ve done is set the foundation for scalp, by treating both the root and the skin, and that creates the perfect environment for healthy hair. The next phase is how do we go even deeper? (…) How do we stimulate and really help assist with other problems in the category that start with the scalp?”
TikTok Shop UK launch
Beyond new product development, Straand will also further expand its online presence, deepening omnichannel and connected commerce engagement and impact. Pate said the company is currently finalising agreements to launch on TikTok Shop in the UK in the coming months, which will add important “community and direct interaction with the customer”.
The “whole ecosystem” of beauty retail will be key to future growth for Straand, she said. And research and conversations suggest that having presence both online and in-store helps simultaneously drive cultural relevance and widen accessibility.
“D2C and TikTok and socials really allow lots of indie brands to test and learn and to create cultural influence and consumer buy-in and community,” the co-founder said. “But when you get your bigger retailers really backing it, I think that’s just such an incredible indicator that something is becoming very permanent.”
