Merle Norman Cosmetics Inc. or simply known as Merle Norman, is an American multinational cosmetics company that manufactures skin care and makeup products founded in 1931 by Merle Norman. The company is known for pioneering the "try before you buy" philosophy, letting customers try on products for free before purchasing. It sells its products through its beauty store outlets and e-commerce, as of 2021 the company had 1,007 locations throughout 8 countries worldwide, primarily in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

History

Merle Norman, with her education in

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

, started making makeshift cosmetic products in her home kitchen to sell to her neighbors while her nephew,

J.B. Nethercutt Jack Boison Nethercutt (October 11, 1913 – December 6, 2004) was an American entrepreneur and car collector. He co-founded Merle Norman Cosmetics in 1931 with his aunt Merle Norman and started as a delivery peddler for her early products, later ...

, worked as the delivery peddler. Growing in local popularity, in 1931 she opened her first official cosmetics studio in Santa Monica for $150 during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. By 1934, the company had expanded to dozens of independently owned studios across the

contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

which were predominately owned by women. By the 1940s the company expanded overseas to Asia, marketing in Thailand. During the American involvement in World War II, the company produced gun oil and

war paint War paint is paint ritually applied to the face and/or body prior to going into a battle. War Paint or Warpaint may also refer to: Music * Warpaint (band), an American indie rock band from Los Angeles ** ''Warpaint'' (Warpaint album), 2014 album b ...

. In 1963, Norman stepped down as chairman and passed down the company to J.B. Nethercutt. In 1969, the company changed to be

publicly traded A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) company can be listed on a stock exchange (list ...

on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). The company sold 400,000 shares at $25.Going Private
The Yale Law Journal. Vol. 84: 903, 1975. The company opened secondary factory in

Sylmar, Los Angeles Sylmar is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and is the northernmost neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles. Historically known for its profusion of sylvan olive orchards, Sylmar can trace its past to the 18th century and t ...

in 1971 and a forward distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee for its East Coast studios in 1973. In 1974 the family bought back all the public stock due to a lack of demanded trading interest, and the company reverted to being privately held. In the 1980s, Merle Norman was named one of the ten largest American cosmetic companies by '' People magazine''. The company started its first national advertising campaign, having previously only used word-of-mouth marketing regionally, including sponsorship of the 1981 Met Gala. The company experimentally expanded to Europe in 3 countries, but would leave the continent by the next decade. In 1999 the company redesigned its studios to have a common interior. In 2004, Nethercutt passed the company down to his son,

Jack Nethercutt II Jack Boison Nethercutt II (born December 22, 1936) is an American businessman and former professional racing driver. He notably used #102 and competed in the World Sportscar Championship and USAC Road Racing Championship. He is the second owner ...

. In 2007 the company was ranked No. 21 in '' Entrepreneur'' magazine's Franchise 500. Merle Norman expanded to the Middle East by 2011. Later in the year, the company unveiled a new separate logo emblem with an updated wordmark along with a redesign of product packaging. From 2012 to 2019 the company had a decline of 269 studio units. In 2018 the company announced its beginning of day spa services to select studio outlets in the United States and Canada. In 2019 Merle Norman's products were available for purchase online through e-commerce. The company produced WHO

hand sanitizer Hand sanitizer (also known as hand antiseptic, hand disinfectant, hand rub, or handrub) is a liquid, gel or foam generally used to kill many viruses/bacteria/microorganisms on the hands. In most settings, hand washing with soap and water is ge ...

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operations

Merle Norman is a

privately held A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

family owned A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by blood or marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business and the willingn ...

company by the Nethercutt-Richards family. The corporate headquarters is located in Los Angeles, California. The primary manufacturing plant and distribution center is located in Westchester, Los Angeles and is connected to the corporate headquarters. In 1971 a secondary plant was opened in

which produces the containers and packaging for its products. The company is a member of the Personal Care Products Council.

Product testing

Merle Norman is certified by

PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...

as cruelty-free. The company uses non- vegan ingredients.

Locations

Below is a list of current studio outlet locations, totaling 1,007 worldwide: * United States * Canada *

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

* Puerto Rico * United Arab Emirates * Bahrain * Taiwan * Hong Kong

Merle Norman Spa

Merle Norman Spas are select specialized outlets throughout the United States and Canada that offer day spa services, including facial treatments and massages from trained estheticians.

Sponsorship

Merle Norman was the primary sponsor of the 1981 Met Gala with the event's theme of The Eighteenth-Century Woman. The company sponsors the USC Trojans and funded

Merle Norman Stadium Merle Norman Stadium is a beach volleyball facility located in Los Angeles, California, United States. The on-campus USC facility, built in 2013, serves as the home of the USC Trojans women's beach volleyball team. The facility has three sand co ...

for the school's new NCAA Division I beach volleyball program in 2012. From 2020 the company sponsored the

Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merle Norman Cosmetics Inc. 20th-century establishments in California 1931 establishments in California Cosmetics companies of the United States American companies established in 1931 Franchises Cosmetics brands Nethercutt-Richards family Family-owned companies of the United States