Revlon files for bankruptcy, blames supply chain snags

June 16 (Reuters) – Cosmetics maker Revlon Inc (REV.N) has submitted for personal bankruptcy, falling target to world provide chain disruptions that pushed up raw content costs and prompted suppliers to need upfront payments.

Acknowledged for its nail polishes and lipsticks, the 90-yr-old company in recent a long time has missing shelf house and product sales to startups backed by famous people these as Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty.

In its individual bankruptcy submitting, Revlon mentioned provide chain disruptions in the spring prompted rigorous competitors for elements utilized to make its items. At the exact time, vendors that typically provided up to 75 times for payment started demanding hard cash in advance of new orders, although labor shortages and inflation added to its troubles, it explained.

“For instance, just one tube of Revlon lipstick calls for 35 to 40 uncooked supplies and component areas, each individual of which is crucial to bringing the product to market,” Robert Caruso, who was employed as Revlon’s chief restructuring officer, wrote in a court submitting.

“With shortages of vital components throughout the company’s portfolio, competitors for any obtainable elements is steep.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has lengthened ship shipping and delivery times considering the fact that 2020, pushing up freight expenses, although the Russia-Ukraine conflict and lockdowns in Shanghai have additional to offer chain disruptions this calendar year.

Shares in Revlon fell as substantially as 44% on Thursday on the personal bankruptcy filing in advance of closing down 13%.

The shares had halved in industry benefit concerning final Thursday and close of trading on Wednesday. Media experiences of a potential individual bankruptcy submitting emerged on Friday.

Debts MOUNTED

Revlon, which was shaped in 1932 by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson and Charles Lachman, started off advertising nail enamel. It was sold in 1985 to MacAndrews & Forbes – which remains the managing shareholder and is owned by Ron Perelman – and went community 11 decades later.

Revlon bought Elizabeth Arden in an $870 million skincare bet in 2016 to fend off levels of competition. It homes models together with Britney Spears Fragrances and Christina Aguilera Fragrances.

But the firm’s product sales lagged in excess of the a long time and in 2021 fell 22% from its 2017 amounts. In contrast, competition like CoverGirl, owned by Coty Inc (COTY.N), have received industry share by investing intensely to strengthen supplies.

The business also produced headlines two decades ago when Citigroup Inc (C.N) unintentionally sent just about $900 million of its have dollars to Revlon’s lenders. go through far more

Revlon asked its bankrutpcy choose to verify that the Chapter 11 filing would not stop Citibank’s ongoing enchantment in excess of the $504 million it is nonetheless attempting to get well fom Revlon loan providers. A brief prompt resolution of the dispute would aid its bankruptcy scenario go ahead, it said in courtroom papers.

The mistaken payment is section of a advanced fight among Revlon’s pre-personal bankruptcy lenders, who have jockeyed for manage in the course of Revlon’s attempts to defer financial debt payments.

An attorney representing junior collectors, Clark Whitmore, stated in court docket that the senior lenders’ “feeding frenzy” would demolish worth for stakeholders that are lessen on the foodstuff chain.

Revlon strategies to fund its bankruptcy circumstance with $575 million in debtor-in-possession funding from its current loan company base.It stated far more than $3.54 billion in liabilities in its court filing late on Wednesday.

The firm reported none of its global models, apart from Canada and the United Kingdom, are section of the Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy proceedings.

Mittleman Brothers Expense Management, which retains about 3% of the company’s inventory, expressed hope fairness holders would handle a decent payout in spite of the bankruptcy.

That could occur if Revlon manages bigger revenue that make it possible for it to prevail over provide chain challenges, Chris Mittleman reported in an electronic mail to Reuters.

Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath and Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru Enhancing by Arun Koyyur, Shounak Dasgupta and Deepa Babington

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