FAKING IT

MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE

SANDRA MCCLUMPHA IS AN ENTREPRENEUR WITH A DIFFERENCE. AT A TIME WHEN MANY BUSINESSES ARE FEELING THE SQUEEZE AND REINING IN SPENDING, MCCLUMPHA, WHO BROUGHT FAKE BAKE ARTIFICIAL TANNING CREAMS TO BRITAIN, HAS JUST SPENT £10 MILLION ACQUIRING THE BRAND’S AMERICAN PARENT COMPANY.

The Scottish entrepreneur, who has distributed the tanning products in the UK since 2001, says she isn’t too worried about the economic downturn as the beauty industry has what it takes to survive.

SANDRA SAID: ‘I’ve been advised by the London investment bankers that the beauty industry doesn’t really get touched - it’s called the lipstick effect. I had thought that it would be the first thing to go because it’s a luxury but apparently in a lot of ways it’s the last thing to go.

‘The luxury goods market, like the fancy handbags and women spending five hundred pounds on a pair of shoes is all going. But our

beauty products are affordable - it’s not a £100 jar of cream.

‘People can’t afford to go on holidays but they still want a bit of colour so I think that it will be the last thing to go. People across the board in the beauty industry are surviving quite well, maybe the salon treatments are suffering slightly, but home treatments, beauty and skincare seem to be doing quite well.’

Fake Bake has enjoyed tremendous success with the England soccer WAGs and celebrities such as pop band Girls Aloud.