Physical retail as a growth engine: Ray expands into the Netherlands

Belgian skincare brand Ray is crossing the border for the first time: on Friday, the company will open its fifth shop in Maastricht. “We want to become an international brand,” says co-founder Thomas Kindermans.

Test first, then roll out

Maastricht is the first foreign store for Ray, which already has branches in Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges and Leuven. “We have noticed that there is demand for healthy skincare products in the Netherlands,” says Kindermans. “We see this both online and in our Belgian shops, which are also visited by many Dutch customers. But above all, we have determined the future strategy of our brand: even though we are a local family business, we want to become an international cosmetics brand.”