FACES: You have traveled around the world in search of inspiration. How did this come about?
Raymond Cloosterman: Let’s call it luck or karma. (laughs) At the time, I was working on a project for Unilever for which I was looking for new insights and impressions. To achieve this, I decided to go on a trip. I wanted to meet inspiring people and see new places to broaden my horizons.
F: How exactly do we have to imagine this?
RC: Basically, this was global trend research. I visited various research centers and companies and also looked at their shopping malls and stores in different countries and cities. Tokyo, Paris, New York, London – I wanted to discover the stores there that were new and hip and had their finger on the pulse of the times.
F: How long were you on the road?
RC: My trip lasted two to three months. After that, I came back and was completely psyched. I had to process the impressions first, but my head was full of ideas! And it was at this moment that I decided to start my own lifestyle label.
F: And so Rituals was born. What is special about your label?
RC: We need to be aware of appreciating and enjoying the little things in life. And that’s what Rituals is all about: living in the moment. For this reason, the very first thing we did was not to start producing creams in the laboratory, but to immerse ourselves in history. We were looking for rituals and ancient Asian traditions that we wanted to share with our customers. It was only from this research that the natural ingredients for our products crystallized, which we then used to make our creams and shower gels. At Rituals, every product tells its own story.
F: What is your vision for Rituals?
RC: Our products should create an oasis for the consumer. After all, we are constantly busy and under enormous pressure – both professionally and privately. It’s important to switch off from time to time, and the best place to do this is at home, where you feel most comfortable. It was only when I realized and internalized this myself that I knew I wanted to create a label that combines living and beauty. That’s why with Rituals we not only offer body products, but also fragrances, candles and home accessories – for women and men and people all over the world.
F: It must be difficult to live up to this claim, to have a product that appeals to such a large target group. How do you manage that?
RC: The philosophy of Rituals is very strong: daily routines should be transformed into rituals. This motto actually suits everyone. In addition, our stores and packaging are not designed to be typically male or female – both genders feel comfortable with us and our products.
“We try to make ordinary things extraordinary.”
F: What makes the Rituals stores so unique?
RC: We try to make ordinary things extraordinary. A visit to our stores should be something special and a particularly enjoyable experience. That’s why we use dark wood and real trees – it should be elegant and yet accessible. As soon as you step over the threshold, you should relax and come down from the stress of the road. You get a cup of tea and a hand massage and are really pampered while you look at the products. So design and service go hand in hand.
F: They are always on the move and under constant stress. How do you relax?
RC: At least I’m trying. (laughs) I have my own rituals for this. For example, I go to our beach house in Belgium with my family and spend a few quiet days there, or I drink a glass of wine while sitting in front of the fireplace. Of course, I try to spend as much time as possible with my friends and do sports from time to time. I recently started practicing yoga and even do it in the office.
F: You talk about your rituals. Can you name a few?
RC: No matter where I travel, I always take my sports clothes with me so that I can jog through the streets in the morning and watch the city wake up. When I travel with my family, we always go to churches everywhere, light a candle and take a minute to give thanks and reflect on our lives and current moments.
F: Are you a spiritual person?
RC: In a special way. I grew up Catholic and learned a lot about Buddhism on my travels through Asia. I love experiencing and discovering such traditions. Nevertheless, I have both feet firmly on the ground.
F: What are your favorite Rituals products?
RC: I love the Samurai line that we developed for men. The samurai used to have special rituals that they performed before going into battle. Bathing rituals, hair rituals… We have taken this story and created products for the modern everyday warrior that make him feel good in the morning before he starts his day. My favorites are the Shaving Cream and the Shower Mousse, both of which I often take with me when I travel. What I always take with me is one of our scented candles so that I feel at home wherever I go.
F: There are many Rituals products. What is still missing?
RC: I have lots of ideas for new products. What we are thinking about are urban spas all over the world, where you can simply have a good time. I think that would be a very exciting direction. But we also discuss things like stationery items and food.
F: What was your favorite place on your trip?
RC : We travel a lot as a family because we want to show our children the world. There is no single place that I like best. In Europe, cities like Stockholm or Amsterdam are my favorites, in Asia Bangkok and Tokyo. These are all very inspiring places. I love traveling around Asia, the culture, the service mindset and the design are so unique and inspiring.
F: What fascinates you most about Asia?
RC: The rituals. There are far too few of these in the West. There is so much history in Asia, so many traditions and also an understanding of the past that we don’t even know here. Karma, for example, is a great concept! Do good and good things will happen to you.
F: They are integrated into all processes and are present everywhere. Are you a simple boss?
RC: You should ask my employees that. Rituals is my obsession, my passion, and I am obsessed with this label. And I love realizing my visions of Rituals alongside my employees and drawing new strength from them.
F: Getting a label off the ground is hard work. Did everything always go smoothly?
RC: No. There were of course difficult times and moments when I questioned everything. At the beginning, for example, the quality of the products was not what it should have been. At the time, we thought that it would be enough to make nice-looking products – but of course that wasn’t the case. You always have to be better than your competitors and constantly surprise your consumers with something new and exceed their expectations. But now everything is going so well and I am delighted with the success that Rituals is enjoying worldwide.
F: And because things are going so well, you can certainly take a day off from time to time. What do you do then?
RC: I have numerous hobbies and of course I spend as much time as possible with my family. When I have half a day off again, we eat together, do sport together and simply enjoy the moments we have together.
Raymond Cloosterman is CEO and founder of Rituals Cosmetics. The idea for his label came to him while traveling. Before founding Rituals, the 52-year-old Dutchman worked for Unilever for 13 years and is therefore at home in the beauty industry. Rituals was launched in 2000 and today has over 350 stores and around 1,000 shop-in-shops as well as four city spas in 20 countries worldwide.